Eric Gordon missed the last 18 games for the Clippers with a fracture in his wrist. But if you were just watching the Clippers play the Houston Rockets last night, you would have no idea that it was his first game back.
Gordon showed no signs of rust, converting on eight of his 16 shot attempts for a game-high 24 points, leading the Clippers to a 106-103 win. According to Pedro Moura of ESPN, Gordon wanted to regain his rhythm by taking the ball to the hoop, early and often.
"It just felt natural for me to get to the basket," Gordon said, adding that the 18-game break was the longest he's ever sat out in his basketball career. "But it's all about how the defense reads you: If it's a good shot, then take it; if it's not, then pass it up and drive it to the basket.
"I just tried to come out and play well and do the things I know how to do."
On the season, Gordon is averaging just a shade over that 24 points per game. With that scoring punch back in the lineup, and the continued emergence of Blake Griffin inside, the Clippers have a legitimate inside-outside combo for the rest of the season.