For a few minutes, it looked like the Clippers might win again in Houston without Chris Paul to go up 2-0 and all but end the series as they headed back to Los Angeles. They had a 13-point third quarter lead that nearly swelled to 16 after two great three-point looks just didn't fall. Instead, the Rockets came back and eventually squeaked out a narrow 115-109 win to even the series at 1-1.
Rockets vs. Clippers, NBA playoffs 2015: Time, TV schedule and live stream
Houston tries to steal back home court as this conference semifinal series shifts to Los Angeles.
Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
After a ridiculous 26-point half, the Rockets found ways to slow down Blake Griffin, who only finished with 34 points and 15 rebounds. Mainly, they went small, fronting him and quickly doubling if he did catch the ball to continually make his life difficult.
The big question is whether Paul will be back. If so, the Clippers can match and probably outgun the Rockets if they play the small ball game again. If not, Los Angeles will need Jamal Crawford to perform much better with the ball in his hands (he scored 19 but shot 6-of-22) and J.J. Redick to provide more of a scoring punch (just 12 points on 3-of-10 shooting).
The Rockets have arguably only played two good quarters this series and are still tied 1-1. By continuing the same things that made them successful on Wednesday and naturally expecting a little bit better shooting -- they only hit 5-of-26 from behind the line in the game -- they showed they can hang with the Clippers even if Paul does return.
Here’s how to watch:
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Online: WatchESPN
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