GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NBA: HOUSTON (7-7) at LA CLIPPERS (6-6)

NBA: HOUSTON at LA CLIPPERS

<div class="pre">NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
HOUSTON 21 19 19 29 88
LA CLIPPERS 24 15 19 13 71 FINAL

HIGH SCORERS: HOU - TRACY MCGRADY 36, RAFER ALSTON 17, YAO
MING 14
LAC - CHRIS KAMAN 22, COREY MAGGETTE 21, TIM
THOMAS 15</div>

 

NBA: HOUSTON at LA CLIPPERS

<div class="pre">** CONFIRMED **
NBA
HOUSTON 88
LA CLIPPERS 71 FINAL</div>

 

By John Reger
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer


LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- After a fast start to the season, theHouston Rockets quickly fell off. However, a pair of blowoutwins seem to have them back on track.


Tracy McGrady scored 36 points and Rafer Alston added 17 as theRockets used a huge fourth quarter to down the Los AngelesClippers, 88-71, on Monday.


Houston won six of its first seven games of the season, but lostsix straight to fall under .500 for the first time this season.But with a 109-81 home win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturdayand this victory, the Rockets appear to be regaining their formfrom early November.


McGrady had just eight points in the first half but went on atear in the second half, including 19 in the final quarter asthe Rockets went on a fourth period-opening 22-5 run to turn aone-point lead into an 81-63 advantage.


Yao Ming, hampered by early foul trouble, still managed to score14 points and grab eight rebounds for Houston.


Center Chris Kaman, who is the only Clipper to start every gameso far this season, had 18 points in the first half and finishedwith 22 points and 13 rebounds.


Both guard Brevin Knight and forward Corey Maggette came back inreserve roles for Los Angeles after missing multiple games dueto injury. They were needed when guard Sam Cassell went down at8:18 of the first quarter after straining his left calf.

He did not return to the game and the team was uncertain aboutthe extent of the injury.

 

NBA: HOUSTON at LA CLIPPERS

<div class="pre">HOUSTON (88) AT LA CLIPPERS (71)

HOUSTON

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

S BATTIER F 31:08 1-7 0-0 1 3 4 0 4 1 1 3
C HAYES F 24:14 1-1 1-1 2 5 7 1 5 0 1 3
Y MING C 36:58 5-11 4-5 1 7 8 2 4 1 6 14
T MCGRADY G 41:58 13-26 8-8 0 8 8 6 2 1 4 36
R ALSTON G 40:05 7-14 0-0 0 5 5 9 3 1 1 17
D MUTOMBO 8:45 0-0 0-0 1 3 4 0 1 0 2 0
B WELLS 17:28 2-5 0-0 0 3 3 0 1 0 2 4
L SCOLA 23:57 1-2 4-4 2 6 8 0 0 1 0 6
S FRANCIS 7:55 0-1 2-2 1 1 2 2 0 1 0 2
M JAMES 7:32 1-4 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 3
K SNYDER DNP - COACH'S DECISION
L HEAD DNP - COACH'S DECISION

TOTALS 240:00 31-71 19-20 8 41 49 21 20 7 18 88
(.437) (.950) TEAM REBS: 3 TOTAL TO: 18 (16 PTS)

LA CLIPPERS

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

T THOMAS F 42:21 5-14 2-4 1 5 6 2 2 2 0 15
A WILLIAMS F 14:54 0-1 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 1 0 0
C KAMAN C 44:14 7-20 8-10 4 9 13 1 4 1 7 22
Q ROSS G 16:17 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 2 1 1 0 0
S CASSELL G 3:42 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2
D DICKAU 30:57 2-9 1-3 0 1 1 2 1 1 3 5
C MOBLEY 34:56 2-7 0-0 1 2 3 1 2 1 1 4
C MAGGETTE 29:24 7-13 7-8 1 4 5 3 3 2 1 21
B KNIGHT 13:21 0-6 0-0 2 2 4 1 2 0 1 0
R PATTERSON 9:54 1-3 0-0 0 2 2 0 4 1 1 2
P DAVIS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
A THORNTON DNP - COACH'S DECISION

TOTALS 240:00 25-76 18-25 9 28 37 12 20 10 14 71
(.329) (.720) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 14 (12 PTS)

HOUSTON 21 19 19 29 - 88
LA CLIPPERS 24 15 19 13 - 71

BLOCKED SHOTS: HOUSTON - T MCGRADY, S BATTIER, Y MING. LA CLIPPERS -
R PATTERSON.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: HOUSTON 7-22 (.318), S BATTIER 1-6, T MCGRADY 2-
5, R ALSTON 3-7, B WELLS 0-1, S FRANCIS 0-1, M JAMES 1-2. LA CLIPPERS 3-
12 (.250), T THOMAS 3-9, D DICKAU 0-1, C MOBLEY 0-1, C MAGGETTE 0-
1.
TECHNICAL FOULS: HOUSTON - D MUTOMBO, DELAY OF GAME.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: BENNY ADAMS, JIM CLARK, MATT BOLAND.
A - 15,452. T - 2:14.</div>

 

NBA: HOUSTON at LA CLIPPERS

<div class="pre">HOUSTON (88)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
S Battier 31:08 1-7 0-0 1-4 0 4 3
C Hayes 24:14 1-1 1-1 2-7 1 5 3
Y Ming 36:58 5-11 4-5 1-8 2 4 14
T McGrady 41:58 13-26 8-8 0-8 6 2 36
R Alston 40:05 7-14 0-0 0-5 9 3 17
D Mutombo 8:45 0-0 0-0 1-4 0 1 0
B Wells 17:28 2-5 0-0 0-3 0 1 4
L Scola 23:57 1-2 4-4 2-8 0 0 6
S Francis 7:55 0-1 2-2 1-2 2 0 2
M James 7:32 1-4 0-0 0-0 1 0 3
K Snyder DNP - COACH'S DECISION
L Head DNP - COACH'S DECISION

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 31-71 19-20 8-49 21 20 88
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.437, FT-.950. 3-Point Goals:
7-22, .318 (S Battier 1-6, T McGrady 2-5, R
Alston 3-7, B Wells 0-1, S Francis 0-1, M
James 1-2). Team Rebounds: 3. Blocked Shots:3
(T McGrady, S Battier, Y Ming). Turnovers:18
(Y Ming 6, T McGrady 4, D Mutombo 2, B Wells
2, R Alston, S Battier, M James, C Hayes).
Steals: 7 (T McGrady, S Francis, R Alston, S
Battier, M James, L Scola, Y Ming).


LA CLIPPERS (71)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
T Thomas 42:21 5-14 2-4 1-6 2 2 15
A Williams 14:54 0-1 0-0 0-2 0 0 0
C Kaman 44:14 7-20 8-10 4-13 1 4 22
Q Ross 16:17 0-2 0-0 0-1 2 1 0
S Cassell 3:42 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 2
D Dickau 30:57 2-9 1-3 0-1 2 1 5
C Mobley 34:56 2-7 0-0 1-3 1 2 4
C Maggette 29:24 7-13 7-8 1-5 3 3 21
B Knight 13:21 0-6 0-0 2-4 1 2 0
R Patterson 9:54 1-3 0-0 0-2 0 4 2
P Davis DNP - COACH'S DECISION
A Thornton DNP - COACH'S DECISION

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 25-76 18-25 9-37 12 20 71
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.329, FT-.720. 3-Point Goals:
3-12, .250 (T Thomas 3-9, D Dickau 0-1, C
Mobley 0-1, C Maggette 0-1). Team Rebounds:
9. Blocked Shots:1 (R Patterson).
Turnovers:14 (C Kaman 7, D Dickau 3, B
Knight, C Mobley, R Patterson, C Maggette).
Steals: 10 (T Thomas 2, C Maggette 2, A
Williams, Q Ross, C Kaman, D Dickau, C
Mobley, R Patterson).

-------------------------------------------
HOUSTON 21 19 19 29 - 88
LA CLIPPERS 24 15 19 13 - 71
-------------------------------------------

Technical fouls: Houston - 2 (D Mutombo, 1:17
1st; Delay Of Game, 4:31 4th).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 15,452. T: 2:14.
Officials: Benny Adams, Jim Clark, Matt
Boland.</div>

 

By John Reger
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer


LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- After a fast start to the season, theHouston Rockets quickly fell off. However, a pair of blowoutwins seem to have them back on track.


Tracy McGrady scored 36 points and Rafer Alston added 17 as theRockets used a huge fourth quarter to down the Los AngelesClippers, 88-71, on Monday.


Houston won six of its first seven games of the season, but lostsix straight to fall under .500 for the first time this season.But with a 109-81 home win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturdayand this victory, the Rockets appear to be regaining their formfrom early November.


"It was obviously a great win to get starting out a four-gametrip," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "The first one isalways important."


McGrady suggested that the team slipped into some old bad habitsduring the losing streak.


"We kind of got away from what we all worked on in trainingcamp," McGrady said. "We went back to the way we played lastyear. Slowing the ball down and just trying to pound the ballon the inside. That was not how we played when we were 6-1."

McGrady had just eight points in the first half but went on atear in the second half, including 19 in the final quarter asthe Rockets went on a fourth period-opening 22-5 run to turn aone-point lead into an 81-63 advantage.


"We struggled during certain stages in the third quarter, butTracy McGrady just took it up another notch and took the gameover," Adelman said.


"I saw gaps in their defense," McGrady said. "First half, I wasnot very aggressive. I was not looking for the ball. I triedto get other guys involved and let the offense flow. It was aclose game at halftime, so at the (start of the) third quarter,I wanted to come out and assert myself offensively."

Yao Ming, hampered by early foul trouble, still managed to score14 points and grab eight rebounds for Houston.


Center Chris Kaman, who is the only Clipper to start every gameso far this season, had 18 points in the first half and finishedwith 22 points and 13 rebounds.


Both guard Brevin Knight and forward Corey Maggette came back inreserve roles for Los Angeles after missing multiple games dueto injury. They were needed when guard Sam Cassell went down at8:18 of the first quarter after straining his left calf.

He did not return to the game and the team was uncertain aboutthe extent of the injury.


"It's an on-going battle," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said."There's not much to say about it except it's just one guy getshealthy, another gets hurt."

 

By John Reger
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer


LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- After a fast start to the season, theHouston Rockets quickly fell off. However, a pair of blowoutwins seem to have them back on track.


Tracy McGrady scored 36 points and Rafer Alston added 17 as theRockets used a huge fourth quarter to down the Los AngelesClippers, 88-71, on Monday.


Houston won six of its first seven games of the season, but lostsix straight to fall under .500 for the first time this season.But with a 109-81 home win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturdayand this victory, the Rockets appear to be regaining their formfrom early November.


"It was obviously a great win to get starting out a four-gametrip," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "The first one isalways important."


McGrady suggested that the team slipped into some old bad habitsduring the losing streak.


"We kind of got away from what we all worked on in trainingcamp," McGrady said. "We went back to the way we played lastyear. Slowing the ball down and just trying to pound the ballon the inside. That was not how we played when we were 6-1."

McGrady had just eight points in the first half but went on atear in the second half, including 19 in the final quarter asthe Rockets went on a fourth period-opening 22-5 run to turn aone-point lead into an 81-63 advantage.


"We struggled during certain stages in the third quarter, butTracy McGrady just took it up another notch and took the gameover," Adelman said.


"I saw gaps in their defense," McGrady said. "First half, I wasnot very aggressive. I was not looking for the ball. I triedto get other guys involved and let the offense flow. It was aclose game at halftime, so at the (start of the) third quarter,I wanted to come out and assert myself offensively."

Yao Ming, hampered by early foul trouble, still managed to score14 points and grab eight rebounds for Houston.


Center Chris Kaman, who is the only Clipper to start every gameso far this season, had 18 points in the first half and finishedwith 22 points and 13 rebounds.


Both guard Brevin Knight and forward Corey Maggette came back inreserve roles for Los Angeles after missing multiple games dueto injury. They were needed when guard Sam Cassell went down at8:18 of the first quarter after straining his left calf.

He did not return to the game and the team was uncertain aboutthe extent of the injury.


"It's an on-going battle," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said."There's not much to say about it except it's just one guy getshealthy, another gets hurt."