The Los Angeles Clippers have looked dead in the water throughout the 2025-26 season. Red flags were raised after the team suffered a loss in their season opener to the Utah Jazz, but they were able to get out to a 3-2 start. Then, it became clear the season was going downhill after they lost six straight games, and having two more five-game losing streaks after that.

However, the team showed some promise on Saturday in their win over the Los Angeles Lakers, and rode that into Tuesday when they defeated the Houston Rockets without Ivica Zubac, logging back-to-back wins for only the second time this season.

After the game, head coach Ty Lue spoke to the team's efforts, praising them for getting back in the right direction.

"Yeah, I mean, it was good. We talked about mental toughness, being able to get over the hump, and outside that first quarter, I thought defensively we're really locked in," Lue said. "You know, we let Jabari [Smith Jr.], get three threes early on, and we wanted to make sure we took him and Reed Sheppard out of the game as far as threes."

The Rockets were held to 9-of-30 shooting from three-point range, with Sheppard being held to just one make on five attempts.

"After that point, I thought defensively we were locked in. I thought we took care of the basketball, and we did a good job of moving the basketball, making quick decisions. We still gotta continue to keep working, keep putting the work in. We can't get comfortable here, but it's a step in the right direction."

Beating two playoff teams in the Lakers and Rockets is surely an encouraging sign for the Clippers, but they have a long way to go before they can even be considered in the mix for the playoffs. The Clippers will have a short road trip to Portland for one game before returning for a five-game home stand, but they'll see some tough teams at the Intuit Dome.

Additionally, Ivica Zubac is still sidelined for an extended period of time, meaning the Clippers will be heavily disadvantaged in the paint, which could become glaringly obvious against teams like the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks who are on their upcoming schedule.

However, if Kawhi Leonard and James Harden can play at this level, the Clippers just need to get consistent play from their role players. It's still a long shot given how poor they've looked at times this year, but perhaps there's some life with this Clippers team.