Both the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets are enjoying the best stretches of their season. The Clippers have dominated their last two games while Rockets are 9-1 in their last 10 games. Both teams are looking to make a run through the Western Conference in the second half of the season as they meet up for a big Wednesday matchup.
The Clippers have put on a clinic the past two games. They started by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 125-117 and then followed that up by beating the New Orleans Pelicans 123-110 where Blake Griffin put up 22 points and Chris Paul recorded a double-double. In the past two games, Los Angeles shot 51.8 percent overall, going 16 of 28 from the 3-point line.
Jamaal Crawford has been a big help for the team as his hot hands continue. He put up 24 points against the Pelicans while averaging 24.2 points a game over the 19 matchups. Meanwhile, Griffin has scored at least 20 points in the past 17 games. Now the team heads back home to meet up with the Rockets, a team they have played well against lately.
Los Angeles has beaten Houston the last eight of 10 games, including five straight home games where they averaged 112.2 points. However, the Rockets are playing their best basketball of the season, averaging 112.7 points per game in this recent stretch. Their only loss in the 10 of 11 games came in overtime to the Golden State Warriors.
Recently, the team beat the Sacramento Kings 129-103. James Harden finished with 43 points despite sitting out the entire fourth quarter. He went 11 of 20 from the field and 6 of 9 from beyond the arc. Dwight Howard could be limited in this matchup as he continues to suffer from a banged up knee. He still managed 20 points and 11 rebounds against the Kings.
The Clippers expect Glen Davis to make his debut against the Rockets. They hope the addition of the former Orlando Magic star will only help down the stretch of the year.