"Some say, in regards to life, that the sweet is never as sweet without the sour.

That helps explains why the Clippers' 106-103 win Wednesday against Houston was like a barrel of sugar for guard Mo Williams.

No, it had little to do with Williams, newly acquired by the Clippers in a trade from Cleveland, winning and playing well (17 points, 11 assists) in his home debut at Staples Center. That was just the icing.

It was winning in general that took the cake, because Williams hasn't had much of that this season, given the Cavaliers' NBA-record 26-game losing streak, which ended against the Clippers last month.

"This season has been a whirlwind for me," Williams said Thursday.

Williams was a part of Cleveland's back-to-back 60-plus win seasons before LeBron James scooted to South Beach this past offseason, leaving a gutted team behind.

The Cavaliers won just 10 games this season before Williams was shipped to the Clippers, along with Jamario Moon, for guard Baron Davis.

Williams' new teammates recognize that wins mean more to him after the tough season in Cleveland."