Houston Rockets Showed They Can Win Close Games In the Win Over the Clippers

Wins like the Rockets had over the Clippers on Thursday are valuable experience for tougher games to come later in the season.

Dec 11, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) and guard Amen Thompson (1) react after a play during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets were involved in a rare type of game for them Thursday night at the Toyota Center. The Rockets came away with a close 115-113 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, improving their record to 16-6 on the season. Neither team could get much separation from the other as they went back and forth, trading leads throughout the game.

Even though their was only two lead changes in the game neither team led by more than nine the entire game and in a league that usually have multiple swings throughout the biggest run of the game was only 12 points. The Rockets were able to come up with enough clutch plays late to pull out the close win over the struggling Clippers.

It was a rare sight as every Rockets game up to that point was normally a close loss or more times than not a blowout win for the Rockets. It was a good test for the Rockets because in the tougher regular season games and especially in the playoffs winning close games will be a must if they want to go deep into the playoffs this season.

Most of the Rockets wins this season have been by a large margin

The Rockets' two-point win over the Clippers was their first win by less than four points all season. Over the season, the Rockets rank second in margin of victory, trailing only the defending NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Rockets' last season had a margin of victory of 4.2. This season, they have increased that to 10.2 points per game as they have been dominant in most of their victories. The Rockets had clutch plays from Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson in the closing minutes.

The Clippers also did their part by committing multiple mistakes that ended the game. With the Clippers down two with 11 seconds remaining, Kawhi Leonard committed an offensive foul that gave the Rockets the ball. Also, with 8.7 left on the clock and a chance to tie the game with a 3-pointer, Nicholas Batum stepped on the inbound line trying to find someone to inbound the ball to, as no Clippers came back for the ball.

Winning by double digits in every game is less stressful for coaches, players, and fans. Being able to cruise to easy wins each game also lets you rest your leading players and give your bench players more playing time. However, it isn't realistic to win every game by double digits, especially in the playoffs, where most games come down to the wire, and each possession takes on more significance. The Rockets' win over the Clippers is a good first step toward more challenging games to come.