The third and fourth quarter for the Houston Rockets were an extension of the second in that the Rockets easily outscored the Washington Wizards and eventually turned the game into a rout by winning 103-76. The Rockets had four players in double figures and were led in scoring by Chase Budinger who came off the bench to score 21 points in 25 minutes of action. Budinger had not seen action in the last three games but exploded for a season-high 21 points.
The Rockets defense stifled John Wall and the Wizards by holding them to 36 percent shooting from the field and 12 percent from beyond the three-point line.The Rockets only did slightly better by making 42 percent of their shots, but the Rockets were more aggressive and got to the line 30 times compared to the Wizards 16 attempts.
Also contributing to the blowout was that the Wizards turned the ball over 24 times which the Rockets turned into 42 points.
The Houston Rockets are leading the Washington Wizards 44-41 at the half, and they are doing so without the services of Kevin Martin who is out with plantar fasciitis. Courtney Lee replaced Martin in the starting lineup this evening and so far has four points, two rebounds and an assist. The Rockets have spread out the scoring tonight with seven players who have scored tonight with Luis Scola leading the way with nine points.
After a slow first quarter the Rockets trailed the Wizards by four points, but they turned things around as they had a 16-4 run during the middle of the second quarter. Neither team is shooting great as the Rockets are making only 36 percent of their shots compared to 40 percent for the Wizards. The difference so far is due to the Rockets making one more free throw and two more three-point shots.
