The Los Angeles Clippers (8–10) secured back-to-back wins and handed the Houston Rockets (17–10) their fourth loss in five games with a dominant 128–108 victory on December 24.
Here are the key stats and the top performers of the game:
BEST PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Kawhi Leonard LAC SF 41 PTS | 8 REB | 5 AST | 56.1 FPS
Leonard was on fire, shooting 16-of-23 from the field, including 5-of-6 from three. He was also perfect at the line, going 5-of-5 and improving to 45-of-46 this month. The performance marked not only his season high but also his best scoring game since December 2023. Leonard also ranks second in the team in scoring, averaging 25.2 points per game this season.
BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE:
Alperen Sengun HOU C 19 PTS | 11 REB | 7 AST 48.7 FPS
Sengun finished with another well-rounded performance, posting his 16th game with at least 19 points, along with his 15th double-double. He currently ranks 15th in the league in total rebounds and 17th in total assists this season.
SCORING MACHINES:
Kevin Durant HOU PF 22 PTS | 5 REB | 2 BLK | 32.5 FPS
KD had a brilliant start, dropping 17 in the first half, but he couldn’t sustain the momentum. Still, he finished with at least 20 points in each of his last five games and 21 times this season.
James Harden LAC PG 29 PTS | 4 REB | 6 AST | 44.8 FPS
Harden delivered on offense, shooting 50% from the field and going 12-for-13 from the line to finish with his 21st 20-point game of the season. He continues to be one of the best offensive players this season, ranking 11th in total points, 5th in total assists, and 4th in total three-pointers made.
STAT SPECIALIST:
Amen Thompson HOU SF 19 PTS | 9 REB | 5 AST | 40.3 FPS
Thompson has scored at least 18 points, shot 7-for-10 from the field, and recorded 9 rebounds in each of his last two games. He’s also averaging 6.1 assists in his last seven games and 2.3 steals in his last three.
DEFENSIVE STANDOUT:
John Collins LAC PF 13 PTS | 2 STL | 2 BLK | 38.5 FPS
Collins filled the stat sheet, posting his 22nd double-digit scoring game, 13th 5-rebound game, seventh game with multiple steals, and sixth game with multiple blocks this season.
THE SHARPSHOOTER:
Jabari Smith Jr. HOU PF 16 PTS | 4-10 3PT | 1 REB | 18.7 FPS
Smith Jr. erupted for 11 points and 3 triples in the first quarter but struggled for the rest of the game. Still, he notched his 17th 15-point game of the season and his seventh with at least 4 three-pointers made.
THE X-FACTOR:
Kobe Sanders LAC SG 13 PTS | 4-5 FG | 3-3 3PT | 18.7 FPS
Sanders was effective offensively, recording his sixth double-digit scoring game and draining three three-pointers for the third time this season.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
Kris Dunn LAC PG 11 PTS | 4 REB | 1 STL | 21.8 FPS
Dunn has scored in double figures and knocked down three three-pointers in three of his last four games. He has also been elite defensively, ranking eighth in the league in total steals this season—ahead of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE GAME:
Bogdan Bogdanovic LAC SG 3PTS | 2 REB | 1 AST
Bogdan had a rough shooting night, finishing 1-for-6 and also making little impact in other areas.
