Rockets Outgun Hornets
Anyone in attendance Saturday night at Toyota Center did not see a defensive battle between the Houston Rockets and the New Orleans / Oklahoma City Hornets. Houston (51-29) defeated the Hornets (37-43) 123 to 112. Ten players (six for the Rockets, four for the Hornets) scored in double figures -- including seven players scoring twenty or more in the game.
Yao Ming led the Rockets in scoring with 30 points on 11 for 16 shooting. Hornets forward David West led all scorers with a season-high 33 points (14 for 19)
Defense was not at a premium in this game at all. For much of the first quarter, both teams were shooting 70 percent from the field -- not the foul line, from the field! The Hornets ended the quarter shooting 68.4% (13 for 19) while the Rockets made 13 of 21 (61.9%) from the field. Houston led 32 to 30 at the end of the first 12 minutes.
Houston's defense improved and the Hornets cooled off in the second quarter. Houston limited the Hornets to just 7 for 21 from the field in the second quarter and outscored the Hornets 25 to 20 to take at 57 to 50 lead into halftime. Hornets' guard Devin Brown scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half.
The shootout began in the third quarter as both teams scored 28 points in the period. West scored 14 points in the quarter while Ming scored 10 for the Rockets. Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston each dished out five assists in the third stanza. Houston led 85 to 78 at the end of three quarters.
The fourth quarter was simply wide open basketball as the teams combined for 72 points (38 for Houston adn 34 for the Hornets). Veteran big man Marc Jackson scored 15 points in the period on 7 for 8 shooting. Most of Jackson's shots were a result of good pick-and-roll offense by the Hornets combined with poor pick-and-roll defense by the Rockets. Jackson made his first seven shots in the period. His only miss was a wide open 21 foot jump shot. Jackson equaled his season high of 22 points, which he first set at Dallas (12/30/06).
Alston said, "My defense could have been better in containing (Chris) Paul on the pick and roll. We've got to do a better job on our pick and roll coverage and I think from here on out, that's what we're going to see."
The Hornets trimmed the Rockets' lead to four points (107 - 103) with 2:41 left in the quarter; but, McGrady scored five straight point (21-foot jumper plus a dunk and a free throw) to give the Rockets some much needed breathing room. McGrady's three-point play seemed to suck the life out of the Hornets as Houston increased the lead to as many as 15 points during the last two minutes of the game.
The Rockets set or tied its season highs in field goals made (49, tied), field goal percentage (.583), assists (33), fourth-quarter points (38) and second-half point (66). Tonight was also the sixth time in 2006-07 that the Rockets reached the 30-assist mark.
McGrady and Alston became the first pair of Rockets teammates to each reach 10 or more assists in the same game since Steve Francis (11) and Cuttino Mobley (11) accomplished it vs. the L.A. Clippers (12/30/99). Alston recorded 21 points (5-10 3FG) and a season-high 13 assists, which marks his third double-double of the season.
Hornets head coach Byron Scott said, “This game shows how important Tyson Chandler and Desmond Mason are to the success of this team. It’s a little patchwork with what we’re working with now. In the last week our defense has really suffered because of the players that we’ve had missing from our line-up.”
Yao Ming led the Rockets in scoring with 30 points on 11 for 16 shooting. Hornets forward David West led all scorers with a season-high 33 points (14 for 19)
Defense was not at a premium in this game at all. For much of the first quarter, both teams were shooting 70 percent from the field -- not the foul line, from the field! The Hornets ended the quarter shooting 68.4% (13 for 19) while the Rockets made 13 of 21 (61.9%) from the field. Houston led 32 to 30 at the end of the first 12 minutes.
Houston's defense improved and the Hornets cooled off in the second quarter. Houston limited the Hornets to just 7 for 21 from the field in the second quarter and outscored the Hornets 25 to 20 to take at 57 to 50 lead into halftime. Hornets' guard Devin Brown scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half.
The shootout began in the third quarter as both teams scored 28 points in the period. West scored 14 points in the quarter while Ming scored 10 for the Rockets. Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston each dished out five assists in the third stanza. Houston led 85 to 78 at the end of three quarters.
The fourth quarter was simply wide open basketball as the teams combined for 72 points (38 for Houston adn 34 for the Hornets). Veteran big man Marc Jackson scored 15 points in the period on 7 for 8 shooting. Most of Jackson's shots were a result of good pick-and-roll offense by the Hornets combined with poor pick-and-roll defense by the Rockets. Jackson made his first seven shots in the period. His only miss was a wide open 21 foot jump shot. Jackson equaled his season high of 22 points, which he first set at Dallas (12/30/06).
Alston said, "My defense could have been better in containing (Chris) Paul on the pick and roll. We've got to do a better job on our pick and roll coverage and I think from here on out, that's what we're going to see."
The Hornets trimmed the Rockets' lead to four points (107 - 103) with 2:41 left in the quarter; but, McGrady scored five straight point (21-foot jumper plus a dunk and a free throw) to give the Rockets some much needed breathing room. McGrady's three-point play seemed to suck the life out of the Hornets as Houston increased the lead to as many as 15 points during the last two minutes of the game.
The Rockets set or tied its season highs in field goals made (49, tied), field goal percentage (.583), assists (33), fourth-quarter points (38) and second-half point (66). Tonight was also the sixth time in 2006-07 that the Rockets reached the 30-assist mark.
McGrady and Alston became the first pair of Rockets teammates to each reach 10 or more assists in the same game since Steve Francis (11) and Cuttino Mobley (11) accomplished it vs. the L.A. Clippers (12/30/99). Alston recorded 21 points (5-10 3FG) and a season-high 13 assists, which marks his third double-double of the season.
Hornets head coach Byron Scott said, “This game shows how important Tyson Chandler and Desmond Mason are to the success of this team. It’s a little patchwork with what we’re working with now. In the last week our defense has really suffered because of the players that we’ve had missing from our line-up.”
posted by Kris Gardner @ 10:45 PM
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