Clippers Rout Rockets 125-96, Tied With Utah For 4th Seed
Style Magazine Newswire | 4/11/2017, 2:45 p.m.
Clippers rout Rockets 125-96
LOS ANGELES (AP) — It's all down to one game for the Los Angeles Clippers to earn home-court advantage in the playoffs.
They routed the Houston Rockets 125-96 on Monday night to remain tied with Utah in the race for the No. 4 playoff seed. Both teams are 50-31 with one game remaining before they meet in the playoffs with only home court to be decided.
"Our destiny is in our hands," said DeAndre Jordan, who had 21 points and 11 rebounds.
The Clippers host Sacramento on Wednesday, while the Jazz host San Antonio.
"It's about us," Blake Griffin said. "This next game will be, too."
Chris Paul scored 19 points and Griffin added 18 in the Clippers' sixth straight victory. Since they didn't clinch home court, coach Doc Rivers will play his usual starters against the Kings.
Former Clipper Eric Gordon led the Rockets with 17 points. James Harden shot 2 of 9 for 14 points, well under his 29.3 average. He missed 5 of 6 3-pointers while playing 24 minutes.
"I think the 81st game (of the season) stopped Harden," Rivers said.
Neither team led by more than eight points in the first half before the Clippers broke the game open in the third.
They outscored the Rockets 36-12 to take a 97-69 lead.
"They had to win," Houston coach Mike D'Antoni said. "They came out in the second half with a little bit more determination than we had."
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