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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- No overtime this time.
The Houston Rockets, who had tied an NBA record by playing three
consecutive overtime games, worked a regular shift Thursday,
beating the Los Angeles Clippers 109-96.
|  | | Derek Anderson tests the defense of Rockets center Kelvin Cato.
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"We played three overtime games, and last night a double
overtime, then traveled," said Shandon Anderson, who scored a career-high 27 points to lead the Rockets. "I knew they were going
to try to run against us early."
The Clippers, who trailed all the way, stayed close early, then
made a run in the fourth quarter before the Rockets, who led by as
many as 19 points in the third quarter, pulled away again.
"We started turning the ball over and missing a lot of easy
shots in the second half," Anderson said. "I missed a lot of easy
ones, and we just kind of lost focus for a while. But we got it
back."
Houston forward Charles Barkley, $20,000 poorer for criticizing an official in Phoenix on Wednesday night, said before the game
that he was going to continue to critique officials when he thought
it necessary.
Fined by the NBA earlier in the day, Barkley had a solid game
against the Clippers, with 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven
assists, but was just 4 of 10 from the free throw line.
Barkley said his missed free throws were part of the reason the Clippers narrowed the gap to three points with 9:07 remaining.
"I'm glad they (the Clippers) bailed me out. They kind of made
it easier on us, actually," he said. "I don't think they played
well. They didn't really compete against us. It was a pretty easy
game."
The Rockets led 77-58 with 4:17 left in the third quarter, but
the Clippers pulled to 79-71 by the end of the period, then got as
close as 84-81 three minutes into the final quarter.
At that point, however, Houston reeled off a 12-2 string as Los
Angeles went 3:45 without a basket.
Barkley had one mild run-in with referee Luis Grillo, late in
the first half. Barkley glared at the ref and walked away with the
ball after being called for a 3-second violation, and Grillo gave
him a delay-of-game warning.
The Clippers, losing their fourth in a row, were led by Derek Anderson with 23 points and Lamar Odom with 22.
Asked if the Clippers were getting frustrated, Odom said, "I
think so, because everybody here is competitive or they wouldn't be
at this level."
The Rockets converted 22 Los Angeles turnovers into 31 points; the Clippers scored just 12 points off 18 Houston turnovers.
The Rockets, already short with Hakeem Olajuwon out for hernia surgery, also were missing rookie point guard Steve Francis, who aggravated his twisted right ankle in Phoenix a night earlier.
Game notes
The Clippers' new home, the Staples Center, hasn't been
very sweet for them so far. They're 1-7 in the new building. ...
The Rockets, who went 1-2 in their overtime streak, were the first
team to play three consecutive overtime games since Milwaukee in
December 1977. It was the 13th time it had happened in NBA history.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Houston Clubhouse
LA Clippers Clubhouse
NBA takes $20,000 bite out of Barkley for ref comments
RECAPS
Atlanta 110
Sacramento 100
San Antonio 96
New Jersey 94
New York 84
Milwaukee 80
Orlando 103
Minnesota 93
Dallas 101
Chicago 95
Seattle 117
Golden State 108
Houston 109
LA Clippers 96
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