It’s always difficult to evaluate a preseason game, no less the first one. The roster the LA Clippers fielded during Thursday night’s loss to the Houston Rockets was very different from the one we’ll see during the regular season, as both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George sat the contest out. Because of that, we’re taking this loss with a grain of salt.
Houston spoiled LA’s preseason debut, winning 109-96 behind a 37-point performance from James Harden. Apart from him, the Clippers did a solid job on the defensive side of the floor, holding the Rockets to just 37.