Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Blake Griffin scored 30 points with 10 rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 102-85 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday.
Jamal Crawford registered 21 points off the bench, and J.J. Redick netted 15 points for the Clippers, who have won three straight and improved to 5-1 on their seven-game road trip.
"Once we get it going defensively that will establish our trust. The ball will move more and you'll cover for each other," said Crawford.
James Harden paced the Rockets with 16 points, while Trevor Ariza and Isaiah Canaan each posted 13 points in the setback.
Houston, which was playing without Dwight Howard (knee), Patrick Beverley (hamstring) and Terrence Jones (leg), took another hit from the injury bug when Canaan went down late in the second quarter after rolling his left ankle on a drive to the basket and did not return.
The Rockets closed out their five-game homestand with a 3-2 record.
Crawford scored the final six points for Los Angeles in the third to help it take an 85-72 lead into the fourth.
That's when Houston's offense packed it in for the night.
Neither team scored until DeAndre Jordan's dunk 3 1/2 minutes into the fourth. The Rockets had tallied just one point on a Harden free throw over the first 8:11 of the frame before Tarik Black knocked down a pair of free throws. Nick Johnson then ended an 0-for-14 start from the floor for Houston during the quarter with a dunk at 3:12.
Meanwhile, the Clippers built a game-high 24-point lead during Houston's offensive meltdown and they cruised down the stretch.
"(It) was tough game for us," said Harden. "We were getting tired a little bit (in the fourth)."
Los Angeles held on to a 26-24 lead after the first quarter with Griffin's 12 points leading the way. Crawford then scored 12 in the second as the Clippers stretched the margin to 56-44 at the break courtesy of a 10-3 run to end the quarter.
Game Notes
LA will close the road trip on Saturday in Utah ... Matt Barnes returned from a two-game hiatus due to a calf strain and scored two points in 19 1/2 minutes for the Clippers ... Houston went 32-for-82 (39 percent) from the floor ... Chris Paul scored 10 points with seven assists and five steals in the win.
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