Brooks Scores 30, Rockets Beat Suns
HOUSTON, TX -- Friday night, Houston Rockets guard Aaron Brooks scored a career-high 30 points to help lead the Rockets to an exciting 116 to 112 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
The first quarter gave no indication of a high scoring game was yet to come.
The Rockets (40-23) shot 34.6% (9 for 26) in the opening period and outscored the Suns 23 to 18 in the quarter. Phoenix (34-28) shot 33.3% (7 for 21) in the period. Suns' guard Steve Nash missed all four his field goal attempts.
The Rockets picked up the offense in the second quarter and made 13 of 22 shots (59.1%) to help outscore the Suns 33 to 28 to take a 56 to 46 halftime lead.
Nash scored only three points on 1 for 10 shooting from the field in the half.
Nash found his rhythm on offense and scored 29 points (13 for 17, 3 for 4 on threes) and dished nine assistsn in the second half.
"To be honest, I was struggling with my ankle in the first half," Nash said after the game. "I just couldn't get any lift off. I was moving poorly in the second half and I was just tried to fight for it. I made little adjustments shooting the ball, to be a little more deliberate because I didn't have that pop. I hung in there."
Aaron Brooks scored 17 points in the second half including the game-winning basket.
After tied the game at 112 with a three-point bucket, Brooks took advantage of a high pick set by Yao Ming and raced past Shaquille O'Neal and banked in a tough layup attempt to put the Rockets ahead 114 to 112.
"The shot clock was running down," said Brooks. "Coach (head coach Rick Adelman) called for a rip screen and I wanted to get Shaq in it, but I was a little bit too close and I got a little bit past him and layed it up. I was relieved."
After a pick-and-roll with teammate Shaquille O'Neal, Nash attempted a go-ahead three-point shot over the outstretched arm of Yao Ming. The shot rimmed out; and, the Rockets secured the rebound and made two free throws for the final score.
"It felt good. I had a good look at it," Nash said. "It was straight on and did't know if I would get a better look and I kept going to the basket. I just had a go at it."
Rick Adelman added, "Well, everybody had a tough time defensively. We tried to do the same thing they did, but Nash is as good as anybody in the league. He's as good as Chris Paul when he gets around that pick-and-roll, (and) he's going to make something happen and find the right people. But Aaron responded and made a huge basket at the end."
Brooks and Nash took turns exploiting each other defensive woes with the pick-and-roll offense.
"Well, they were attacking us with Shaq setting the pick against Yao, and we were trying to do the same thing with Yao setting the pick against Shaq and Nash, trying to involve the two of them. I think we finally got Steve tired (because) he finally missed the last one."
Ron Artest scored 21 points for the Rockets; Carl Landry scored 16 points; and Yao Ming (15 points, 13 rebounds) and Luis Scola (15 points, 11 rebounds) each posted double-doubles. The Rockets are now 11-2 when Yao Ming and Scola each notch a double-double in the same contest.
"We got the pace of the game where we wanted it: up-tempo," Alvin Gentry, Suns head coach said. "Houston likes to play that way too. We seem to be snake bitten with the way things have gone at the end of games lately. Steve (Nash) got a great look at a three, but it didn't go."
The first quarter gave no indication of a high scoring game was yet to come.
The Rockets (40-23) shot 34.6% (9 for 26) in the opening period and outscored the Suns 23 to 18 in the quarter. Phoenix (34-28) shot 33.3% (7 for 21) in the period. Suns' guard Steve Nash missed all four his field goal attempts.
The Rockets picked up the offense in the second quarter and made 13 of 22 shots (59.1%) to help outscore the Suns 33 to 28 to take a 56 to 46 halftime lead.
Nash scored only three points on 1 for 10 shooting from the field in the half.
Nash found his rhythm on offense and scored 29 points (13 for 17, 3 for 4 on threes) and dished nine assistsn in the second half.
"To be honest, I was struggling with my ankle in the first half," Nash said after the game. "I just couldn't get any lift off. I was moving poorly in the second half and I was just tried to fight for it. I made little adjustments shooting the ball, to be a little more deliberate because I didn't have that pop. I hung in there."
Aaron Brooks scored 17 points in the second half including the game-winning basket.
After tied the game at 112 with a three-point bucket, Brooks took advantage of a high pick set by Yao Ming and raced past Shaquille O'Neal and banked in a tough layup attempt to put the Rockets ahead 114 to 112.
"The shot clock was running down," said Brooks. "Coach (head coach Rick Adelman) called for a rip screen and I wanted to get Shaq in it, but I was a little bit too close and I got a little bit past him and layed it up. I was relieved."
After a pick-and-roll with teammate Shaquille O'Neal, Nash attempted a go-ahead three-point shot over the outstretched arm of Yao Ming. The shot rimmed out; and, the Rockets secured the rebound and made two free throws for the final score.
"It felt good. I had a good look at it," Nash said. "It was straight on and did't know if I would get a better look and I kept going to the basket. I just had a go at it."
Rick Adelman added, "Well, everybody had a tough time defensively. We tried to do the same thing they did, but Nash is as good as anybody in the league. He's as good as Chris Paul when he gets around that pick-and-roll, (and) he's going to make something happen and find the right people. But Aaron responded and made a huge basket at the end."
Brooks and Nash took turns exploiting each other defensive woes with the pick-and-roll offense.
"Well, they were attacking us with Shaq setting the pick against Yao, and we were trying to do the same thing with Yao setting the pick against Shaq and Nash, trying to involve the two of them. I think we finally got Steve tired (because) he finally missed the last one."
Ron Artest scored 21 points for the Rockets; Carl Landry scored 16 points; and Yao Ming (15 points, 13 rebounds) and Luis Scola (15 points, 11 rebounds) each posted double-doubles. The Rockets are now 11-2 when Yao Ming and Scola each notch a double-double in the same contest.
"We got the pace of the game where we wanted it: up-tempo," Alvin Gentry, Suns head coach said. "Houston likes to play that way too. We seem to be snake bitten with the way things have gone at the end of games lately. Steve (Nash) got a great look at a three, but it didn't go."
posted by Kris G @ 11:11 PM
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