The Los Angeles Clippers come into tonight's game just two days off their emotional series victory over the Spurs, and are now hoping to use that momentum against the Houston Rockets. Who will draw first blood in this Western Conference Semifinals showdown?
Projected Starting Lineups
(2) Houston Rockets (56-26)
G Jason Terry – 7.0 ppg, 1.9 apg
G James Harden – 27.4 ppg, 7.0 apg, 5.7 rpg
F Trevor Ariza – 12.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg
F Terrance Jones – 11.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg
C Dwight Howard – 15.8 ppg, 10.5 rpg
(3) Los Angeles Clippers (56-26)
G Chris Paul – 19.1 ppg, 10.2 apg
G J.J. Redick – 16.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg
F Matt Barnes – 10.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg
F Blake Griffin – 21.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 5.3 apg
C DeAndre Jordan – 11.5 ppg, 15.0 rpg, 2.3 bpg
What to watch for:
How much do the Clippers have left?
The "hangover effect" could play a major factor in this game as the Clippers may be emotionally spent after how much energy they had to expend to beat the Spurs. The Rockets have had nearly a week of rest, so they'll be ready to go. Look for Houston to get off to a fast start in this one because of that.
How much “Hack-a-Player” will there be?
Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan are two of the worst free throw shooters in the league, and opponents revert to fouling them on a game-by-game basis to create an advantage. It'll be interesting to see how much this strategy is used - and if the opponent decides to use it right back.
Prediction: Rockets win 114-105
I think it will take a while for Los Angeles to get fully invested into this contest, and Houston will take that time to build a sizable lead they'll be able to hold throughout the course of the game.
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