Nov

22

Scola, Late Defense Helps Rockets Crown Kings 113-106

Posted by Stephen Rhodes under NBA Game Recap 

Trevor Ariza

The Houston Rockets, thanks to injuries to star players Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, have to find their offense wherever they can. Saturday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings at Toyota Center would be no different in that respect. In a game that was relatively close for 36 minutes or so, it would take some clutch defense plus some key baskets by Carl Landry in the fourth quarter, allowing Houston to hold on and defeat Sacramento 113-106.

The first quarter was relatively close but Houston would take a 9-point lead with a 3-point play by Luis Scola with 33 seconds remaining in the period, giving the Rockets a 33-24 lead; a 3-pointer by the Kings’ Omri Casspi narrowed their deficit to 6 going into the second quarter. Houston would put together an 11-2 run, capped by a 3-point play by Chase Budinger, which gave Houston a 15-point bulge at 44-29; Sacramento would narrow their deficit to seven at 59-52, which would be the halftime score.

The Kings came out firing in the third quarter shooting three-pointers, two by Donte Greene; they would use an 11-0 run halfway in the period  to take its first lead of the game, 71-69, on a basket by Casspi with 5:40 remaining in the quarter. a basket by Beno Udrih would get Sacramento to within 84-80 going into the final 12 minutes. The Rockets would retake the lead at 87-86 on a three-point play by Landry with 9:26 left to go in the game; Trevor Ariza would ice the game for Houston with a pair of free throws with 1:23 remaining.

Houston’s high scorer was Scola with 22 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block while Landry came off the bench to score 20 with 7 rebounds and a block; Ariza added 19 with 4 rebounds, an assist and a steal. Sacramento was led by Spencer Hawes with 24 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks while Udrih added 18 with a rebound, 8 assists and 2 steals; Casspi did well from off the bench, scoring 17 with 8 rebounds, an assist and a steal while Jason Thompson pitched in 15 with 5 rebounds, 4 assists and a block.

Houston (8-6) plays again on Wednesday when they host the Dallas Mavericks while Sacramento (5-7) travels to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies Monday.


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Comments

One Response to “Scola, Late Defense Helps Rockets Crown Kings 113-106”

  1. john on November 22nd, 2009 3:06 am

    I did expect Scola to shoulder much of the responsibility when both T-Mac and Yao were out injured. And he has been doing it tremendously. As always his game both of the offense and the defense has been instrumental for the Rockets to move up the ladder. On top of that, the support he getas both Landry and Lowry are also a plus point for this team success despite playing without their star player. I’ve always its all about teamwork and chemistry, and the Rockets do have that in them.

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