After Wednesday’s win, Rockets star Russell Westbrook took a dig at the defense of longtime rival and current Clippers guard Pat Beverley.
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True to his “Mr. 94 Feet” nickname, Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley spent much of Wednesday night’s game hounding Houston Rockets star James Harden all over the basketball court.
It also wasn’t all that effective. Beverley’s aggressiveness caused him to foul out in just 27 minutes, while Harden led his team to a win by scoring a game-high 47 points on 12-of-26 shooting, including 7-of-13 (53.8%) on three-pointers. The 2018 MVP also had seven assists.
After the game ended, 2017 MVP Russell Westbrook — who now stars alongside Harden in the Houston backcourt — was eager to get in a dig at Beverley, his longtime rival. Westbrook said:
Pat Bev trick y’all man, like he play defense. He don’t guard nobody, man. He’s just running around doing nothing. As you’ve seen what happened, 47. All that commotion to get 47.
Russell Westbrook (@russwest44)on Pat Beverley (@patbev21): “Pat Bev trick y’all man, like he play defense. He don’t guard nobody man. He just running around doing nothing..As you seen what happened 47. All that commotion and (@jharden) got 47.” pic.twitter.com/WaJ5D0Q1U5
Westbrook had 17 points himself in 30 foul-plagued minutes during the 102-93 Houston victory (box score).
The rivalry between the two point guards dates back to the 2013 playoffs, when Beverley — as a member of the Rockets, of all teams — went for the ball after the Thunder had called timeout and collided with Westbrook’s knee, all after the whistle had been blown. It led to a torn meniscus and ended Westbrook’s season early, and tension between the two has lingered for over six years since.
Now Westbrook is in Houston and Beverley is on one of the Rockets’ chief Western Conference rivals, with both 31-year-old guards still in search of their first NBA title.
Wednesday’s victory was the fifth straight overall for the Rockets (8-3), and it drops Beverley’s Clippers (7-4) a game behind in the West standings. If there’s lingering resentment, the rematch is barely over a week away — with Houston visiting Los Angeles next Friday, Nov. 22.
Austin Rivers relished the role he played in getting his father, Clippers coach Doc Rivers, ejected late in Wednesday’s Rockets victory.
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Reserve guard Austin Rivers played a huge role in Wednesday’s Rockets victory over the Clippers in Houston by helping limit Los Angeles guard Lou Williams to an inefficient 8-of-22 shooting night.
On the other end of the court, Rivers contributed to the box score with 7 points in 34 minutes. He didn’t record an assist in the game, but he did have an unofficial one on the fourth-quarter ejection of his father, Doc Rivers, who coaches the Clippers.
With Doc coach miffed over a controversial call and yelling at the game officials, Austin laughed and repeatedly signaled for the officials to give his father a technical foul. Ultimately, they gave him two, and the younger Rivers smiled as his father left the court.
The Rockets (8-3) and Clippers (7-4) will actually meet once more before Thanksgiving, with the rematch set for next Friday, Nov. 22, in Los Angeles. That game will also be nationally televised on ESPN.
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Austin Rivers on Doc Rivers’ ejection: “Doc’s gotta keep his cool.” 🤣
Austin Rivers, asked if he enjoyed Doc's Ts: “I did. I knew it was coming. I’ve seen that look before, many times. Once he starts blinking his eyes really fast, that’s when I know. I just tried to tell Tony to get him. He got him. He was out of here. Doc’s got to keep his cool."
Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers was throwing a fit in the final minutes of his team’s loss to the Rockets on Wednesday night when his son, Houston guard Austin Rivers, stepped in and begged the refs to call a technical on his dad.
Now that is just cold.
But then refs did just that and ejected Doc Rivers from the game, which Austin Rivers, who was traded from the Clippers by his dad during the offseason, seemed to really love it.
Check out this special moment between a father and his son:
Hilarious 🤣
Austin Rivers cheered for his dad, Doc Rivers, to get a technical foul. He got his wish. pic.twitter.com/A9zqcBL8gV
Austin Rivers asking for his dad Doc Rivers to get a Tech and mocking as he gets ejected might be the greatest moment in NBA history! #rockets#Clipperspic.twitter.com/O80sbtJo70
Hart, meanwhile, suffered left ankle and knee sprains during the team’s loss to Houston on Monday after an awkward collision near mid-court; Hart had surgery over the summer on his right knee.
Unlike the Pelicans, the Clippers will be adding to their arsenal on Thursday with Paul George expected to make his season debut for the Clippers in New Orleans. With Kawhi Leonard not playing back-to-backs this season, his status versus Houston on Wednesday is up in the air.
Patton started two games for the OKC Blue, averaging 6.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 4.5 blocks, and 1.5 steals in 23.4 minutes per game.
In a 113-109 loss to the Agua Caliente, the G League affiliate of the Los Angeles Clippers, Patton played 24 minutes, scoring 10 points while pulling down four rebounds and dishing out four assists.
Patton has seen limited court time for the Thunder this season, logging six minutes in Oklahoma City’s 120-92 blow out win over the Warriors. In that game, he missed both of his shot attempts, but did grab two rebounds to go along with a turnover and three personal fouls.
The center played sparingly for the Thunder during the preseason, averaging 3.0 points per game, shooting 37.5% from the field, hitting on 6-of-16 attempts.
Previewing Wednesday’s Los Angeles Clippers at Houston Rockets sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis, picks and tips.
The Los Angeles Clippers (7-3) visit the Houston Rockets (7-3) Wednesday at Toyota Center for a 7:30 p.m. ET start. We analyze the Clippers-Rockets odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
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Clippers at Rockets: Key injuries
Clippers
SF Paul George (shoulder) questionable
SG Landry Shamet (ankle) out
Rockets
C Nene Hilario (hip) out
SG Eric Gordon (knee) out
Clippers at Rockets: Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 9:20 a.m. ET.
The -110 line for the home ROCKETS is reasonable given the matchup. Houston is 3-1 at home this season and 5-0 against the Western Conference. Los Angeles is only 1-2 on the road.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the ROCKETS to win outright returns a profit of $9.09.
The ROCKETS(+1.5, -121) are the play here. A Houston cover (lose by no more than one point or win outright) returns a profit of $8.26.
Los Angeles is 1-2 against the spread on the road and covers the spread by an average of 2.2 points per game while Houston is 1-3 ATS at home and covers by 5.4 points per game. Houston has the ability to win this game outright.
Take the OVER 231.5 (-110). There are just better choices in some of the other NBA games tonight. Expect the pace to be high, but it may come down to some free throws late in the fourth quarter.
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Houston Rockets forward Danuel House Jr. is doubtful for Wednesday’s showdown versus the Los Angeles Clippers with a bruised lower back,
Houston Rockets small forward Danuel House Jr. is doubtful for Wednesday’s home game versus the Los Angeles Clippers due to a bruised back, head coach Mike D’Antoni said at Tuesday’s practice.
The 26-year-old suffered the injury during Monday’s victory at New Orleans when a Pelicans defender attempted to draw a charge. House was in the air on a drive to the basket and fell several feet, with his lower back taking the brunt of the impact.
House stayed in the game to shoot the ensuing free throws and played for much of the first half, but his back stiffened during the halftime break — when the team announced he would not return.
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The native Houstonian is scoring 11.8 points in 29.2 minutes per game this season, including a blistering 45.5% shooting clip on three-pointers. The defensive rating of 104.0 is among the best in Houston’s current rotation, and his 6-foot-6 frame offers valuable length, athleticism, and defensive versatility.
However, the Rockets (7-3) may catch a slight break with House’s probable absence in Wednesday’s showdown. That’s because the Clippers (7-3) are not expected to play superstar forward Paul George, with Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reporting that George will make his 2019-20 season debut on Thursday in New Orleans, instead.
As of midday Tuesday, it was unclear if fellow star forward Kawhi Leonard would play, since it’s the first of a back-to-back sequence of games for the Clippers — who to this point have sat Leonard for one game of their back-to-backs this season.
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However, given the controversy (including a fine from the NBA) from last week’s decision to sit Leonard in an ESPN game and considering that Wednesday’s game in Houston is also on ESPN, Clippers coach Doc Rivers could play Leonard in this one as a gesture of good faith.
As for the Rockets, the team is likely to start 6-foot-3 guard Ben McLemore in House’s place. That’s because Eric Gordon, who as recently as last week started at forward over House, is now expected to miss six weeks after undergoing a medical procedure on his knee.
Coach D’Antoni confirmed this at practice. Eric Gordon will have a procedure done tomorrow to clean out his knee – is expected to miss 6 weeks. He’s experienced discomfort in the knee since last season. #Rocketshttps://t.co/SMye4ov5qM
With Eric Gordon surgery and Danuel House Jr. likely out tomorrow against the Clippers, Rockets likely to start Ben McLemore. That means Austin Rivers and Chris Clemons to get the time off the bench in the backcourt.
With Gordon and House both presumably out, that’s likely to mean more minutes than usual in D’Antoni’s rotation for McLemore, as well as veteran forward Thabo Sefolosha and perhaps rookie guard Chris Clemons off the Houston bench.
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Gallinari has shown himself to be a capable stretch four, which is what the Trail Blazers need to complement their explosive back court.
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Surprise, surprise. Danilo Gallinari’s name has come up in trade rumors again.
Every since Gallo came to Oklahoma City as part of the blockbuster deal for Paul George in July, his tenure with the Thunder has had an expected expiration date.
It’s not really surprising, to be honest. The better he plays during the early part of the season, the more his name is going to get tossed around as a potential player on the move.
And Gallinari has been really good as of late.
He’s second on the team in scoring at 18.6 points per game. His three-point play has been a huge boost to a Thunder team that hasn’t shot three’s well in recent years. Gallinari is hitting 43.7% of his shots from the perimeter, which is sixth-best in the NBA.
Which makes it reasonable to believe that the Portland Trailblazers would be interested in acquiring him.
Per The Ringer’s Paolo Uggetti, Portland may be on the lookout for a big man they can bring in after suffering roster turnovers and inconvenient injuries. Gallo could be the perfect fit.
“Danilo Gallinari is another trade candidate who could fit in well with this team. He would be the perfect stretch 4 to play with Portland’s deadly backcourt. And while it’s unclear what Oklahoma City’s ultimate goals are for this season, Gallinari and his expiring contract could be a tasty asset for Sam Presti to try to swap for another first-round pick.”
Inquisitor’s JB Baruelo likewise believes that Portland could be a good landing spot for Gallinari, should the Thunder still be committed to an overhaul.
“Gallinari would be an incredible addition to the Trail Blazers, giving them an All-Star-caliber power forward who could serve as their third-best scoring option behind Lillard and McCollum. Having a floor-spacing big man like Gallinari would further improve the Trail Blazers’ offensive efficiency, which currently ranks 10th in the league.”
The question is, would a first-round pick being enough to entice Presti to move a guy that has been so integral so far this season. It might have to be.
As Baruelo points out, ‘trading him for future draft assets before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline would be their best option, rather than letting him walk away in the 2020 NBA free agency as an unrestricted free agent without getting anything in return.”
Week 4 of the NBA season continues on Monday with a slate that’s highlighted by an emotional reunion of the defending champions with the man that delivered them the Larry O’Brien trophy in what should be a fantastic matchup at the Staples Center.
Kawhi Leonard. This is the man everyone wants to watch in the NBA this season, and his load management has led to some groans by those who just love to see the best player in the league do the things that led to him winning a championship last June and the Finals MVP. Leonard did it for the Toronto Raptors, who come to Staples Center to play the Clippers in what will most likely be the first meeting between player and team — if Kawhi doesn’t sit this one out.
The Raptors will be playing in the second night of a back-to-back at Staples after an exciting 113-104 win against the Lakers on Sunday night. Pascal Siakam has made the jump to superstar, OG Anunoby has done well in Leonard’s old spot in the lineup, and the champions are playing like it so far. It will be an awesome atmosphere in Los Angeles and expect Leonard to be excited to see his former teammates for the first time since signing with the Clippers.
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Each week, HoopsHype ranks the Top 10 candidates for this season’s Most Valuable Player award. Find out who made this week’s rankings!
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff ranks the Top 10 candidates for this season’s Most Valuable Player award. This list highlights stars who have entered the 2019-20 MVP discussion thanks to their impressive play.
Which stars have stood out thus far? Who can sustain this production as the sample size increases? Here are our latest MVP rankings:
Drummond has been dominant through the first 10 games of the season. It’s impressive when a player has a single 20-point, 20-rebound performance, but the 26-year-old is nearly averaging that. He’s scored 20 or more points in six games, and he’s grabbed 20 or more rebounds in five games. He’s also doing a good job of finding open teammates, as he’s averaging 5.4 assists in November (and he has 25 assists in his last four games). Drummond is posting video-game numbers and shows no sign of slowing down. The Pistons are getting Blake Griffin back from injury, which should only help them as they look to improve their record (4-6) and climb up the Eastern Conference standings.
Towns missed two games due to his suspension for fighting Joel Embiid, but he’s been a beast in the seven contests in which he’s played. He’s posting career-highs across the board and he’s been able to score the ball with ease this season, inside and out. In fact, Towns has more than doubled his three-point attempts (from 4.6 last year to 9.3 this year), yet his three-point percentage has stayed at 40.0 percent. His 3.7 threes per game is fourth in the NBA behind only James Harden (4.3), Damian Lillard (4.0) and Kemba Walker (3.8). Minnesota is currently 5-4, which is ninth-best in the Western Conference and just two games out of first place.
HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina recently wrote a great article breaking down Booker’s impressive start to the season and what he’s doing differently this year. The 23-year-old is playing the most efficient basketball of his career, finishing in the paint better than ever and locking down opponents on the defensive end. Newcomers Aron Baynes and Ricky Rubio have made a huge difference for Booker too. The Suns are the NBA’s biggest surprise thus far, sitting at 6-3 with the league’s third-best offense (scoring 109.1 points per 100 possessions) and ninth-best defense (allowing 101.1 points per 100 possessions). There’s no question that Booker is a huge reason for their early success. The red-hot Suns will face off against the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in a game that will feature three players from this list.
Harden is once again leading the league in scoring. The main issue for Harden (and the reason he isn’t higher on this list) has been his shooting percentages. He’s currently shooting an ugly 39.4 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from three-point range – both of which are career-lows. It’s taking him 24.2 field goal attempts (and 14.4 three-point attempts) per game to get to his 37.1 scoring average. Those numbers must drastically improve if he wants to compete for this year’s MVP award. There’s always an adjustment period when a team is integrating a new star and that’s what Harden and the Rockets are doing with Russell Westbrook. Still, Houston is 6-3, which is tied for the third-best record in the Western Conference.
There’s a reason LeBron James badly wanted to team up with this guy. Davis is once again filling the stat sheet and making his presence felt all over the court, helping the Lakers win seven of their first nine games. He gives opposing head coaches nightmares, as he’s been the best rim protector in the league and he’s scoring at will. Davis is currently ranked first in Defensive Win Shares (0.9) and third in Win Shares (1.7, tied with James). He’s new to the Lakers and still getting acclimated, but you’d never know it based on his early play. It remains to be seen if voters will dock points from James and/or Davis because they’re on the same team. Opposing teams certainly hate that these two stars teamed up, as they’ve struggled to slow them down thus far.
Lillard is having the best season of his career, but he can only do so much for the Blazers. He’s getting little help from his supporting cast, which is why the Blazers are 4-6 and in 10th place in the Western Conference despite Lillard playing out of his mind. That was on display in Portland’s recent loss to the Brooklyn Nets, when Lillard had 60 points (including 7 threes), 5 assists and 4 rebounds while shooting 57.6 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from deep, but the Nets won 119-115. Injuries have been an issue for the Blazers, but they also have a new-look roster after losing Al-Farouq Aminu, Maurice Harkless, Evan Turner, Meyers Leonard, Enes Kanter and Seth Curry among others. Still, Lillard is averaging the second-most points in the league while also ranking first in Win Shares (2.4) and second in Value Over Replacement Player (1.1).
Leonard’s decision to sit out the nationally televised showdown against the Milwaukee Bucks relaunched the load-management debate. It seems that Leonard will continue to sit out during back-to-backs to ensure that he’s 100 percent for the playoffs. Leonard credits load management for his monster 2019 postseason with the Toronto Raptors and while this is probably a smart move for the Clippers, it likely means Leonard won’t have a shot at winning this year’s MVP award. Voters seem to disqualify players who rest, regardless of how productive they are when they play. HoopsHype looked at the last 15 MVP winners and they missed an average of 3.93 games in their MVP season (with no player missing more than 10 games). Leonard missed 22 games last season and he’s on pace to miss 18 contests this year, which would seemingly remove him from the MVP discussion (like last year). Still, Leonard is playing well and the Clippers are 6-3, which is tied for the third-best record in the West. If the Clippers stop resting Leonard – or the NBA decides that he’s healthy and must play – perhaps he becomes a serious candidate.
Doncic is the only player in the league who currently ranks Top 11 in points per game (sixth), assists per game (second) and rebounds per game (11th). As if Luka’s counting stats weren’t impressive enough, his advanced stats jump off the page as well: Doncic ranks third in Value Over Replacement Player (1.0), fourth in Box Plus/Minus (10.3) and fifth in Win Shares (1.6). The 20-year-old is the youngest player in NBA history to record 10 or more triple-doubles, passing LeBron James and Magic Johnson. He also became the second player with at least three 20-point triple-doubles in the first six games of a season, joining Oscar Robertson. Doncic must continue to limit his turnovers (4.9 per game) and improve his three-point percentage (32.1 percent on 8.7 attempts per game). But that feels like nitpicking when the kid is nearly averaging a triple-double and winning games for the Mavericks, who are 6-3 (which is tied for the third-best record in the West).
Antetokounmpo had an MVP performance in the Bucks’ win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. After struggling in the first half, Antetokounmpo ripped his jersey and kicked a hole in a Thunder sign while walking back to the locker room at halftime. In the second half, MVP Giannis showed up and he finished the game with 35 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 threes, 1 block and 1 steal while shooting an efficient 68.4 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three-point range. Antetokounmpo has now scored 30 or more points in five-straight games. The Bucks are 7-3, which puts them in third place in the Eastern Conference and just one game back from the top-seeded Boston Celtics. Antetokounmpo currently leads all players in Value Over Replacement Player (1.3), Box Plus/Minus (13.9) and Win Shares Per 48 Minutes (.325).
As Tommy Beer of Forbes recently pointed out, no player in NBA history has ever averaged more than 7.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists in their age-35 season. Well, James is currently posting those marks with ease (24.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 11.0 assists). When all is said and done, one could make the argument that James was the best teenager in NBA history (he holds the NBA record for most career points, rebounds and assists before turning 20 years old) and the best mid-30s player in NBA history (if he keeps this up). LeBron’s longevity is remarkable; in the load-management era, he’s playing 35.1 minutes per game, which is the most of any Laker and 12th-most in the league. James is currently No. 1 on this list because his individual production has been impressive and it’s translated into team success, as the Lakers currently have the NBA’s second-best record at 7-2. One area where James must improve is his three-point shooting; he’s attempting 5.2 threes per game, but he’s making just 31.9 percent thus far.
