Dec 11, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) controls the ball as Los Angeles Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (10) defends during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Three Takeaways As Houston Rockets Survive Against LA Clippers

Originally posted on Houston Rockets on SI | Last updated Dec 11, 2025 11:05 PM ET

The Houston Rockets showed resiliency and grit on Thursday night, outlasting the Los Angeles Clippers in a tense finish with a 115-113 victory.

Coming off a four-day hiatus, the Rockets significantly enjoyed a good rest after last week's tiring schedule that saw two back-to-back outings. As such, they earned a key win to return to the win column and improve to 16-6.

It was a balanced scoring night for Houston against LA with six players scoring double figures. Alperen Sengun led the way with 22 points.

Here are the main takeaways on the Rockets' win over the slumping Clippers:

1. Amen Thompson's Hustle Came Up Clutch To Save Houston

The entire game was tightly contested for both teams, until it went down to the crunch time.

The Rockets led by five in the final minute, but a pair of free throws from Ivica Zubac and a clutch trey from James Harden tied the ball game. But in the next Rockets possession, the hustle of Amen Thompson was on full display.

Thompson outmuscled everyone in the paint as he nailed an and-one putback with 17.2 seconds left. He went on to nail the bonus free throw to give the Rockets a 113-110 lead.

AMEN'S HUSTLE >>> pic.twitter.com/ZVYHYex26w
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) December 12, 2025

Thompson's huge shot propelled the Rockets towards momentum in ultimately closing out the game, as his 20-point performance in 41 minutes was simply spectacular.

2. Rockets Controlled The Game With Rebounding Dominance

A huge reason for the Rockets' win over the Clippers can undeniably be identified on the boards.

The league's top rebounding team, Houston destroyed LA on the glass. The home team pulled down 51 rebounds over the Clips' 28, as the trio of Sengun (15), Jabari Smith Jr. (10) and Thompson (9) providing the biggest numbers.

22 of the Rockets' total boards were offensive rebounds, in which Thompson's game-winning putback served as the most important.

3. James Harden Was Inefficient In His Houston Homecoming

The Toyota Center crowd welcomed the return of the franchise's former centerpiece, as James Harden led the Clippers all the way to H-Town.

But despite a 22-point night, Harden endured an inefficient outing against his former team. He had a brutal 7-18 shooting from the field along with four turnovers across 40 minutes.

Ime Udoka and the Rockets successfully executed an impressive game plan in containing Harden, who is averaging 26.8 points entering Thursday's matchup.

This article first appeared on Houston Rockets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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