Clippers extend winning streak to 6 games with 134-117 win over short-handed Rockets

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — James Harden had 35 points and 10 assists and the streaking Los Angeles Clippers beat the playoff-bound Houston Rockets 134-117 on Wednesday night for their sixth straight win.

The Rockets had already locked up the No. 2 seed in the West and will be making their first playoff appearance since the 2020 bubble in Florida. They rested most of their starting lineup, including Dillon Brooks and Alperen Sengun.

Ivica Zubac had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the Clippers, his first career triple-double and the third by a center for the team. Kawhi Leonard returned with 22 points and 10 rebounds after sitting out Tuesday to rest his surgically repaired right knee. Nicolas Batum added 15 points, including the Clippers' first 12 of the second quarter, before leaving with a sore right groin.

Reed Sheppard led six Rockets in double figures with 20 points.

Rockets: Jalen Green is on track to start all 82 games, which would make him the ninth Rockets player to do so in multiple seasons and first since Luis Scola in 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Clippers: Finished the regular season with a 30-11 mark in the new Intuit Dome.

The Clippers made all 19 of their free throws, with Harden going 10 for 10.

The Clippers outscored the Rockets 35-23 in the second when Zubac keyed a 12-0 run with six points and Leonard added four.

Both teams play Friday night. The Rockets stay in Los Angeles to face the Lakers and the Clippers visit Sacramento.

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Los Angeles Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, center, shoots as Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason, left, and forward Jae'Sean Tate defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) and Houston Rockets center Jock Landale (2) reach for the ball at tipoff during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr., right, passes the ball as Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Clippers guard Kris Dunn, second from left, shoots as Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason, left, defends while forward Kawhi Leonard, second from right, and forward Derrick Jones Jr. watch during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac, left, has his shot blocked by Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Houston Rockets center N'Faly Dante, right, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers forward Nicolas Batum defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore, left, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Exxon Mobil’s first quarter profit slumped to the lowest level in years, stung by weaker crude prices and higher costs.

The oil and gas giant earned $7.71 billion, or $1.76 per share, for the three months ended March 31. It earned $8.22 billion, or $2.06 per share, in the year-ago period.

The results topped Wall Street expectations, but Exxon does not adjust its reported results based on one-time events such as asset sales. Analysts polled by Zacks Investment Research expected earnings of $1.74 per share.

Revenue totaled $83.13 billion, which fell short of the $84.15 billion that analysts were calling for.

This week, a barrel of U.S. benchmark crude fell below $60, a level at which many producers can no longer turn a profit.

“In this uncertain market, our shareholders can be confident in knowing that we’re built for this,” Chairman and CEO Darren Woods said in a statement Friday. “The work we’ve done to transform our company over the past eight years positions us to excel in any environment.”

Crude oil is down nearly 18% for the year to date, according to FactSet.

Oil prices plummeted last month, at one point sinking to a four-year low in anticipation of slowing economic growth due to a burgeoning trade war.

Trump announced far-reaching tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners April 2 and then reversed himself a few days later after a market meltdown, suspending the import taxes for 90 days. Amid the uncertainty for both U.S. consumers and businesses, the Commerce Department said Wednesday that the U.S. economy shrank 0.3% from January through March, the first drop in three years.

Rapidly falling oil prices signal pessimism about economic growth and can be a harbinger of a recession as manufacturers cut production, businesses cut travel costs and families rethink vacation plans.

And there appears to be little appetite for turn off the spigots by some of the world's largest producers.

In December eight members of the OPEC+ alliance of oil exporting countries signaled they would not cut production as they compete with production from non-allied oil producing countries.

The OPEC+ members decided at the time to postpone production increases that had been scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. The plan had been to start gradually restoring 2.2 million barrels per day over the course of 2025.

That process was pushed back to April 1 and production increases will gradually take place over 18 months until October 2026.

Shares of Exxon Mobil rose slightly before the market open.

FILE - Oil pumps work in the desert oil fields of Sakhir, Bahrain, Sept. 30, 2015. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File)