SB Nation Houston - Rockets Start Road Trip With Loss, Drop To 3-8https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46691/houston-fave.png2010-11-18T01:06:20-06:00http://houston.sbnation.com/rss/stream/15848772010-11-18T01:06:20-06:002010-11-18T01:06:20-06:00Rockets Drop Second Straight, Thunder Win 116-99
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/31pUoLi4JWTyFcdN7Qz5cKCdRMg=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828119/large_houston.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>Oklahoma City, OK (Sports Network) – <span>Russell Westbrook</span> scored 21 points, dished out 12 assists and grabbed six rebounds, as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> handled the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Houston Rockets</a>, 116-99.</p>
<p><span>Kevin Durant</span> added 24 points for the Thunder, who have won two in a row and four of five overall. <span>D.J. White</span> chipped in with 12 points off the bench for Oklahoma City, which got 11 points apiece from <span>Serge Ibaka</span> and <span>Nenad Krstic</span>.</p>
<p>“Well I thought that this was a good win for us and I understand Houston is down a few pieces but I thought we came out and shot the ball well and in the second half I thought we really did a good job defending,” Thunder head coach <span>Scott Brooks</span> said. “It was good to see D.J. (White) get in there and mix it up and have some success, he has worked his tail off for a long time for us.”</p>
<p><span>Luis Scola</span> finished with 26 points and eight rebounds for the Rockets, who have lost two straight games. <span>Kevin Martin</span> tallied 19 points.</p>
<p>The Rockets scored the first points of the game on Scola’s hook shot, but the rest of the game belonged to the Thunder. Krstic capped an ensuing 10-0 run with a layup.</p>
<p>Oklahoma City maintained its margin and took a 28-23 edge into the second quarter.</p>
<p><span>Courtney Lee</span> tied the game at 30-30 with a three-pointer in the early stages of the second. The Thunder responded with a 13-2 run, which Durant capped with a three-point play for a 43-32 lead with under seven minutes remaining.</p>
<p>The home team held a 64-53 margin at the break.</p>
<p>Ahead by nine, 83-74, late in the third, the Thunder went on an 11-3 run to essentially put the game away. White’s slam made it 94-77, but Scola made a jumper to make it a 15-point game heading to the fourth.</p>
<p>Houston never got closer than 14 in the fourth.</p>
<p>“We just didn’t do as well in the first half. They’d kill us on the boards, then we’d turn it over 13 times,” Rockets head coach <span>Rick Adelman</span> said. “Along with those two things, I don’t know what they had. They had about 18 more shots than we did in the first half. You know, it’s almost 30 points off those two situations. We don’t have the margin of error to have that happen, and expect to win.”</p>
<p>Game Notes</p>
<p>The Rockets took three of four meetings with Oklahoma City a year ago and have won 20 of the last 24 contests in this series…Houston forward <span>Chase Budinger</span> (left ankle) missed the game…The Thunder were without forward <span>Jeff Green</span> (left ankle)…Oklahoma City shot 50 percent from the field, while the Rockets made 46.8 percent of their shots.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/houston-rockets/2010/11/18/1821503/nba-houston-rockets-lose-thunder-win-116-99-two-game-losing-streak-recapAlex Cohn2010-11-17T18:07:16-06:002010-11-17T18:07:16-06:00Rockets Start Two Game Roadie With Thunder
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/31pUoLi4JWTyFcdN7Qz5cKCdRMg=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828119/large_houston.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>(<a target="_blank" href="http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=nba/scores/live/preview.aspx?id=13377">Sports Network</a>) - The <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Houston Rockets</a> have bullied the Oklahoma City/Seattle franchise for quite some time and look to continue that trend when they visit the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Thunder</a> tonight in the opener of a brief road trip.</p>
<p>The Rockets will also touch down in Toronto on Friday and are 2-4 away from home this season. They took three of four meetings with Oklahoma City a year ago and have won 20 of the last 23 contests in this series. The Rockets are also 10-2 in the previous 12 road matchups with the Thunder, who put the brakes on a 13-game slide to Houston with a win at home on March 24, 2010.</p>
<p>Houston is 3-2 since beginning the season with five straight losses and had a two-game winning streak stopped with Tuesday's 95-92 loss to the visiting <a href="https://www.blogabull.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chicago Bulls</a>. Chicago scored 18 unanswered points at one moment late in the game and got 33 points from <span>Derrick Rose</span>.</p>
<p>"[Rose] had an unbelievable stretch," said Rockets guard <span>Kevin Martin</span>, who scored 18 points in the loss. "You want him taking three-pointers and you've just got to live and die by it, and we died by it in the beginning of the fourth quarter. You get up on him, and he goes right by you. We were frustrated about that."</p>
<p><span>Luis Scola</span> had 27 points and five rebounds, while <span>Brad Miller</span> had 21 points for Houston, which shot 47.9 percent from the floor. The Rockets have been playing without <span>Yao Ming</span> (ankle) and <span>Aaron Brooks</span> (ankle) due to injury.</p>
<p>Oklahoma City is back home after cooling off the <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Utah Jazz</a> in Salt Lake City with a 115-108 win on Monday night. Superstar <span>Kevin Durant</span> led the charge with 30 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Thunder, winners in four of their last six games.</p>
<p><span>Serge Ibaka</span> recorded a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while <span>Russell Westbrook</span> added 22 points to go with seven assists in the win. The Thunder have averaged 109.5 points and shot 49.8 percent from the floor in their previous four contests.</p>
<p>"We beat a very good team, a team that is playing their best basketball in the league right now. They are a tough team to play. They challenge you, and we came away with a great effort and came away with a win tonight," said Thunder head coach <span>Scott Brooks</span>.</p>
<p>Forward <span>Jeff Green</span> is questionable for tonight's game with a sprained left ankle and has missed four of the past five games.</p>
<p>The Thunder are 3-3 as the host this season.</p>
<p>Watch the game live with your fellow Rockets fans at <a href="http://www.thedreamshake.com">The Dream Shake</a>.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/2010/11/17/2324585/rockets-start-two-game-roadie-with-thunderRivers McCown