Amen Thompson had 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists on elite efficiency as the Rockets (16-6) rallied to a much-needed victory over the Clippers.
HOUSTON — After four consecutive off days, the Rockets (16-6) returned to play with Thursday’s 115-113 home victory (box score) over the Los Angeles Clippers. Houston overcame a seven-point deficit in the second half while rallying to the win.
Amen Thompson finished with 20 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, and only a single turnover while making 8-of-12 shots (66.7%). Those totals included an offensive rebound and putback with under 20 seconds remaining, which put Houston in front to stay.
Thompson was fouled on the decisive play and also made the resulting free throw. In the fourth quarter alone, Thompson finished with 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists while making all four of his shots and all four of his free-throw attempts.
“It’s been harder this year,” Thompson said of his offense. “They (defenders) will stay with me (off the ball), and face-guard me. So, it’s been harder, but I’m just trying to find new spots, or a floater. And some teams will just double off me. Just figuring it out, game by game, is a challenge, but I’m excited to figure it out.”
Houston remains the NBA’s best rebounding team of the 2025-26 season, and they out-rebounded the Clippers by a decisive 51-28 margin in Thursday’s matchup of Toyota Center.
Ivica Zubac led the Clippers (6-19) with a game-high 33 points and 7 rebounds while making an incredible 13-of-14 shots (92.9%). He did go only 7-of-11 from the free-throw line (63.6%), however, including an important miss in the closing 15 seconds.
Other key statistics included:
Alperen Sengun: 22 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 turnovers, 4 steals; 9-of-22 shooting (40.9%), 4-of-6 on free throws (66.7%)Jabari Smith Jr.: 18 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists; 6-of-14 shooting (42.9%), 2-of-8 on 3-pointers (25.0%)Kevin Durant: 16 points, 5 turnovers, 3 assists; 5-of-14 shooting (35.7%), 3-of-5 on 3-pointers (60.0%)Reed Sheppard: 10 points, 4 rebounds; 4-of-9 shooting (44.4%), 2-of-5 on 3-pointers (40.0%)Aaron Holiday: 13 points in 17 minutes; 4-of-7 on 3-pointers (57.1%)James Harden (Clippers): 22 points, 7 assists, 4 turnovers, 3 steals; 7-of-18 shooting (38.9%), 4-of-10 on 3-pointers (40.0%)Kawhi Leonard (Clippers): 24 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists; 9-of-22 shooting (40.9%), 3-of-10 on 3-pointers (30.0%)
Next up for the Rockets is a challenging six-game road trip, which begins Monday at Denver and continues through the upcoming holiday. Two of those six games are against the Nuggets (18-6), while the road-trip finale on Christmas comes versus the Lakers (17-7) in Los Angeles.
At the moment, the Rockets, Nuggets, and Lakers are all tightly bunched between No. 2 and No. 4 in the Western Conference standings.