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Rockets bomb Clippers 102-79
Jim Jackson and Cuttino Mobley scored 21 points apiece as the Houston Rockets snapped a five-game losing streak and handed Los Angeles its 12th straight setback, beating the Clippers 102-79 Wednesday night.
Steve Francis, playing with a swollen bursa sac in his left elbow, had 10 points and 11 assists to help Houston complete a four-game sweep of the Clippers. Yao Ming had 12 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots, but sat out the final 9:36 after getting his fifth foul.
Corey Maggette scored 22 points after missing his first seven shots, and Elton Brand had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Los Angeles.
The Clippers have lost 20 of 22 and seven straight home at home ¡ª the most since 1999-00, when they dropped their final 10 at Staples Center.
The Rockets, who equaled a season low with only two 3-pointers on Tuesday night at Golden State, got three from Jackson before the game was four minutes old and breezed to a 57-36 halftime lead. The Clippers missed their first seven shots and finished the first half at 28.6 percent against a defense that entered the game allowing the lowest field-goal percentage in the league (.410).
The Clippers got no closer than 13 points in the second half after Maggette's dunk capped an 11-0 run and trimmed Houston's lead to 73-60 with 1:45 left in the third quarter.
One day being fined $5,000 by the NBA for criticizing the officiating in Sunday's game against Utah, Brand picked up two fouls in the first seven minutes ¡ª but didn't take a rest until 23.5 seconds remained in the third quarter.
Notes:@ If the Rockets (43-35) don't make the playoffs under new coach Jeff Van Gundy, this would be the third time in four years that they were shut out of the postseason despite a winning record. ... This is the Clippers' 12th losing streak of at least 12 games in franchise history, and their 10th since moving to Los Angeles in 1984.
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