The Los Angeles Clippers shocked the Houston Rockets on their home floor in Game 1, riding Blake Griffin to with with Chris Paul sidelined by a hamstring injury. It appeared we were in for a repeat performance in Game 2, but the Houston Rockets used a late-game surge to escape Texas with a split.
Surviving another monster performance by Griffin, Houston's James Harden woke up from his early-series slumber in the second half on Wednesday, showcasing his signature scoring touch and energizing the fans at the Toyota Center.
It was enough to erase the damage from a brutal second quarter and ultimately survive a late Clippers push in a much-needed 115-109 win.
Key Number: 42
How exactly did the Rockets survive a 41-21 massacre in the second which turned a 11-point lead into a 9-point deficit? Free throws and lots of them. Houston converted on 42 of 64 free throws (a franchise playoff record for attempts), finishing +17 at the line. That was enough to save the offense from an inconsistent start on Wednesday.
Los Angeles MVP:
Blake Griffin's just on another level in these playoffs. He has nothing at all to hang his head about in this one after ripping the Rockets for 34 points and 15 rebounds. The Clippers lost the game, but Griffin gained plenty of steam for the return to L.A.
Houston MVPs:
Split the award between Houston's Big 2. Dwight Howard posted 24 points and 16 rebounds while Harden found his stroke in the final 24 minutes, posting 32 points overall and perhaps saving this series for the Rockets.
What's Next?
The series shifts to the West Coast for Friday's Game 3 at the Staples Center. Tipoff is slated for shortly after 7:30pm local time.
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