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Rockets rally to stay in playoff hunt
Source: Agencies |
March 17, 2010, Wednesday
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DON'T tell the Houston Rockets they are out of the playoff picture just yet.
Aaron Brooks hit a jumper with 2.9 seconds left and scored 31 points to help the Rockets rally for a 125-123 victory over Denver on Monday night in Houston, snapping the Nuggets' six-game winning streak.
Carmelo Anthony scored 45 points for the Nuggets, but missed a 3-point try at the buzzer. Luis Scola grabbed the final rebound and finished with 23 points and 11 boards.
Houston, now five games behind Portland in the race for the last Western Conference playoff spot, has won three in a row for the first time since mid-December.
"We don't have much room for error," said Scola, who was coming off a career-high, 44-point game. "It's only like a month away, the end of the season, so we need to win games."
Scola converted a key three-point play with 41 seconds remaining to put Houston ahead 122-121.
Brooks split two free throws before Anthony drove past Shane Battier for a layup to tie it at 123. Brooks then dribbled around Anthony Carterand hit the go-ahead shot from the right of the free throw line.
"I wanted to get some space first," Brooks said. "I knew it wasn't going to be all the way to the rim. I thought it would probably be a floater before I got to the rim. I tried to get open and get a shot off."
Kevin Martin scored 29 points for Houston. Chauncey Billups added 17 points for the Nuggets.
The Nuggets led 104-93 with 10 minutes left in the game after trailing by as much as 16 in the first half. Battier's corner 3 with 8:05 left capped a 7-0 spurt to draw the Rockets within four.
Anthony was concerned with how the Nuggets played down the stretch.
"I don't think we'll be able to get away with that, come playoff time," he said. "That's something that's fixable and we need to do it quick."
In other games, it was: Celtics 119, Pistons 93; Knicks 94, 76ers 84; Jazz 112, Wizards 89; Lakers 124, Warriors 121; and Hornets 108, Clippers 100.
In Boston, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Michael Finley scored 15 points apiece, and Kevin Garnett had 14 points and eight rebounds to help the Boston Celtics coast to a 119-93 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Boston rested its starters in the fourth quarter while beating a non-contender for the second straight home game.
In Oakland, Kobe Bryant scored 29 points and Pau Gasol added 26 as the Los Angeles Lakers won.
Aaron Brooks hit a jumper with 2.9 seconds left and scored 31 points to help the Rockets rally for a 125-123 victory over Denver on Monday night in Houston, snapping the Nuggets' six-game winning streak.
Carmelo Anthony scored 45 points for the Nuggets, but missed a 3-point try at the buzzer. Luis Scola grabbed the final rebound and finished with 23 points and 11 boards.
Houston, now five games behind Portland in the race for the last Western Conference playoff spot, has won three in a row for the first time since mid-December.
"We don't have much room for error," said Scola, who was coming off a career-high, 44-point game. "It's only like a month away, the end of the season, so we need to win games."
Scola converted a key three-point play with 41 seconds remaining to put Houston ahead 122-121.
Brooks split two free throws before Anthony drove past Shane Battier for a layup to tie it at 123. Brooks then dribbled around Anthony Carterand hit the go-ahead shot from the right of the free throw line.
"I wanted to get some space first," Brooks said. "I knew it wasn't going to be all the way to the rim. I thought it would probably be a floater before I got to the rim. I tried to get open and get a shot off."
Kevin Martin scored 29 points for Houston. Chauncey Billups added 17 points for the Nuggets.
The Nuggets led 104-93 with 10 minutes left in the game after trailing by as much as 16 in the first half. Battier's corner 3 with 8:05 left capped a 7-0 spurt to draw the Rockets within four.
Anthony was concerned with how the Nuggets played down the stretch.
"I don't think we'll be able to get away with that, come playoff time," he said. "That's something that's fixable and we need to do it quick."
In other games, it was: Celtics 119, Pistons 93; Knicks 94, 76ers 84; Jazz 112, Wizards 89; Lakers 124, Warriors 121; and Hornets 108, Clippers 100.
In Boston, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Michael Finley scored 15 points apiece, and Kevin Garnett had 14 points and eight rebounds to help the Boston Celtics coast to a 119-93 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Boston rested its starters in the fourth quarter while beating a non-contender for the second straight home game.
In Oakland, Kobe Bryant scored 29 points and Pau Gasol added 26 as the Los Angeles Lakers won.
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