LOS ANGELES — Center DeAndre Jordan scored a playoff-high and career-tying 26 points with 17 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Clippers rolled past the Houston Rockets 128-95 to take a 3-1 edge in their Western Conference playoff semifinal Sunday at Staples Center.
Forward Blake Griffin added 21 points and eight rebounds, shooting guard J.J. Redick scored 18 and point guard Chris Paul finished with 15 points and 12 assists for Los Angeles, which had six players score in double figures.
Guard James Harden led Houston with 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Forward Trevor Ariza finished with 18 points, while guard Jason Terry had 16.
Game 5 is Tuesday at the Toyota Center in Houston. A win would advance the Clippers to their first ever conference final.
Los Angeles opened the third with a 21-4 stretch for an 81-58 cushion after back-to-back lobs from Paul for rim-rattling, alley-oop dunks by Jordan midway through the quarter. The Clippers outscored the Rockets 43-25 in the quarter for a 103-79 lead heading into the final period.
The Clippers led 60-54 at the break in a half dictated by the Rockets intentionally sending Jordan to the foul line. They started their strategy less than four minutes into the contest and continued it until the final seconds before intermission.
Jordan made only 10 of 28 attempts as Houston committed 27 fouls to 10 for Los Angeles before halftime. It was the most free throws taken in a half of a playoff game by a Clippers’ player, breaking the mark of Doc Rivers, now the Clippers coach, against the Utah Jazz in 1992. Jordan also broke his own mark of 17 attempts in a game, recorded in last year’s first-round series against the Golden State Warriors. Jordan finished 14 of 34 from the line.
Overall, the Clippers were 37 of 63 (58.7 percent) on foul shots to 15 of 30 (50 percent) for Houston.
Rockets center Dwight Howard, plagued by foul trouble, had seven points and six rebounds in 18 minutes before fouling out and receiving his second technical with 9:52 left.
NOTES: Rockets coach Kevin McHale said before the game his club needed to improve on defense and move the ball more on offense to experience success. “They got out early and were running on us,” McHale said of the Clippers’ Game 3 win. “We have to do better in transition to get in front of guys because the last game, they did a great job of pushing with (G Austin) Rivers.” … Lost in the Game 3 performance of Rivers, who had a playoff-best 25 points, were the key contributions of F Spencer Hawes, who came off the bench and produced two points, three rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 11 minutes. … Game 6, if necessary, would be Thursday at Staples Center.