By Don Phillips
Houston Rockets at L.A. Clippers
When: 10:30 PM ET, Monday, January 18, 2016
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Rockets are averaging 108.0 points on 44.4% shooting while Clippers are averaging 101.0 ppg on 43.7% FGs. Houston is +11.5 rpg. Teams are shooting a combined 26.1% from 3-point range. Houston has more FTM (57; 78 FTA) than L.A. has FTA (54) & Clippers 64.8% FTs. James Harden is averaging 32.0 points and is shooting 23-of-24 from the line. Dwight Howard is averaging 21.0 ppg (76.2% FGs) and 17.0 rpg. Blake Griffin is averaging 28.5 points on 65.7% shooting. J.J. Redick is averaging 19.0 ppg with DeAndre Jordan is averaging 13.5 ppg and 12.5 rpg.
Several trends that more than often resulted in wins for the Rockets in 2014-15 have mostly held true so far this season:
• The Rockets won 89.7% of their games when holding opponents below 100 points last season (35-4 mark) and 81.8% this season (9-2 mark).
• Houston won 95.6% of its games when having a better FG% than its opponent last season (43-2 mark) and 85.7% this season (12-2 mark).
• The Rockets were 15-0 when holding opponents below 40.0% shooting last season and 4-1 this season.
• Houston won 84.6% of its games when outrebounding the opposition last season (33-6 mark) and 81.3% this season (13-3 mark).
• The Rockets were 12-0 when out-rebounding their opponent by double-digits last season and 7-0 this season.
• Houston won 82.0% of its games when having as many or more assists than opponents last season (41-9 mark) and 81.8% this season (9-2 mark).
The Clippers have won 10 consecutive games, dating back to Dec. 25 at Lakers, their longest winning streak since the 2013-14 season and tied for the longest active winning streak in the NBA (San Antonio).
Center Cole Aldrich made his first start as a Clipper when he stepped in for DeAndre Jordan in the Clippers’ win over Miami on Jan. 13. Aldrich, who started a career-high 16 games for the New York Kicks last season, tallied a season-high 19 points on a season-high tying seven field goals in a season-high 24:12 minutes.
The Clippers have performed exceptionally well when J.J. Redick has scored 20 or more points. The team is 9-0 when he has reached the mark this season and 35-4 since he joined L.A. prior to the 2013-14 season.
Over his last six games, Austin Rivers has averaged 12.5 points on .525 shooting from the field and .467 shooting from three-point range. Since Dec. 30, Rivers (.524) and J.J. Redick (.553) rank T-6th and 2nd respectively in 3PT% among all players to have attempted 20 or more threes in that span (1st- J. Calderon, NYK: .571)
In games in which Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan have all started, the Clippers are 15-9 and outscore opponents by an average of 3.2 points per game. When one or more of the four is out due to injury, the team is 11-4 and has outscored opponents by an average of 5.1 points per game.
Selection: Over
The spread, total and moneylines are currently off for this one at America’s Bookie, but check in later to see where they are and get in Don’s Free Play.
