National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Houston 97, L.A. Clippers 92
When: 10:30 PM ET, Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Officials: #72 Kevin Cutler, #26 Bob Delaney, #67 John Goble
Attendance: 17470

Kevin Martin scored 28 points and Luis Scola added 22 as the Houston Rockets won their fourth straight game, a 97-92 triumph over the host Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.

Houston swept its three-game West Coast trip and improved to 9-3 in December.

Rookie Blake Griffin had 24 points and 18 rebounds for the Clippers, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Griffin collected his 16th consecutive double-double and 23rd of the season.

The Rockets (14-15) jumped to a 27-11 lead late in the first quarter, but the Clippers went on a 20-5 run to cut their deficit to 32-31. Houston rebuilt the lead to 56-43 at halftime and widened it to 65-47 early in the third quarter.

The Clippers (8-22) rallied again and closed to 77-76 on Griffin's three-point play. But Houston answered with an 11-2 run for a 10-point lead with 4:17 to play.

At 88-84, Scola hit a 16-footer with 1:06 remaining. Griffin's 3-pointer made it 90-87, but Kyle Lowry's layup made it a five-point game.

Martin made 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch and the Rockets survived a potential tying 3-pointer by Griffin.

Shane Battier scored 13 points with 10 rebounds for the Rockets. Eric Gordon scored 18 points for the Clippers.

Top Game Performances
 
Houston   L.A. Clippers
Kevin Martin 28 Scoring Blake Griffin 24
Shane Battier 7 Assists Eric Gordon 6
Shane Battier 10 Rebounds Blake Griffin 18
Kevin Martin 9 Free Throws Made Blake Griffin 7
Kyle Lowry 2 Steals DeAndre Jordan 3
Luis Scola 2 Blocks DeAndre Jordan 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Houston 97 42.7 9-29 18-23 28 45 7 10 19
L.A. Clippers 92 40.2 4-15 18-26 22 46 6 10 16
Upcoming Games
  • L.A. Clippers will play their next game at home against Phoenix. The Clippers have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.
  • Houston will play their next game at home against Washington. The Rockets have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.