The Clippers have had games this season when they have been incapable of stopping an opponent's long-distance game. And that was one of the key factors in Wednesday's home defeat to the Houston Rockets. In one particular game, the Clippers couldn't find a way to slow down New Orleans's Devin Brown among others, as Brown went 5-for-8 from three-point range as the Hornets made 10 treys on their way to an easy victory on November 9. And Houston became the latest Clippers' foe to profit from downtown. The Clippers were not able to close out quickly on the Rockets' shooters, allowing players from Shane Battier to Kyle Lowry uncontested looks at the rim from deep. And even after getting burned by the long ball repeatedly in the first half, the Clippers could not make the sufficient adjustments in the second half, as the Rockets ended up 12-for-23 from three for the game.
Some of the Rockets, like Aaron Brooks, seemed to benefit from speed on the way to open jumpers. But others, like Chase Budinger, simply walked the ball up the court and, after being given three or four feet of space, hoisted threes up successfully.
The Clippers did not help themselves by making just 1-of-14 from the outlands, but they cannot afford to get outscored 36-3 from the three-point line in any game. The Indiana Pacers come to Los Angeles Saturday, and they are currently 24th in the NBA in three-point percentage.
ROCKETS 102, CLIPPERS 85: The Clippers were ice-cold in the fourth quarter in a home loss Wednesday, shooting just 27.8 percent in the final 12 minutes. Al Thornton had 19 points, but was hardly a factor offensively in the second half as the Rockets pulled away.
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