Chris Paul watched from the sideline as his teammates stole homecourt advantage in the Western Conference semifinals.
There was no shortage of Clippers stepping up in the series opener, with six scoring in double figures in a 117-101 victory over the well-rested Rockets.
Paul gamely fought through a hamstring strain in Game 7 against the Spurs on Saturday and banked in the game-winning runner to cap an epic series and send the Clippers into the second round.
The injury forced Paul out on Monday's game, and while he was surely missed -- the Clippers turned it over 23 times -- Doc Rivers' bunch accepted the challenge of playing without their All-Star point guard.
Blake Griffin recorded his third triple-double of the playoffs with a monster performance of 26 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists. Jamal Crawford chipped in with 21 points off the bench, Matt Barnes added 20 and J.J. Redick scored all 17 of his points in a second half completely controlled by Los Angeles.
Even Austin Rivers, plugged in as a starter for Paul, netted 17 points for the Clippers, who can take a commanding series lead when these teams meet again Wednesday.
James Harden, on the same day of learning he finished second to Stephen Curry in MVP voting, checked in with 20 points and 12 assists but turned it over nine times and went nearly 18 minutes without a field goal in the second half.
[SportsNetwork.com]
