The Clippers end the regular season with 51 victories

Rookie Cam Whitmore scored 21 points as the Houston Rockets defeated the playoff-bound Los Angeles Clippers 116-105 on Sunday. For the previously eliminated Rockets, who ended 41-41 in coach Ime Udoka's debut season, rookie Amen Thompson produced a triple-double of 18 points, 11 rebounds, and a career-high 10 assists. Houston finished 22-60 last year and 20-62 in 2022. The Pacific Division champion and fourth-seeded Clippers now advance to the playoffs, where they will face Luka Donic and the fifth-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round next weekend.

Terance Mann scored 24 points and Amir Coffey added 18 in the Clippers' last regular-season game at Crypto.com Arena. Since 1999, they've been juggling dates with the Lakers and the NHL's Kings. The club will move to the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood next season.