The Los Angeles Clippers appeared to be on the verge of putting their fractured pieces together.
After claiming both games of a back-to-back in Detroit and Toronto just after Christmas, the Clippers – who host the struggling Houston Rockets on Sunday — climbed to six games over .500 by capping a stretch of seven wins in nine games. They had labored as Paul George and Kawhi Leonard worked their way back from injuries in pursuit of cohesion, and that span of success appeared to portend more wins down the road.
The stability the Clippers thought they captured has proven elusive. With their 115-103 home loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday, the Clippers fell to .500 (22-22) with their seventh loss in eight games.
George has missed four consecutive games with a bothersome hamstring and, while Leonard has found his form by averaging 28.7 points, eight rebounds, four assists and 2.3 steals over his last three games, the Clippers have been unable to sustain a healthy roster.
Lue turned to Terance Mann as the starting point guard, moving former starter Reggie Jackson completely out of the rotation. The results have been mixed, with Mann – previously a shooting guard previously — working through the difficult transition on a roster that can’t quite get whole.
The Rockets’ defensive woes remain pronounced. In their 139-114 road loss to the Sacramento Kings on Friday, the Rockets allowed Sacramento to shoot 57.1 percent in the second half, including 13 of 23 from behind the arc. The Kings’ breakaway 43-point third quarter featured 65.2 percent shooting overall with 6-of-12 proficiency from deep and 7-of-7 shooting from the free-throw line.
The Rockets have dropped nine consecutive games and 14 of 15 overall. During their skid, their 122.6 defensive rating ranks last in the NBA. Houston is 28th overall in defensive rating at 116.7, ranking ahead of only the Pistons and San Antonio Spurs.
At this point, the Rockets’ defensive issues are myriad. Against the Kings, their problems were specific and endemic simultaneously, and with the losses mounting so too has the frustration.
