Clippers Come Up a Bit Short Against Shorthanded Rockets

If the Clippers make the playoffs, they’d better hope they don’t run into the two-time NBA champion Houston Rockets.

The injury-plagued Rockets handed the Clippers their second consecutive loss, 113-109, Tuesday night before an announced 10,893 at the Sports Arena. It also ended a seven-game home winning streak, only one game shy of a franchise record since moving to Los Angeles.

Matt Bullard, a last-minute starter, made six three-point shots and scored a career-high 24 points as the Rockets ended an eight-game road losing streak.

“Bullard hit a couple that were sidewinders,” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said. “Those were the big shots. But the things that create those shots are the things you have to do to stop [Kevin] Willis and [Hakeem] Olajuwon [double-team] when they’re on the block.

“Overall, we played about as well as we can against a team we give that much size to. If we keep that quality of play up, we’re going to be competitive the rest of the season.”

After trailing by as many as 11 points, the Clippers gave the Rockets, who had 25 turnovers, a scare.

With the Clippers trailing, 109-103, swingman Eric Piatkowski made a three-point shot from the left side with 18.6 seconds left to make it 109-106. The Clippers immediately fouled Mario Elie, who made two free throws with 15 seconds left to give the Rockets a 111-106 lead.

But forward Loy Vaught, who had 23 points, made his fifth consecutive shot, a jump shot from the right corner, to make it 111-108 with 9.1 seconds left.

The Clippers fouled Bullard to regain the ball and Bullard made two free throws with 4.9 seconds left to give the Rockets a five-point lead.

Olajuwon had a triple-double, collecting 22 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. Elie had 18 points.

Clipper guard Darrick Martin had 23 points and four assists.

The Rockets, who shot 58.9% made 11 three-point shots, including five in the third quarter, and took an 87-80 lead into the final quarter.

Bullard made three three-point shots in the third quarter as the Rockets outscored the Clippers, 36-25.

Rocket trainer Keith Jones has worked overtime lately.

Forward Charles Barkley is expected to be sidelined 10 days to two weeks because of a hip injury suffered in a collision with Shawn Bradley in Saturday’s victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Houston is 6-10 without Barkley.

Guard Clyde Drexler, who missed 13 games because of an hamstring injury, was activated Monday, but didn’t play.

Guard Sam Mack remained at the team hotel after undergoing an emergency root canal, leaving the Rockets with only nine players.

“That’s the NBA, you know you’re going to have some injuries and we’ve had more than our share,” Rocket Coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. The Rockets committed 18 turnovers in the first half, which the Clippers converted into 20 points to take a 55-51 halftime lead.

Fitch put Vaught on Olajuwon and Wright on Willis, who had 16 points and seven rebounds.

The Rockets shot 72.2% in the first quarter, making 13 of 17 shots and led, 32-26. Olajuwon made all four shots he took in the first quarter and Willis made four of six.

Martin made five of eight shots and had 13 points in the first quarter. But Fitch held Martin, who has been hampered because of a back injury, out of the second quarter.

With the Clippers leading, 53-51, after Olajuwon made a jump shot, Charles Outlaw went around Olajuwon and banked in a layup with 15 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Clippers a four-point halftime lead.