The Los Angeles Clippers moved to within a victory of reaching their first ever conference final after thrashing the Houston Rockets, 128-95, in Game 4 of their best-of-seven series Sunday night. Action now shifts to Houston this coming Tuesday for Game 5 with the Rockets now facing a do-or-die situation.
Can the Rockets keep their title hopes alive? Or will the Clippers end their championship dreams once and for all? Read on for an in-depth breakdown of this pivotal matchup and while you’re at it you can check out our Game 5 preview of Cleveland vs. Chicago.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Los Angeles Clippers vs. Houston Rockets Game 5 Preview
Series Scores & Schedule
Game 1 – Los Angeles Clippers 117 at Houston Rockets 101
Game 2 – Los Angeles Clippers 109 at Houston Rockets 115
Game 3 – Houston Rockets 99 at Los Angeles Clippers 124
Game 4 – Houston Rockets 95 at Los Angeles Clippers 128
Game 5 – May 12, 9:30 PM ET – Los Angeles Clippers at Houston Rockets – view all NBA lines
Game 6* – May 14, TBD – Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Clippers
Game 7* – May 17, TBD – Los Angeles Clippers at Houston Rockets
*If necessary
Betting on the Los Angeles Clippers
There’s just no stopping the Los Angeles Clippers.
[sc:NBA240banner ]The Clippers delivered a shellacking for the second game running, trouncing the Houston Rockets by 33 huge points in Game 4 to grab a commanding 3-1 series lead in their best-of-seven showdown. It was basically Game 3 all over again for the Clips as they rode another third-quarter explosion to send the Rockets to the brink of elimination.
The Clippers uncorked a lethal 29-7 run at the start of the second half to extend their six-point halftime lead to a resounding 89-61 advantage. The Clippers unleashed a balanced offensive attack in this game as six Los Angeles players scored in double-figures. DeAndre Jordan survived Houston’s intentional foul-fest in the first half, scoring 26 points and grabbing 17 boards. Blake Griffin, on the other hand, had 21 points and eight rebounds.
Key to the Clippers’ dominance thus far in this series has been their outstanding play inside the shaded area. They’ve outscored the Rockets, 100-55, in points in the paint in Games 3 and 4. It is no coincidence that they’ve beaten the Rockets by an average of 29 points in those two encounters.
Even better news for head coach Doc Rivers is the ever-improving play of All-Star guard Chris Paul. The 30-year-old scored 15 points and dished out 12 assists in his second game back since returning from a hamstring injury. Paul is averaging 21.4 points and a team-best 7.8 assists per game for the Clippers this postseason.
The Clippers are 8-2 SU and 9-1 ATS in their last 10 road games.
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Betting on the Houston Rockets
Houston, we have a problem.
We’ve heard that iconic statement a number of times already but it definitely holds true for the struggling Rockets who are now just one defeat away from being eliminated from this year’s playoffs. With their 128-95 loss Sunday, the Rockets became the first team since the San Antonio Spurs back in 2001 to lose consecutive playoff games in a series by at least 25 points.
So what’s going on with the Rockets who entered this postseason as the conference’s second seed? For starters, the Rockets’ defense has simply been atrocious this entire series. They’ve allowed the Clippers to score an average of 119.5 points with Los Angeles scoring at least 100 points in all four games. The Rockets are the league’s worst defensive team this postseason, allowing an average of 114.2 points in nine playoff games thus far.
To make matters worse for head coach Kevin McHale, his side’s much-vaunted offense is encountering some difficulty in this series as well. After shooting 40 percent from the field against the Clippers in Game 3, the Rockets shot just 41 percent from the floor in Game 4. It marks the first time that the Rockets shot 41 percent or worse from the field in consecutive games since doing so in back-to-back outings last January.
One player who epitomizes the Rockets’ recent struggles is Dwight Howard. He had a rough outing in Game 4, putting up just seven points and six boards in only 18 minutes of action. To demonstrate his ineffectiveness, the Clippers outscored the Rockets by 28 points when Howard was on the floor.
For the Rockets to stay alive in the series, they need Howard to quickly rediscover his old form. Howard will fancy his chances of doing just that in Game 5 as he has fared extremely well at Toyota Center this season. He is averaging 17.4 points and 10.9 rebounds in 18 home games thus far this season.
The Rockets are 8-2 SU and 6-4 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Houston stays alive with a 112-103 win.
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