HOUSTON (AP) — Jalen Green scored 21 points and Amen Thompson and Tari Eason added 18 points each to lead the Houston Rockets to a 111-103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in the opener of a two-game set on Wednesday night.

The Rockets were down 11 points at the start of the game, but took a five-point lead at halftime. They made a great run at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter, increasing the lead to 19.

The Clippers went on a 9-2 run to cut the lead to four with about 90 seconds left in the game, but Alperen Şengun made a dunk followed by a monster block at the other end to secure Houston’s third straight win.

James Harden scored 19 points for the Clippers, who lost for the second time in a row after winning four in a row. He was 3 of 4 on 3-pointers in the first quarter, but then missed all four attempts. He approached Ray Allen (2,973) by three points and became the second player in NBA history to make the most three-pointers in his career, after Stephen Curry (3,779).

takeaway

Clippers: Los Angeles has struggled defensively in its last two games and will certainly benefit from the return of Kawhi Leonard, who has been out this season while rehabbing his right knee. He hasn’t made the trip and it’s unclear when he’ll make his season debut.

Rockets: Eason and Thompson continue to support Houston off the bench. Eason has scored in double figures in five straight games, while Thompson has done so in three of the last four games.

key moment

The Rockets were ahead by two points at the end of the third quarter and with a 19-2 run, they increased the difference to 98-79 with about 10 minutes left in the game. Eason scored eight points during this stretch.

Key statistics

The Rockets grabbed 18 offensive rebounds to the Clippers’ 10, helping them gain a 19-6 advantage on second-chance points.

next

The teams will meet again Friday night in Houston.

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