Jalen Green scored 31 points, and Amen Thompson added 22 as the Houston Rockets bounced back from two straight losses to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 117-106 on Sunday in Inglewood, California.
Dillon Brooks scored 19 points, and Jabari Smith Jr. had 13 points along with 12 rebounds as the Rockets finished their three-game road trip in California with a 1-2 record after losing to Sacramento and Golden State. Alperen Sengun contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Aaron Holiday also scored 11 points.
The Rockets won without Fred VanVleet, who missed the game due to a right knee contusion, his second absence of the season. Tari Eason was also out due to concussion protocol, missing his second straight game.
Ivica Zubac scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Clippers, while Norman Powell added 17 points. The Clippers were without James Harden, who was sidelined with right groin soreness.
Los Angeles has been without Kawhi Leonard all season due to a knee issue, and Terance Mann, who has a fractured finger, missed his second consecutive game.
Rockets offered Jalen Green, draft picks to Nets for Mikal Bridges, but were turned down
Jalen Green (NBA)
Kevin Porter Jr. returned for the Rockets after missing three games with an ankle injury and scored 19 points. The Clippers lost their second straight home game after a nine-game winning streak in their new arena.
Houston, which led by as much as 14 points in the first half, extended its lead to 16 in the third quarter and was ahead 95-83 going into the fourth. The Rockets never faced a serious challenge in the final period and improved to 3-0 against the Clippers after winning two games in Houston in November.
The Rockets shot 48.8 percent from the field, while the Clippers made 44.6 percent of their shots. Houston also won the rebounding battle 50-33.
The Rockets led 30-28 after the first quarter with 54.2 percent shooting, then dominated the second quarter to take a 64-52 lead at halftime. Green scored 11 points in the first quarter and 18 in the first half, while Brooks added 14 points before the break.