Gordon leads Clips over Rockets 106-103

[March 04, 2011]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Eric Gordon scored nine of his 24 points during the final 4:46 in his return to the Clippers' lineup, Blake Griffin had 20 points and 14 rebounds, and Los Angeles snapped a five-game losing streak with a 106-103 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

Gordon shot 8 for 18 in 35 minutes after missing 18 games because of a sprained right wrist that had a small fracture in it. He was leading the team with a 24.1 scoring average when he was injured in a victory against Golden State on Jan. 22 at Staples Center.

Chris Kaman scored 10 of his 21 points off the bench in the fourth quarter and had nine rebounds. Point guard Mo Williams and forward Jamario Moon played their first home game for the Clippers following last week's trade that sent Baron Davis to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Williams finished with 17 points and 11 assists while teaming up with Gordon in the backcourt.

Kyle Lowry led Houston with 24 points and 11 assists, and Courtney Lee added 18 points off the bench. But the Rockets failed to get over the .500 mark for the first time this season.

The loss snapped Houston's season-high five-game winning streak. The Rockets were trailing by 11 when Goran Dragic ignited a 13-2 run with a 3-pointer and Luis Scola capped it with a pair of free throws that tied the score at 91 with 4:57 to play.

But the Clippers regained the lead for good 11 seconds later on a 3-pointer by Gordon.

Williams made six of seven free throws in the final 1:09 to ice it, despite 3-pointers by Lowry and Chase Budinger in the frantic final 22 seconds. Houston had one last gasp, but Budinger missed another 3-point attempt at the final horn.

One night after shooting 58 percent from the field in a 103-87 win at Portland, the Rockets shot just 39.7 percent through the first three quarters against the Clippers and entered the fourth trailing 75-69. Kaman made a couple of short hook shots, a driving dunk and a 16-footer to help extend the margin to 85-75 with 8:52 remaining.

Gordon, who is 6-foot-3, brought the sellout crowd of 19,060 to its feet when he went as high as he could to block a 3-point shot by Lee in front of the Clippers' bench in the third quarter. Gordon's block came 24 seconds after Williams' 21-footer put Los Angeles ahead 70-69.

Houston coach Rick Adelman had to pull two of his starters before the game was 5 minutes old, as Kevin Martin and center Chuck Hayes each picked up two fouls. The Rockets took their first lead, 26-25, on a 3-pointer by Brad Miller early in the second quarter and Lowry scored eight points in the final minute of the half to give them a 54-49 lead.

Lowry finished the half with 14 points, including three free throws after he was fouled by Griffin with one-tenth of a second on the clock.

Martin, who came in averaging a team-high 23.2 points, finished with 12 points in 30 minutes.

Williams, who has played two games for the Clippers without the benefit of a full practice with his new teammates, collaborated with Griffin for an alley-oop dunk with 2:36 left in the second quarter to trim Houston's lead to 46-42. Williams then set up another one by Moon with 10 seconds left in the half.

NOTES: Kaman, relegated to a backup role because of a bruised left ankle that sidelined him for 45 games -- and the emergence of DeAndre Jordan -- needs one more rebound to join Bob McAdoo, Swen Nater, Loy Vaught and Elton Brand as the only players in franchise history with 4,000. ... Griffin, selected the top rookie in the Western Conference for the fourth straight month on Monday, is trying to join Chris Paul (2005-06) as the only players to sweep the award in either conference. ... Griffin's 168 turnovers are the most by a Clippers player this season. He also has the most minutes played, total points, field goals and rebounds and free throws made.

[Associated Press]

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