Houston Rockets GM says Hong Kong tweet not meant to offend

The general manager of the Houston Rockets said Monday a tweet backing Hong Kong protests that caused a major backlash was not meant to offend the NBA team’s massive Chinese fanbase.

Daryl Morey’s comments came as the NBA issued a statement distancing itself from the offending tweet and saying it was “regrettable” that the posting had offended so many fans in China.


The Rockets have been in damage control mode since Morey posted a tweet Friday featuring the message “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong” that was subsequently deleted.

“I did not intend my tweet to cause any offense to Rockets fans and friends of mine in China,” Morey said in a tweet Monday morning in Tokyo, where the Rockets are playing several matches this week.

“I was merely voicing one thought, based on one interpretation, of one complicated event. I have had a lot of opportunity since that tweet to hear and consider other perspectives,” he added.

“I have always appreciated the significant support our Chinese fans and sponsors have provided and I would hope that those who are upset will know that offending or misunderstanding them was not my intention,” Morey said.


He also reiterated that his tweets “in no way represent the Rockets or the NBA.”

The NBA issued its own statement, saying it recognised Morey’s views “have offended so many of our friends and fans in China, which is regrettable.”

The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets are due to play two pre-season games at Shanghai and Shenzhen in China later this week.

“While Daryl has made it clear that his tweet does not represent the Rockets or the NBA, the values of the league support individuals’ educating themselves and sharing their views on matters important to them,” the statement issued by chief communications officer Mike Bass said.

‘Incorrect comments’

The Rockets have already tried to distance themselves from the controversy, with owner Tilman Fertitta on Friday writing on Twitter that Morey “does NOT speak for the @HoustonRockets… we are NOT a political organization.”

But the backlash in China has been fierce, with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) saying it would sever all ties with the Rockets.

“General manager of Houston Rockets club Daryl Morey made incorrect comments about Hong Kong,” the CBA said on its official social media page on Sunday.

“The Chinese Basketball Association is strongly opposed to this and will suspend communication and cooperation with the club.”

Semi-autonomous Hong Kong has been battered by four months of increasingly violent pro-democracy protests.

The rallies were ignited by a now-scrapped plan to allow extraditions to mainland China, fuelling fears of an erosion of liberties in Hong Kong under the 50-year “one country, two systems” model China agreed before the 1997 handover from Britain.

The Rockets have enjoyed a huge following in China since the club drafted Chinese star Yao Ming in 2002.

But fans on social media in China savaged Morey’s comments, with some urging he be fired.

The Rockets are in Japan for two exhibition games this week against NBA champions Toronto Raptors, and their head coach Mike D’Antoni on Sunday said that was the team’s focus.

“We’re here to concentrate on playing in Japan, playing great games and enjoying the culture of Japan,” he said.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Eric Bledsoe steals show as Bucks pull away from Rockets in key match up

MILWAUKEE — Eric Bledsoe stole the show in a marquee matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rockets on Tuesday night.

With top-billing going to MVP front-runners Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden, the feisty Bucks’ guard turned in one his best all-around performances of the season as the Bucks pulled away for a 108-94 victory on Tuesday night.


Bledsoe poured in 23 points, including 16 in a decisive third quarter, and tightly guarded Harden for most of the game.

“I just try to play to my strengths,” Bledsoe said.

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer praised Bledsoe’s all-around performance.

“To do what he did on both ends of the court, pretty special,” Budenholzer said. “I think he loves that challenge. I think he’s an incredible defender.”

Antetokounmpo had 19 points and 14 rebounds for Milwaukee, which improved to an NBA-best 56-19.

Harden scored 23 points and Chris Paul had 19 for Houston, which lost for just the third time in 17 games. Harden shot just 9 of 26, including 1 for 9 from 3-point range with Bledsoe closely guarding him throughout most of the game.

“We had our open shots. We couldn’t know them down,” Harden said. “We competed but they went on a run in that third quarter and that was it.”


After a tightly contested first half, the Bucks grabbed control in the third, sparked by Bledsoe’s clutch shooting. Leading by five at halftime, Milwaukee built a 19-point lead in the third. Bledsoe went 4 of 5 on 3-pointers in the period after missing his only two attempts in the first half. His third-quarter output, which included a single-handed 11-0 run, nearly matched the 18 points scored by Houston.

“Everybody got energy out of that and we played even harder,” Antetokounmpo said.

Milwaukee held the Rockets at bay for most of the final quarter, maintaining a double-digit lead throughout before clearing the bench with about a minute left.

The Rockets jumped out early, building a 10-point first-quarter lead without Harden doing the bulk of the scoring. Danuel House Jr. paced Houston with nine points in the period, making all three of his 3-point attempts. The Bucks struggled in the opening period, shooting just 8 of 25, including 3 for 13 from deep. Khris Middleton missed all six of his shots in the first quarter.

Milwaukee fought back in the second and eventually grabbed the lead. A key sequence came midway through the quarter when, after a basket by Ersan Ilyasova, Bledsoe stole the inbounds pass, scored and then stood face-to-face with Harden under the basket as the crowd roared.

The Bucks led 58-53 at the break, paced by Antetokounmpo’s 13 points and eight rebounds.

Houston coach Mike D’Antoni blamed an uncharacteristic rash of turnovers in the second quarter for allowing the Bucks to grab the lead.

“We got sloppy,” D’Antoni said. “We turned the ball over four times in transition, errant passes that they capitalized on.”

INJURY BUG

The Bucks have been beset with injuries that have altered their lineup. When starting guard Malcolm Brogdon went down with a partial plantar fascia tear earlier this month, Budenholzer replaced him with Nikola Mirotic, who then injured his left thumb and likely is sidelined for the rest of the regular season. Tony Snell, who stepped in for Mirotic, is out with a sprained ankle. Sterling Brown, who sat out 13 games with right wrist soreness before returning to the lineup last week, started against the Rockets. And now, rookie Donte DiVincenzo is expected to miss the rest of the regular season and playoffs due to heel bursitis that has forced him to miss 28 games. DiVincenzo, the 17th overall pick in the draft, is expected to get an injection to address the problem.

TIP-INS

Rockets: Gordon started despite dealing with an injured right ankle sustained Sunday. … F/C Kenneth Faried sat out with a sore left knee. … G/F Gerald Green is expected to be out for seven to 10 days with a strained adductor.

Bucks: G Donte DiVincenzo (bilateral heel bursitis), C Pau Gasol (left ankle soreness) remained out, along with Mirotic and Brogdon.

UP NEXT

Rockets: Host the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.

Bucks: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

James Harden, Clint Capela lead Rockets over Nuggets

HOUSTON — With James Harden getting double-teamed almost every time he had the ball Monday night against the Denver Nuggets, he looked for other Houston Rockets to step up and make plays.

Chief among them was Clint Capela, who set a career high with 31 points as the Rockets beat the Nuggets 125-113.

“He did what he was supposed to do,” said Harden, who had 32 points. “He finished. He played extremely well. Played hard.”

P.J. Tucker set a career high with seven 3-pointers and scored a season-high 21 points to help Houston win for the 12th time in 14 games. Capela had 19 points by halftime as Harden fed him again and again.

“Whenever I’m under the rim and you put a little on me what’s going to happen is that 99 or 100 percent of the time I’m going to dunk the ball,” Capela said. “This is what happened tonight and I did a great job of finishing aggressive under the rim.”

Houston was up by 11 after two free throws by Torrey Craig with about 5 1/2 minutes left before Tucker and Harden made 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to make it 117-100 about a minute later.

Gerald Green had 21 points and made six 3s on a night Houston made 22 3s for its sixth game this season with at least 20.


“We’re just a real tough team when we’re knocking down shots like that,” Green said.

Nikola Jokic scored 24 points for the Nuggets, who had a five-game winning streak snapped.

“Give them credit,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “You know Harden is going to get his, but when P.J. Tucker and Gerald Green score the amount of 3s that they made, I believe 13 combined, that’s a tough one to overcome.”

Harden had 14 assists, six 3-pointers and scored at least 30 points for the 13th straight game.


“He’s probably the hardest guy in the NBA to guard,” Malone said.

Coach Mike D’Antoni enjoys watching the different things Harden does to help his team win night after night.

“Whatever they throw at him, he’ll find the best play,” D’Antoni said. “He’ll also find a way to score. He’ll find his way, but he’ll also get everyone involved.”

TIP-INS

Nuggets: Malone said Will Barton (hip) is making progress and could return in the next couple of weeks. … Morris added 21 points off the bench.

Rockets: Houston traded Michael Carter-Williams and cash considerations to the Chicago Bulls on Monday for a protected second-round pick in the 2020 draft. The Bulls then waived the guard following the trade. … Chris Paul missed his eighth game in a row with a strained left hamstring. … Eric Gordon missed his fourth straight game with a bruised right knee.

WHAT A PLAY

The Rockets led 70-60 at halftime after Harden made two 3-pointers in the last 90 seconds of the second quarter. The first of those shots is sure to show up on highlight reels, as Murray slipped and fell to the court trying to guard him before Harden stepped back for the basket.

MAGIC NUMBER?

With Monday’s win the Rockets improved to 59-2 when scoring at least 120 points under D’Antoni.

THEY SAID IT

Jokic on Denver’s struggles against Houston, which has won nine straight in the series: “They beat us at our place and they beat us here. Last year, we didn’t win one time, so that team gives us a problem, but we have to find a way to beat them and play (better) against them.”

UP NEXT

Nuggets: Visit the Miami Heat on Tuesday night.

Rockets: Host Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Harden’s 40 lifts Rockets to 1st home win over Pacers

HOUSTON — It’s more than three weeks into the season and the Houston Rockets finally got their first home win on Sunday night.

With the hole they’re in early, they’ll need plenty more to dig their way out.

James Harden scored a season-high 40 points and Chris Paul added 26 to help the Rockets to a 115-103 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.

“It’s nice to get a win,” Paul said. “We’ve obviously been struggling … but we’ve got to keep building.”

The Rockets, who had lost the last two games of a season-long five-game road trip, dropped their first four home games. They’re 5-7 this season and in 12th place in the Western Conference.

Houston was up by 10 with about four minutes left after five quick points by the Pacers, but Harden made two free throws after that to stretch the lead. The Pacers got within 8 on a basket by Cory Joseph with about 90 seconds left, but Paul made a layup a few seconds later to put the game out of reach.

Victor Oladipo had 22 for the Pacers, who have lost three of their last four games.

“We knew they were very capable of getting hot even though they hadn’t shot the ball well early this season,” Indiana coach Nate McMillan said. “We knew they were very capable and tonight they did. It was tough matchups trying to stop those guys.”

The win comes as the Rockets deal with a disappointing start to the season and rumors and reports about Carmelo Anthony’s status and future with the team. Anthony, who is in his first year in Houston, sat out for the second straight game with an undisclosed illness on a day the New York Times had a sourced report that said he had been told he would soon be waived.

General manager Daryl Morey said before the game that the report was “inaccurate” and that singling Anthony out as the cause of Houston’s struggles was unfair.

The Rockets, who entered the game ranking near the bottom of the league with a 3-point shooting percentage of just 31.7, shot 42.6 percent from long-range and made a season-high 20 3s on Sunday night. Harden had eight and Paul added five to lead the way.



“When we’re like that we’re going to score a bunch of points and if … our defense can keep improving then we’re the team that we want to be,” coach Mike D’Antoni said.

Houston had a big lead for most of the second half and was up by 21 entering the fourth quarter after Paul and Harden had piled up 55 points combined in the first three quarters.

The Pacers opened the fourth with an 11-2 run, with the last five points from Oladipo to cut the lead to 104-92 with about 7 ½ minutes left.

But Harden, who finished with nine assists and seven rebounds, made all of Houston’s points in a 5-2 run to stretch the lead and 109-94.

The Rockets led by 22 at halftime but Indiana scored the first 11 points of the third quarter to cut the lead to 76-65. Darren Collison made two 3-pointers in that span and Oladipo added another one.

Houston finally scored its first points of the second half when P.J. Tucker made a 3-pointer with about 9 ½ minutes left in the third.

But the Rockets couldn’t get much going after that and the Pacers scored five straight points later in the period to cut the lead to 84-74 with about five minutes remaining in the third.

Harden got hot after that, making 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to power a 12-3 spurt that extended the lead 97-77 about three minutes later.

TIP-INS

Pacers: Oladipo received a technical foul in the third quarter for arguing with a referee after fouling Paul. … Bojan Bogdanovic added 20 points and had six assists. … Collison had 13 points.

Rockets: Clint Capela had 18 points and seven rebounds. He bruised his knee in a collision with Oladipo, but D’Antoni said he should be OK. … Gerald Green sat out with a sprained right ankle. … Nene, who has not played this season, remains out with a strained right calf.

THEY SAID IT

Paul on what he’s seen from Anthony in his time in Houston: “Melo’s been great here. That’s like a brother to me. I don’t know what’s being said or whatnot but Melo’s been great working hard every day.”

UP NEXT

Pacers: Host Miami on Friday night.

Rockets: Visit Denver on Tuesday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Harden scores 25 in return, Rockets defeat Bulls

CHICAGO — James Harden scored 25 points, including 11 in a decisive run in the third quarter, in his return to the Houston lineup, and the Rockets defeated the Chicago Bulls 96-88 on Saturday night.

Harden, who had missed three games with a strained left hamstring, scored 11 straight points in a 1:59 span of the third as the Rockets went on a 15-0 run.

Carmelo Anthony had 17 points and James Ennis added 15 as the Rockets won their second game in two nights after starting the season 1-5.

Chicago led 59-58 midway through the third quarter before the Rockets and Harden went ahead for good, outscoring the Bulls 21-7 in the period.

Zach LaVine led Chicago with 21 points, and Wendell Carter Jr. had 14 points and 13 rebounds. Jabari Parker added 15 points as the Bulls lost their fourth straight game — going 0-4 in the homestand — and dropped their fifth straight to the Rockets.

Houston opened a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter. Chicago narrowed it to five points with 4:01 left using a 12-2 run and capitalizing on stretch of cold shooting by Houston.

Harden, the NBA’s reigning MVP, started slowly in his return to the starting lineup. He didn’t score until completing a driving layup with 3:55 left in the second quarter. Then he hit back-to-back 3s and had 10 points at the half.

Harden had seven assists in the second quarter. He also had eight turnovers.

Harden suffered the hamstring injury near the end of the loss to Utah on Oct. 24, and Houston was routed in the next two games. The Rockets beat the Nets in Brooklyn 119-111 on Friday as Harden got an extra day of rest.

Guard Eric Gordon was held out of Saturday’s game with abductor strain, suffered at Brooklyn.

The Bulls held their own with the Rockets in a see-saw, open first half and led 56-54. Neither team had more than a five-point lead in the first half.

Ennis, in his second game back after missing three with a strained right hamstring, led all scorers with 13 points at the half. Jabari Parker had 11 for Chicago.

TIP-INS

Rockets: Before the game, coach Mike D’Antoni didn’t have details of Gordon’s injury, but thought the guard, who has averaged 15 points through seven games, would be out day-to-day. “Now we get James back, but we lose Eric,” D’Antoni said, while noting injuries to top players have taxed other Rockets who aren’t used to as much playing time. . D’Antoni’s voice was rapsy and barely audible before Saturday’s game. He attributed it to his team pulling out its second win of the season at Brooklyn on Friday. “I celebrated last night and lost my voice,” D’Antoni said “We won a game.”

Bulls: Coach Fred Hoiberg expects his injury-depleted team will soon get a boost from the return of F Lauri Markkanen (right elbow sprain) and G Denzel Washington (left ankle sprain), but still doesn’t have an exact timetable. “Denzel will continue to ramp up his activity in the next couple days, and Lauri is doing a little bit more still,” Hoiberg said, adding that Markkanen might be ready to “get on floor” in about a week. . Hoiberg said Bobby Portis (right knee sprain) and Kris Dunn (left knee sprain) “are still a ways away.”

UP NEXT

Rockets: At Indiana on Monday in third game of a five-game trip.

Bulls: At the New York Knicks on Monday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Davis shines as Pelicans rout Rockets in season opener

Anthony Davis scored 32 points and Elfrid Payton finished with a triple double as the New Orleans Pelicans got their NBA season off to a roaring start by clobbering the Houston Rockets 131-112 on Wednesday.

Davis also had 16 rebounds and eight assists and Payton finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Pelicans, who led wire-to-wire.


“I am just taking what the defense gives me,” said Davis. “It is only game one. It is a good win but we still got a lot of work to do.

“To come out with a win against a team like that after the season they had and coming off the season we had, we wanted to come out and set a tempo.”

The Pelicans’ dominating win in front of a crowd of 18,000 at Toyota Center arena in Texas was one of 11 games in the first full night of the 2018-19 NBA season.

League Most Valuable Player James Harden flirted with a triple double, finishing with 18 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the Rockets failed to match New Orleans’ season-opening intensity, especially on defense.

Nikola Mirotic delivered 30 points and 10 rebounds in the blowout as the Pelicans led by as many as 29 points.

Payton and Julius Randle were the two biggest additions in the offseason. And with DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo moving to other teams, the Pelicans are going to have to develop a new personality this season.

“We are not going to shoot the ball this well every night but tonight we did a great job imposing our will on defense which led to a lot of fast break opportunities,” said Davis. “We executed our game plan to the T. When we play like this we will be tough to beat.”

Many thought the Pelicans’ 2017-18 season was done when Cousins went down in mid-season with an Achilles injury. New Orleans rallied together and swept Portland in the first round of the playoffs.

Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni expected more on opening night from his experienced squad. Houston was the most prolific three-point shooting team in the NBA last season when they finished with a franchise record 65-17 win-loss record.

They took the NBA by storm and many consider them a legitimate threat this year to dethrone the Golden State Warriors.

“It is the first game of 82. We will right the ship today, tomorrow, and the next day,” said D’Antoni.

“We kind of let go of the rope at the end of the first half. We obviously have some things to work on. We’ve got to get our legs and then go after it.”

Eric Gordon scored a team-high 21 points. Chris Paul and PJ Tucker had 19 points each for the Rockets, who are trying to replace outgoing defensive specialists Trevor Ariza and Mbah a Moute with aging veteran Carmelo Anthony and journeyman James Ennis.

Reserve Anthony, who bristled in the past about the idea of having to come off the bench, finished with nine points on three of 10 shooting in 27 minutes of playing time.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Carmelo Anthony reportedly agrees to join Rockets

Carmelo Anthony reached a verbal agreement to join the Houston Rockets, sources told Yahoo Sports and USA Today on Tuesday.

Anthony, a 10-time All-Star who was waived July 30 by the Atlanta Hawks, had been expected to sign with the Rockets when he cleared waivers.

Entering his 16th NBA season, Anthony has a career scoring average of 24.1 points per game with the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Last season, unaccustomed to his role as power forward and playing alongside Russell Westbrook and Paul George, he averaged a career-low 16.2 points in 32.1 minutes in his lone season for the Thunder.

This summer, he has worked out with Rockets stars James Harden and Chris Paul.

The Hawks acquired Anthony on July 25 as part of a three-team transaction, with Atlanta also receiving a protected 2022 first-round draft pick from the Thunder and Justin Anderson from the Philadelphia 76ers.

To complete the trade, the Hawks traded Mike Muscala to Philadelphia and Dennis Schroder to Oklahoma City, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot moved from Philadelphia to Oklahoma City.

The Rockets created a roster opening last week by trading forward Chinanu Onuaku and cash to the Dallas Mavericks for center Maarty Leunen and the right to swap second-round draft picks in 2020. Onuaku played in six NBA games over the past two seasons and averaged 3.0 points and 2.3 rebounds.

Leunen, 32, has yet to appear in the NBA. — Field Level Media/Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Chris Paul donates $2.5M to Wake Forest basketball program

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — NBA All-Star and former Wake Forest guard Chris Paul is donating $2.5 million in support of the Demon Deacons’ basketball team.

The donation announced Tuesday is the school’s largest by a former Wake Forest basketball player.

School officials say it will assist a project to expand and enhance the men’s and women’s locker rooms, and the men’s locker room will be named for him.


Paul says the locker room project “inspired me, because that’s where players build relationships and create a unifying camaraderie.”

The Houston Rockets guard and Winston-Salem native led Wake Forest to its first No. 1 ranking in 2004-05 before becoming a nine-time All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medal winner with the U.S. national team.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Warriors reach 4th straight NBA Finals with win over Houston

HOUSTON— Stephen Curry and Golden State turned all those Houston bricks into a road back to the NBA Finals.

Kevin Durant scored 34 points, Curry sparked another third-quarter turnaround, and the Warriors earned a fourth straight trip to the NBA Finals by beating the Houston Rockets 101-92 in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals on Monday night.

The defending champions trailed by as many as 15 in the first half after falling behind 17 in Game 6.

Curry, who finished with 27 points, scored 14 of Golden State’s 33 points in the third quarter as Houston’s shooting didn’t just go cold, it froze. The Rockets missed all 14 3-point attempts in that quarter as part of 27 misses from long range.

The Warriors will host LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 on Thursday night in the fourth straight matchup between the teams.

James Harden had 32 points as the top-seeded Rockets’ bid to return to the finals for the first time since 1995 fell short without Chris Paul, who was nursing a hamstring injury.

The Rockets fell apart in the second half again after doing so in Game 6. The Warriors outscored Houston 122-63 in the second half of the final two games.

Golden State led by seven entering the fourth and pushed the lead to 10 on a 3-pointer by Klay Thompson with about 9 1/2 minutes left. Clint Capela made a hook shot for Houston but Durant hit a long 3 seconds later to make it 86-75.

The Rockets were behind by 13 after a 3 by Curry and had missed 27 straight 3-pointers when P.J. Tucker hit one from the corner to cut the lead to 89-79 midway through the quarter.

It was their first 3-pointer since one by Eric Gordon with about 6 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter that put the Rockets up 42-28.

Tucker’s 3 was the first of seven straight points for Houston which cut the lead to 89-83.



But Durant scored six points in a 9-2 spurt after that which left the Warriors 97-85 with about three minutes to go.

Houston finally found a little offense after that, using a 7-2 run to cut it to 99-92, but their rally bid came up short.

Thompson added 19 for Golden State after scoring 35 in the Game 6 win and the Warriors got a fourth straight start from Kevon Looney with Andre Iguodala sitting out again with a bone bruise on his left leg.

After being down by 10 at halftime of Game 6, the Warriors trailed by 11 entering the third quarter on Monday night. Golden State opened the third quarter with a 10-4 run to cut the lead to 58-53 after a 3-pointer by Nick Young with about eight minutes left in the quarter.

Tucker made one of two free throws and the teams exchanged layups before Golden State scored nine straight points, with two 3s from Curry, to take a 64-61 lead.

Harden made two free throws before Curry scored eight points in a row, highlighted by a 3-pointer which bounced high off the rim before falling back in, to make it 72-63 with just over two minutes left in the quarter.

Golden State scored 33 points in the third quarter for the second straight game while Houston managed just 15 points on Monday night after it scored 16 in the third in Game 6.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Curry went to the locker room with trainers between the first and second quarters, but returned to the bench with about 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter and soon returned to the game. … Thompson picked up his third foul with about 8 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter and sat out most of the period. … Draymond Green had 10 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.

Rockets: Houston fell to 6-5 all-time in Game 7s and 4-2 at home. … Capela finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds. … Tucker had 14 points and 12 rebounds.

UP NEXT

The Warriors host Game 1 of the finals on Thursday and Game 2 on Sunday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Golden State’s Iguodala still struggling with bruised knee

HOUSTON — Andre Iguodala’s bruised left knee improved Wednesday, but he was still listed as questionable for the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against the Houston Rockets on Thursday night.

Iguodala missed Tuesday night’s game after banging his left knee in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game. Kerr says: “He’s feeling a little better today. He’s out on the floor, not doing a whole lot but making progress.”

Houston got a 95-92 win in Game 4 on Tuesday to even the series at 2-2 heading in Thursday’s game.

Klay Thompson is also listed as questionable after straining his left knee Tuesday night. But Kerr said that Thompson was “moving around really well” on Wednesday and that he thought he’d be fine.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Rockets escape Warriors to even Western Conference Finals at 2-2

OAKLAND, Calif. — James Harden scored 30 points, Chris Paul had 27 and the Houston Rockets sustained the latest second-half flurry by Stephen Curry, evening the Western Conference finals at two games apiece with a 95-92 victory Tuesday night.

Curry scored 28 points and Kevin Durant added 27 points and 12 rebounds but the defending champions missed their final six shots from the floor and their NBA-record postseason winning streak at home ended at 16 games.

The Rockets shook off a 12-0 deficit to start the game and another big run by the Warriors in the third, then won it with defense down the stretch.

Paul rebounded Klay Thompson’s miss just before the final buzzer sounded for the first time and pounded the ball down in delight. A replay review ensued and it was determined Shaun Livingston fouled Paul before the game ended, so Paul made a free throw with 0.5 seconds left.

Curry couldn’t get off a final attempt before the buzzer.

“I thought this is the highest level we’ve ever played defensively, without a doubt,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said, “because we’re talking about the best offensive team ever.”

Game 5 is Thursday night at Houston. Golden State will play its longest playoff round after closing out its first two series in five games.

Golden State got the ball with 1:27 to play down 94-91 and Thompson and Curry each missed contested 3-pointers.

The Warriors got another chance with 42.5 seconds left following Houston’s shot-clock violation. Curry missed a driving layup and Draymond Green pulled down the offensive rebound and was fouled by Paul, but Green converted only one free throw.

The Rockets went ahead 85-84 with 6:03 remaining on Trevor Ariza’s 3-pointer from the baseline after a beautiful bounce pass from the opposite corner by Paul.

Golden State trailed 91-86 with 3:30 left following a pair of free throws by Eric Gordon, then Curry converted a three-point play moments later.

Green wound up with 11 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists while going at it with Paul all night in Game 4 — the first nail-biter so far in a series that had featured only lopsided results.

Curry knocked down three straight 3-pointers during a key third-quarter sequence in which he scored 11 consecutive points before Thompson’s 3.

Down 53-46 at halftime two days after a franchise playoff-record, 41-point victory in Sunday’s 126-85 win, Curry shined in the second half once more. He scored 17 in all during the third-quarter flurry.

Curry came out and hit a 3 from the top and seemed on his way to another spectacular finish until the late misses on a night both Western Conference powers shot just 39 percent.

His 3-pointer from 29 feet out at the 5:43 mark of the third got Golden State back within 62-60 then he knocked down another moments later on the Warriors’ next possession for the lead. Then, another from the baseline before a driving layup to the left.

Harden scored 15 points in the second quarter as Houston used a 25-7 run to take command.

Much-improved Warriors big man Kevon Looney, who shed 30 pounds last offseason, earned his first career postseason start in place of injured Andre Iguodala and had four points and six rebounds.

Iguodala, who banged his left knee during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win, was upgraded from doubtful to questionable after an MRI exam earlier Tuesday on the knee revealed no structural damage.

The Warriors got another scare when Thompson briefly went to the locker room in the second quarter with a left knee strain then returned and hit baseline 3-pointers from both sides and wound up with 10 points on 4-for-13 shooting.

The Rockets missed their first eight field-goal tries and committed two turnovers before Harden’s layup with 6:42 left in the first. D’Antoni called timeout at the 7:06 mark of the first with his team trailing 12-0.

TIP-INS

Rockets: The Rockets were outrebounded 49-41. … Houston scored just 19 first-quarter points, its fifth straight period failing to score more than 24 before scoring 34 in the second. … After saying the pressure was on the Warriors, D’Antoni cracked pregame, “That really worked out well, didn’t it?”

Warriors: Curry picked up his third foul at the 5:06 mark of the second quarter and took a seat and Golden State was limited to 18 points in the period. He pumped his right arm so hard after a basket in the first he nearly hit official Mike Callahan. … Curry made his signature pregame tunnel shot on the fourth try. … Golden State dropped to 32-7 in the postseason since 2015 when holding opponents to fewer than 100 points. … Looney started for just the ninth time in his three-year NBA career.

IGUODALA OUT

Without 2015 NBA Finals MVP Iguodala, the Warriors were down one of their top defenders and playmakers.

Iguodala’s status for Game 5 was still unclear. Since 2014-15, Golden State is 14-4 in postseason games started by Iguodala.

“If it was close, he would play,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s injured so he’s not playing. So we’ll see what happens in the next couple of days.”

D’Antoni knew the Warriors would respond.

“They only have four All-Stars instead of five. It really puts a crimp in their style,” he said.

TECHNICAL STANDS

The Warriors spoke to the NBA about Green’s double-technical in Game 3 with Trevor Ariza issued at the 6:49 mark of the fourth quarter when Ariza shoved Green as they traded words.

“They’re not rescinding it,” Kerr said. “Those conversations are always private, so we respect their decision and move on.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Rockets advance to 2nd round with eyes on bigger goals

HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets spent almost no time celebrating their first-round playoff series win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

For the top-seeded Rockets, it simply moved them a little closer toward their goal of bringing the franchise its first title in more than two decades.

“This was a pretty good step for us, a step in the right direction, but we’ve got a long way to go,” James Harden said. “We (don’t) have this team just to win one playoff series.”

From the moment Chris Paul joined the Rockets in a blockbuster trade from the Los Angeles Clippers last summer, the Rockets have talked incessantly about their desire and belief that the pairing of the two star point guards could propel this already good team into contender status.

A 65-win regular season led by Harden’s MVP-caliber play and Paul’s work in a top supporting role gave the Rockets the NBA’s best record for the first time in franchise history and added to the belief that this could be the year they win it all.

Despite not playing their best at times, the Rockets easily handled the eighth-seeded Wolves, turning in three blowout wins in the 4-1 series triumph, capped by Wednesday’s night 122-104 victory.

“We’ll continue to get better, work on some things, figure out who we play and take it from there,” Harden said.

They move on to the Western Conference semifinals for the second straight season and look to return to the conference finals for the first time since losing to the Golden State Warriors in 2015.

But first they’ll get a few days to rest as they await the winner of the series between the Thunder and Jazz. Utah leads 3-2 after Oklahoma City overcame a 25-point second-half deficit to avoid elimination Wednesday night.

Coach Mike D’Antoni said it’s difficult to do too much preparation before they know who they’ll face.

“We’ll watch it. Get some popcorn and enjoy the NBA like everybody else does then we’ll break it down,” he said. “We’ll have plenty of time to prepare and get in there and do what we do.”

While the Rockets have their eyes on winning their first title since taking back to back trophies in 1994-95, the next round will be a benchmark of sorts for Paul considering his disappointing playoff history.

The nine-time All-Star has faced criticism after making nine previous playoff trips without advancing past the second round. The worst of those flops came in 2015 against Houston, when Paul and the Clippers had a 3-1 lead in the conference semifinals. They got blown out in Game 5 and squandered a 19-point second-half lead in Los Angeles in Game 6 before falling in Game 7 at Houston.

He bristles when the subject is brought up by reporters, but both Harden and Trevor Ariza said Paul discussed that series this week as a cautionary tale when Houston took a 3-1 lead over Minnesota.

Paul carried the Rockets with a 27-point performance in a Game 2 win against Minnesota and scored 25 points in Game 4 when he and Harden fueled a 50-point third quarter that allowed the Rockets to come back to Houston a win away from wrapping up the series.

While his scoring helped Houston through this series, perhaps more important to Houston’s success was what he did to facilitate scoring by others like Clint Capela, who led Houston with 26 points on Wednesday night. Paul had a tough time in the first game of the series when he tied a season-high with six turnovers.

In the next four games he piled up 29 assists with just three turnovers to help Houston advance.

Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau marveled at how difficult it is to deal with both Harden and Paul after the pair combined for 21 assists on Wednesday night.

“They can hurt you a lot of different ways,” he said. “They hurt us with the pass tonight. They’re not worried about their shots. They’re worried about the team getting good shots.”

While Houston’s offensive prowess was evident throughout the year, the Rockets hope that their work on defense against Minnesota shows that they’re solid on that side of the ball, too.

“We’ve been saying it all season long and in order for us to get where we want to go defense is going to have to be our backbone,” Harden said. “We’re going to have to get stops.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Raptors overcome Harden’s 40, end Rockets’ win streak at 17 games

TORONTO — Kyle Lowry scored 30 points, DeMar DeRozan had 23 and the Toronto Raptors beat Houston 108-105 on Friday night, snapping the Rockets’ 17-game winning streak.

James Harden scored 40 points but the Rockets lost for the first time since Jan. 27 at New Orleans.

Jonas Valanciunas had 14 points and 10 rebounds as the Raptors won their seventh straight in a matchup between the respective conference leaders.

The Rockets shot 9 for 27 from 3-point range, matching their fewest made 3-pointers of the season.

Clint Capela had 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Rockets. Chris Paul and Eric Gordon each scored 14 points, and Trevor Ariza had 13 as Houston’s road winning streak ended at 10.

Houston tied it at 102 on Harden’s 3 with 2:10 remaining, but DeRozan restored Toronto’s lead with a jump shot with 1:49 left.

Paul missed a go-ahead 3 with 14 seconds to play, then fouled Lowry in the scramble for the rebound. Lowry made both, giving the Raptors a 106-102 lead with 10 seconds to go.

Gordon answered with a 3, making it a one-point game. Houston fouled Valanciunas, who made a pair to put Toronto up by 3 with 5.4 seconds to go.

Harden got the final shot but his deep 3 from the edge of the center court circle went short, giving the Raptors the win.

Lowry connected on his first five shots and scored 13 points in the opening quarter as Toronto led 32-16. The Rockets missed eight of their first 10 field goal attempts and shot 6 for 21 in the first, missing all five 3-point attempts. It was Houston’s lowest-scoring first quarter of the season and just the second time they’ve failed to score at least 20 points in the first.

Harden scored nine points in the second but the Rockets continued to struggle from long range, making one of four 3-point shots. DeRozan had seven points for the Raptors, who led 58-43 at halftime.

Houston’s only lower-scoring first half this season was a 39-point effort in a Feb. 26 win at Utah.

The Rockets were 1 for 12 from 3-point range before Harden drained back-to-back shots with 2:48 left in the third. Harden scored 14 in the third, overcoming nine points from Lowry, as Houston cut the deficit to 83-75 after three.

TIP-INS

Rockets: F Ryan Anderson (left hip) missed his sixth straight game. … Joe Johnson returned after missing the previous two games because of an illness. … The Rockets had 62 points in the paint.

Raptors: Forward OG Anunoby (sprained right ankle) missed his fourth straight game. … G Delon Wright (sprained right big toe) was unavailable after leaving Wednesday’s win at Detroit. Wright initially suffered the injury in Tuesday’s home win over Atlanta.

UP NEXT

Rockets: Visit Dallas on Sunday. Houston has won seven straight in the series, its third-longest streak all-time.

Raptors: Visit New York on Sunday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Paul’s season-high 37 leads Rockets over Blazers

HOUSTON — With James Harden injured, the Houston Rockets are figuring out different ways to make up for the offense the league’s leading scorer normally provides.


On Wednesday night, that meant Chris Paul took 29 shots and finished with a season-high 37 points to help the Rockets to a 121-112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Paul tied his career high for field-goal attempts in a regulation game. He took 33 shots and scored 42 points in a double-overtime game with New Orleans in 2008.

His 37 points were the most by a Rocket besides Harden since Jeremy Lin had 38 against San Antonio on Dec. 10, 2012.

Paul, who made 13 field goals, was asked if he realized he’d come close to taking the most shots in his career.

“I don’t know,” he said. “It kind of felt like it. Like goodness. I missed a lot, too. That’s what I’m mad about.”

Portland coach Terry Stotts said Paul was tough to stop.

“He was exceptional,” Stotts said. “He really controlled the game, like he can do. His shot-making was as good as I’ve seen.”

Eric Gordon added 30 points as the Rockets withstood a late run to win their second straight.

The Blazers used a big run to cut a 14-point deficit to three with about three minutes left. Houston responded with a 6-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Paul, to make it 111-104 about a minute later.

Damian Lillard made a layup on the other end, but Paul cut through three defenders to make an off-balance layup to push the lead to 113-106.

The Blazers couldn’t get the ball in after a timeout, Houston got the ball back and Clint Capela added two free throws to secure the victory.

The Rockets won their second straight and improved to 3-2 in five games without Harden, who is out for at least two weeks with a hamstring injury.

Lillard scored 29 after missing the last two games with a strained right calf, and C.J. McCollum added 24 points as the Blazers saw a three-game winning streak snapped.

Paul had 11 assists, seven rebounds and three steals, and Capela added 13 points with eight rebounds.

Gerald Green scored all of Houston’s points in a 5-2 run that extended the lead to 103-89 midway through the fourth period. He finished with 12 points and has scored in double digits in seven straight games for the first time since 2015.

“We’re having to manufacture points in different ways,” Paul said. “Gerald continues to be great and be aggressive. … James averages 30 and we’re just doing it by committee.”

Lillard scored the first seven points of an 11-0 spurt that got the Trail Blazers within 103-100 with about 3 1/2 minutes left.

Paul received a technical in that span for arguing about a foul called on P.J. Tucker.

The Rockets led by nine entering the fourth quarter and were up by 11 with about 7 1/2 minutes remaining after Gordon scored four points. He made a layup before missing a shot on the next possession, only to grab it with one hand and finish with a dunk that made it 98-87.

Portland’s Ed Davis was called for a flagrant foul late in the third when he hit Tarik Black in the right eye as Black dunked. Black remained on the court for a couple of minutes before being helped to his feet and escorted to the locker room, holding a towel over his right eye. The team said he had an abrasion to his right eye and he’ll miss Friday’s game.

Paul made the free throw on that play, and Tucker added a layup after that to extend the lead to 84-74.

The Rockets led 55-45 at halftime.

TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: Lillard had eight assists and five rebounds and made 10 of 12 free throws. … Portland had six blocks, led by Jusuf Nurkic’s three.

Rockets: Black tied a season high with 13 points. … Nene missed his fourth straight game with a bruised right knee. … Gordon has scored 20 or more points in 21 games this season after doing so in only 19 games last season.

NICE PUTBACK

Gordon’s teammates were impressed with his dunk in the fourth quarter. Paul called it “sick.”

“I surprise myself sometimes,” Gordon said with a laugh. “When I saw it floating in the air, I just went after it.”

HE SAID IT

Lillard on being unable to combat Houston’s runs: “When you’re dealing with a team that shoots 3s as much as them and as well, you can’t give them extra possessions and I thought we did that on too many occasions.”

UP NEXT

Trail Blazers: Visit New Orleans on Friday.

Rockets: Visit Phoenix on Friday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Harden, Rockets get 90 in first half, beat Suns 142-116

PHOENIX, Arizona—James Harden had 23 of his 48 points in the second quarter while the Houston Rockets scored 90 points in the first half en route to a 142-116 win over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night.

Houston dominated with Chris Paul back in the lineup after missing 14 games with a knee injury. The Rockets made 61 percent of their first-half shots to match the second-most points in a first half in NBA history.

Houston came up 14 points shy of the franchise record for points in a game. The Rockets knocked down 21 of 44 3-point attempts, and Harden made all 18 of his free throws.

Harden, the NBA’s leading scorer, had 33 points at halftime. Houston used a 13-1 over the final 3:08 of the first quarter to take control and was never threatened after that, leading 45-23 going into the second.

Paul, who hadn’t played since the season opener, got the start and didn’t miss a beat, scoring 11 points and handing out 10 assists in limited action.

Coach Mike D’Antoni said before the game that getting the two stars, Harden and Paul, in sync will “take care of itself over the next week or so.” D’Antoni planned to play Paul for 20 minutes; Paul saw 21 minutes of action and sat out most of the fourth quarter.

Ryan Anderson added 24 points for the Rockets, who have won seven of eight.
The Suns also shot well in the first half, getting 65 points before the break. They got the lead down to 14 with one of Troy Daniels’ six 3-pointers in the second quarter, but the Rockets repeatedly scored with ease at the other end.

Daniels tied a Suns franchise record for 3s in a quarter and led Phoenix with 23 points. Devin Booker added 18 points and 10 assists.

The Suns have lost seven of eight.

As the first half came to a close, a fan yelled at D’Antoni from the stands. “Sit down Mike, you’re up 40!” D’Antoni, a former Suns coach, turned and deadpanned, “It’s 25. You can’t count.”

Center Greg Monroe made his Suns debut, starting and playing 26 minutes. Monroe, acquired by Phoenix from Milwaukee with two draft picks for guard Eric Bledsoe on Nov. 7, was dealing with a left calf strain when he arrived.

He finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Monroe played amid speculation that he could be traded or have his contract bought out.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Spurs overcome Leonard injury, Harden to beat Rockets in OT for 3-2 lead

SAN ANTONIO — Danny Green scored seven of his 16 points in overtime, and the San Antonio Spurs overcame an injury to Kawhi Leonard to beat James Harden and the Houston Rockets 110-107 on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead in their second-playoff series.

Leonard had 22 points and 15 rebounds in 38 minutes before exiting with an injured right ankle. Leonard stepped on Harden’s foot with 5:37 left in the third quarter and then played limited minutes before sitting out overtime.

Harden had 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He had a chance at potential tying 3-pointer in the final seconds of OT, but was blocked from behind by Manu Ginobili.

Game 6 is Thursday in Houston.

Each team stalled at the start of the extra period. Patrick Beverley made a 3-pointer with 2 minutes remaining for the first points of the period, giving Houston a 104-101 lead.

Green made a go-ahead 3-pointer and converted a three-point play to make it 109-107 Spurs with 30.1 seconds left. He also made a foul shot down the stretch to help San Antonio hold on.

Two questionable plays closed regulation with the game tied at 101.

Harden was whistled for a charge after dribbling all but a few seconds off the shot clock before driving to the basket on Jonathon Simmons. The Spurs failed to take a shot on their final possession, with Patty Mills banking in a 3-pointer after the buzzer sounded.

Harden also played solid defense, helping hold Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge to 15-for-42 shooting as he rotated assignments in Houston’s smaller lineup. But he finished with nine turnovers.

With the Rockets leading 82-81, officials ruled a ball out of bounds on the Spurs that replays showed was actually off Harden. Beverley drained a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, prompting San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich to scream and point at official Derrick Stafford.

The play ignited what had been a rather listless San Antonio, leading to a 10-2 run bridging the third and fourth quarters for a 92-87 lead.

The Spurs tried to exploit a size advantage over the Rockets’ small lineup early, especially when Harden was guarding either Aldridge and Pau Gasol. The Spurs’ big men only managed 2-for-5 shooting in the opening three minutes, leading San Antonio to abandon the strategy midway through the first quarter and sub Simmons for Gasol.

Simmons responded by scoring 10 points on 5-for-13 shooting in 26 minutes.

TIP-INS

Rockets: Houston has lost four straight best-of-seven series when it was tied 2-2. The last time the Rockets won a series after being tied 2-2 was in the 1995 Western Conference finals when they beat the Spurs. . Nene is out for the remainder of the postseason after tearing his left adductor in Game 4. . The team that led at the half had won every game in the series until Game 5.

Spurs: Ginobili has 313 3-pointers in his postseason career, which is third in league history behind Ray Allen (385) and Reggie Miller (320). . Ginobili drove the lane for a one-handed dunk with 2 minutes left in the first half.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Thunder survive Rockets, claw back in series

LOS ANGELES—Russell Westbrook’s latest triple-double translated to a 115-113 victory for the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday (Saturday, Manila) as they clawed back in their NBA playoff series against the Houston Rockets.

The Thunder narrowed the gap in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series to 2-1 — but it was a close-run thing.

Westbrook, who notched a record 42 regular-season triple-doubles and had 51 points in a triple-double in the Thunder’s game-two defeat on Wednesday, finished Friday with 32 points, 11 assists and 13 rebounds.

But his second missed free throw of the closing seconds kept the door open for the Rockets, whose star James Harden was off-target with a three-pointer at the buzzer as the Thunder escaped with the win.

Harden had hit a three-pointer with 52 seconds remaining that knotted the score at 111-111.

Westbrook responded with his first three-point attempt of the game.

It rattled off the rim, but teammate Steven Adams managed to put it back for two points and the lead.

The teams then traded free-throw attempts until Harden’s final effort.

Westbrook had his triple-double by the end of the third quarter.

He became the first player with back-to-back triple-doubles in the same playoff series since Jason Kidd in the 2002 Eastern Conference finals.

Harden finished with 44 points, including four three-pointers.

The Thunder, determined not to fall into an 0-3 hole in the series, were quick out of the blocks. But the Rockets managed to respond, cutting a 15-point deficit early in the second quarter to five in the final seconds of the half.

Houston took their first lead of the game on a three-pointer by Harden less than two minutes into the second half.

But the Thunder wrested back the advantage and led 93-83 going into the final period.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Leonard leads Spurs to 50th win

HOUSTON — Road-weary and eager to get home, the San Antonio Spurs spoke before Saturday night’s game about the importance of maintaining focus in the finale of their season-long road trip against the Houston Rockets.

They were able to do that, never trailing in a 104-94 win that let them tie the mark as the seventh-fastest team in NBA history to reach 50 wins.

Kawhi Leonard scored 27 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 26 to give San Antonio a 7-1 record on their annual “Rodeo Road Trip” that coincides with the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo. They also extended their NBA record of straight 50-win seasons to 17.

“This game is always very mental because it’s the last game on the road and everybody can’t wait to get home,” Tony Parker said. “This was a great win. Everybody was very focused.”

It was the fifth straight win for the Spurs (50-9), who have a double-digit lead in the Southwest Division and the second-best record in the NBA behind Golden State.

The Spurs showed no signs of fatigue despite wrapping up the long road stretch as they never trailed and held a double-digit lead for most of the night.

“Our guys played well and stayed locked in the whole trip,” Aldridge said. “I think everybody was motivated to finish the trip off right.”

San Antonio led by 31 points in the second half, but Houston slowly chipped away at the lead. James Harden and Jason Terry both made a 3-pointer to power a 6-2 run that made it 94-83 with less than four minutes left.

The Spurs slowed Houston down after that by intentionally fouling Dwight Howard, and Leonard and Aldridge both added baskets to secure the victory.

Harden led the Rockets with 27 points, but shot just 10 for 25 from the field.

“We got our shots, we just didn’t knock them down,” Harden said. “We played with some aggressiveness in the second half, but it was a little bit too late.”

Houston used a big run at the end of the third quarter to whittle down the lead, and scored the first six points of the fourth to pull to 76-63. San Antonio got back on track after that, scoring the next six points to make it 82-63 with nine minutes left.

The Spurs were up by 20 at halftime and used an 11-2 run to open the second half and extend the lead to 62-33 with eight minutes left in the third quarter. Houston missed seven shots and had a turnover to help San Antonio pad the lead.

Aldridge made four straight points to extend San Antonio’s lead to a game-high 31 points with about five minutes left in the third quarter. Houston scored the next eight points to get the Rockets to 71-48.

David West made a basket for San Antonio after that before the Rockets wrapped up the quarter with a 9-3 run to cut the lead to 76-57 entering the fourth.

The Spurs were up by 15 at the end of the first quarter and used an 8-2 run to open the second and push their lead to 34-13.

Houston used a 9-2 spurt later in the second to pull to 38-27, but San Antonio outscored the Rockets 13-4 over the rest of the quarter to take a 51-31 lead into halftime.

TIP-INS

Spurs: San Antonio hasn’t played at home since Feb. 6. … Parker finished with 15 points. … Aldridge had 16 rebounds.

Rockets: C Clint Capela missed his second games in a row with a sprained right foot. … F Josh Smith started for the fourth straight game. … Trevor Ariza made two 3-pointers to extend his streak with at least one 3 to 29 games, the longest streak by a Rockets player since 39 in a row by Aaron Brooks in the 2009-10 season.

DUNCAN’S MILESTONES

Tim Duncan blocked a shot by Harden in the first quarter to make him the fifth player in NBA history to reach 3,000 blocks. He also had six rebounds on Saturday night to give him 14,971 in his career, passing Karl Malone (14,968) for sixth place in league history.

“Unbelievable career and 3,000 blocks, that’s a lot,” Parker said. “That’s a lot of great defense and Timmy’s been maybe one of the best defenders ever in the NBA.”

HE’S BACK

Houston forward Donatas Motiejunas, who has been sidelined by a back injury, returned for the first time since Dec. 31. Motiejunas, who rejoined the Rockets earlier this week when a trade to the Pistons involving multiple players was rescinded because of a failed physical by one of the players, had two points and a rebound.

source: sports.inquirer.net