PLAYA VISTA, Calif. – The Rockets celebrated, as any team would. But they did not get Chris Paul in a fire sale.
The Clippers had two choices, but both would end the same way. They could trade Paul or let him go to the Rockets as a free agent. They chose the trade, the Rockets' preference. The Rockets sent seven players, including four that remain, along with a first-round pick to the Clippers.
A half season later, Pat Beverley has been hurt and lost for the season and three other players in the deal, Kyle Wiltjer, Darrun Hilliard and DeAndre Liggins were let go. But the three players that faced their former team on Monday in Los Angeles have become fixtures in the revamped Clippers rotation, keys to a surprising run back into playoff contention despite a torrent of injuries since the start of the season.
Lou Williams, especially, has starred, averaging a career-best 23.1 points in his 13th season. He was named on Monday the Western Conference player of the week for the second time in three weeks, averaging 35 points on 45.7 percent 3-point shooting and scoring a career-high 50 points in the upset of the Warriors in Oakland.
While his play has been as conspicuous as has been crucial, Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell have provided the jolt of energy a shorthanded team has needed off the bench.
"That's what we did in Houston," Dekker said. "It was Pat, me, Trez, Eric (Gordon) and either Lou or Corey Brewer, depending on what time of year you're talking about. We learned how to play together. We knew the way for us to get on the court was to play hard and kind of pick up the scraps of our scorers. We embraced that role. We like doing it. We have fun with it and took a lot of pride in how hard we play and we're having fun."
With Blake Griffin missing time and even DeAndre Jordan, who had never been hurt before, turning an ankle last week, Harrell has been increasingly effective, scoring 25 off the bench last week in Sacramento and averaging 18.7 points in his three games prior to facing the Rockets on Monday.
"I came here with a purpose," Harrell said. "I'm in a great situation playing behind two All-Stars, a center and power forward. Just play (like) myself and play as hard as I can has been working out well for me. I'm around a bunch of great guys on the offensive end of the floor. Them being so gifted, I just have to go out and play hard."
Harrell said beating the Rockets last month meant no more than any other win, given the Clippers' injury situation at the time. The win in Houston was part of a stint in which the Clippers had won 10 of 13 games, tied for the best run in the NBA in that stretch.
"We just went in to get a win," Harrell said. "We were struggling to get a win at that time. Just going in to that type of environment and playing the way we played, we were dealing with a lot of adversity with injuries, we were able come out with the win. It's sweet when you win any game.
"This is a business. You have an opportunity, but you're also in a position to be traded at any time. It's the nature of the game."
Still, just as the former Clippers on the Rockets knew a game against their previous team would be if nothing else "different," Harrell and Dekker could not contend they would not notice the former teammates and coaches on the other bench. Each has just one former team. Though Dekker insisted there are no hard feelings, he said players' pride can drive them when they play against their former teams.
"Professional athletes, basketball players especially, I think hold on to things," Dekker said. "We're a very petty bunch. You can see across the NBA. You want to play against your former team. You want to beat them. You want to beat any team.
"There's no ill will. I had two really fun years there and they gave me a chance. They gave me a shot to make my dream come true. I'm forever grateful. You want to show you're still good players and contributing on a good team. I wanted to show our team, we're a bunch of guys that will play hard. I felt a little motivation in Houston. It was great. The fans were great to me. The coaching staff, it was great to see them. Yeah, you have a little extra gear when you play against a former team."