Rockets rout Clippers to open NBA Cup play

HOUSTON -- Nothing went right for the Clippers, as Jabari Smith scored a season-high 28 points to lead the Rockets to a huge 125-104 win in the first NBA Cup game for both teams on Friday night. 

It was another abysmal night for the Clippers offensively, as they only shot 25% from three-point range and 38% from the field. Not just that, but the team had 14 turnovers on the night and just looked like they were swarmed by this young Rockets defense. 

Speaking of that young Houston squad, they destroyed the Clippers in fast break points, scoring 23 to the Clippers’ 10. Obviously when this iteration of the offense led by James Harden and Norm Powell meets a young, fast, high pace team like Houston, this is always a concern.

But it seemed like the Rockets had control of the game and the energy of the stadium throughout. The biggest lead was 28 in what turned out to be a blowout for Houston. 

Norm Powell had his worst game of the season, scoring 8 points on 3/11 shooting in 29 minutes. That is now back-to-back bad shooting nights for the scorching Powell, who is averaging career numbers across the board this season. 

With this version of the team, if Powell is off, there is not a secondary scoring threat behind James Harden to supplement the defense. When turnovers start to be converted into fast break points and transition offense for teams like the Rockets, these are the games that everyone should expect. 

If there were any bright spots, it had to be the play of Kevin Porter Jr., Kris Dunn and Jordan Miller. Porter Jr. has been on a bit of a hot streak over the past week, scoring 15 points in 24 minutes, including an impressive 3/5 from 3 point range. 

Dunn was inserted into the starting lineup on Wednesday in the first matchup with the Rockets, and since then, he has been an excellent addition to that group. Dunn poured in 13 points with a steal and a block on Friday night, further solidifying him as one of the better options in any lineup right now. 

Lastly, Jordan Miller had his second consecutive appearance and took full advantage of his 10 minutes of action. Miller is a fan favorite and a player that should’ve won Summer League MVP honors this past summer. Now, Miller is looking to crack the rotation. He scored 11 points in 10 minutes and relentlessly got the free throw line, going 9/10 from there.

This team still has the ability to make noise in the West, even at 6-7, but there are major concerns with the fatigue of James Harden, the pace of the offense, and the large amount of turnovers from game to game. 

The Clippers finally head back home to take on the Utah Jazz on Sunday night at Intuit Dome. Tipoff is set for 6:00 PM PST for the first night of “City Edition.”