Los Angeles, CA (My Sportsbook) - Ron Artest netted 23 points and brought down eight boards to help the
Houston Rockets to a 92-83 victory over the winless
Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center.
Carl Landry scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds while Yao Ming blocked five shots, with 16 points and nine rebounds for the Rockets, who snapped a modest two-game skid after starting the season 3-0. Houston will stay in LA to face the Lakers on Sunday.
"I tried to stay aggressive. I changed my footwork and got some good looks," Landry said. "The most important thing is our offense is there. We have to get better defensively."
Chris Kaman and Baron Davis each collected 23 points for the Clips, who have started the campaign with an 0-6 ledger. LA began a five-game homestand Friday and next hosts Dallas on Sunday.
Marcus Camby logged 13 rebounds while Kaman had 11 and two blocks but it wasn't enough for a Clippers squad that shot just 57.1 percent (8-of-14) from the foul line. Making things worse, Tim Thomas left the game in the first quarter with a sprained left ankle and did not return.
"I certainly wasn't crazy about our start. We had to fight our way back in," Clips head coach Mike Dunleavy said. "We're still not there yet. We have to stay positive and we'll be okay."
Houston held an eight-point lead at the half but LA made a game of it in the third. Both teams came out firing to start the second half and the Clips cut it to one, 59-58, on Kaman's third layup of the quarter. A jumper from Davis kept the deficit within reach, 66-64, with under three minutes left before Houston pulled ahead by five entering the fourth.
The Rockets opened the final quarter with a 9-3 run to make it a nine-point margin. A pair of buckets from Camby with a little over three minutes to play cut the lead to five but the Clips managed just one more basket down the stretch on their way to an 0-6 start.
Game Notes
The Rockets have dominated the series with the Clippers recently, winning six straight, including 10 of 11 against Los Angeles at the Staples Center...Davis had eight assists..Houston's Luis Scola notched 14 points and seven rebounds while Rafer Alston handed out eight helpers with 12 points.
