The Houston Rockets and LA Clippers are set for Game 3 and Game 4 from Los Angeles at the Staples Center for the Western conference NBA playoffs second round and the matchup starts on Friday at 10:30 pm ET on ESPN and streaming from the WatchESPN website as Chris Paul, James Harden, Blake Griffin and Dwight Howard battle with the series tied 1-1.

Chris Paul should be back for this matchup and he comes in after missing the first two games, but Matt Barnes said that he will be playing. Blake Griffin has picked up without Paul, as he had a big performance in Game 2 and that came after he had 26 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists in the first matchup, which was a win for the Clippers.

The Rockets bounced back in game 2 and they cut down on their turnovers, putting up half as many in the second matchup. The Rockets now have the chance to try and steal back home court advantage, while the Clippers are hoping to keep it. The Clippers had JJ Redick, Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford hit 13 three-pointers in Game 1 of the series and they only hit four in the second game defeat.

Paul likely will return to the lineup for the Clippers and that is big, as he missed the first two games of the series after dealing with a hamstring injury. Paul helped get the team past the Spurs in the first round on a hobbled leg and he scored the winning shot in Game 7 and now he will try and get his team going again. Paul had 27 points in that game and the Clips were playing with house money after they won Game 1 against the Rockets.

The team stole a game in Houston and now Paul has had time to rest and he looks ready to go now in Game 3. The series is tied 1-1 and the second game saw Blake Griffin have a mammoth performance in the loss. Griffin had 34 points and 15 rebounds in the game and that came after his triple double and now he will try and get it going again.

James Harden has been fantastic and after finishing second in the MVP voting he showed why he was so good this season, scoring 34 points and adding seven assists against the Clippers in the Game 2 win. Howard had 16 rebounds and now the series is the best of five with things tied 1-1, but the Clippers have the advantage. LA can take home court with a win in Game 3 and that makes this matchup even more important.

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