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Houston 98, LA Clippers 92 (OT)

HOUSTON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Steve Francis had 32 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists Thursday night in powering the Houston Rockets to a 98-92 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

On Tuesday night, Houston recorded an 89-84 overtime win over Atlanta behind Francis' team highs of 23 points, 13 rebounds and four assists.

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In this one, Francis took over in the extra period, collecting six points, two assists and a clutch rebound.

Elton Brand paced the Clippers (0-2) with 26 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots. With 15 seconds left in regulation, he hit a driving layup to tie it, 86-86.

Francis had a chance to win the game, but missed a jumper from just inside the three-point line at the buzzer.

Neither team scored in overtime until Houston's Kevin Willis hit two free throws with 2:22 to go. Houston was clinging to a 90-89 lead with less than 1:30 remaining when Francis hit a jumper from the top of the key, pulled down a rebound of Eric Piatkowski's miss and nailed a floater in the lane to give the Rockets a 94-89 lead.

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Backcourt mate Cuttino Mobley added a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds for Houston. Backup center Willis added 12 points and a team-high 13 boards.

Lamar Odom had 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Clippers, but was blanked in overtime.

Neither team held a double-digit lead in a game that featured 17 ties and seven lead changes.

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