LA Clippers, led by Minor, got the critical win in today's matchup against Houston. After the game, the LA Clippers star was surrounded by would-be interviewers, a not uncommon sight recently as he has moved into a leading role on his team. After taking a few questions, he met his long-time friend, Houston's Howard, who had played his heart out during the game only to come up short. "It's always tough when we play, he said. I always like to see him do well, and vice versa. But we can't both come out winners as long as we're on different teams." Rumors continue to circulate about the two friends trying to find their way onto the same team.

LA Clippers was led by Minor (23 points, 8 boards, 1 assists, 3 blocks), Arnold (14 points, 11 boards, 1 assists, a steal, a block), Francois (21 points, a steal, a block). Houston was led by Howard (26 points, 5 boards, 0 assists), Darden (16 points, 2 steals), Aguilar (14 points, 1 assists, a steal).

With this win, LA Clippers stand at 67-5 and 39-2 at home. They have won the Pacific championship and hold at #1 overall in the Western Conference. Houston fall to 33-39. They hold at #4 in the Southwest and stay at #11 overall in the Western Conference.

box score LA Clippers* roster Houston roster