SB Nation Houston - Rockets Hold On, Beat Thunder 99-98https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46691/houston-fave.png2010-11-29T04:59:17-06:00http://houston.sbnation.com/rss/stream/16049542010-11-29T04:59:17-06:002010-11-29T04:59:17-06:00Rockets Get Back On Winning Track Against 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>Houston, TX (<a href="http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=nba/scores/final/recap.aspx?id=13594" target="new">Sports Network</a>) – <span>Kevin Martin</span> scored 23 points, <span>Shane Battier</span> had 18 and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Houston Rockets</a> held on for a 99-98 victory over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a>.</p>
<p><span>Kevin Durant</span> missed a jump shot at the buzzer that could have won the game for Oklahoma City.</p>
<p><span>Kyle Lowry</span> scored 14 points and <span>Luis Scola</span> added 13 for the Rockets, who have won two of three on the heels of a four-game losing streak.</p>
<p><span>Russell Westbrook</span> led the Thunder with 23 points and a game-high 10 assists, while Durant scored 18. Oklahoma City lost for just the second time in eight games.</p>
<p>The Thunder trailed by six with a minute remaining in the game when Durant, double-teamed down low, kicked the ball out to <span>Jeff Green</span> for a three-pointer that pulled them within 99-96.</p>
<p>Battier missed a jumper at the other end and Oklahoma City got within a point on Westbrook’s bucket inside 30 seconds.</p>
<p>After Lowry missed a 17-footer, <span>Thabo Sefolosha</span> grabbed the rebound for Oklahoma City with 3.1 seconds remaining.</p>
<p>Durant received the inbounds pass near the top of the key after a timeout and, with Battier in his face, missed from about 20 feet at the buzzer, ending the game and the Thunder’s five-game winning streak on the road.</p>
<p>“If he had a chance to do that over again, he would have made it,” said Thunder head coach <span>Scott Brooks</span>.</p>
<p>Durant, who was 7-of-18 from the field, credited Battier’s defense, but was frustrated that he didn’t hit the shot anyway.</p>
<p>“That was one of the plays you wish you could have back,” he said.</p>
<p>The Rockets controlled the action early in front of a home Toyota Center crowd, going ahead by as many as 10 points on the way to a 33-25 lead at the end of the first quarter.</p>
<p>Their lead reached as high as 12 in the second quarter and was 50-42 at halftime behind 13 points from Martin. Houston carried a 77-71 advantage into the fourth.</p>
<p>Game Notes</p>
<p>The Thunder franchise has lost 11 consecutive games in Houston…The Rockets have won 21 of the last 25 meetings…Oklahoma City shot 49 percent in the game and Houston 45 percent.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/houston-rockets/2010/11/29/1841805/rockets-get-back-on-winning-track-against-thunderRivers McCown2010-11-28T16:55:52-06:002010-11-28T16:55:52-06:00Rockets Try To Get An Undefeated Day For Houston Against 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=13594">Sports Network</a>) - The <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> will try to extend their road winning streak to six games when they pay a visit to the <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Houston Rockets</a> tonight at the Toyota Center.</p>
<p>The Thunder are 6-1 away from home this season and have won six of seven games overall, including Friday's hard-fought 110-106 overtime victory at Indiana. <span>Russell Westbrook</span> scored a career-high 43 points and also collected eight rebounds and eight assists, while fellow young star and reigning NBA scoring champion <span>Kevin Durant</span> notched 25 points.</p>
<p>Westbrook recorded 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the fourth quarter and finished 17-of-18 from the foul line. The Durant-Westbrook tandem is currently the highest scoring duo in the league, averaging 51.9 points per game.</p>
<p>"KD and Jeff (Green) started off a little slow, and some nights I've got to be able to figure out a way I can help my team pull out the victory," Westbrook said. "Today I was just trying to start from the paint and work my way out."</p>
<p>Green finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Thunder, who rallied from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter and are 11-5 on the season. <span>Thabo Sefolosha</span> posted his second double-double in the last three contests with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Green (ankle) and center <span>Nenad Krstic</span> (back) are both listed as questionable for tonight.</p>
<p>Houston has lost five of six games and suffered a 99-89 road defeat at the hands of the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/charlotte-bobcats" class="sbn-auto-link">Charlotte Bobcats</a> on Friday.</p>
<p><span>Chase Budinger</span> led the Rockets with 19 points and <span>Kevin Martin</span> added 16 in a losing cause. <span>Luis Scola</span> chipped in 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds for Houston, which blew a 52-45 lead at the break and will aim to build on its 2-4 home record Sunday. Charlotte opened the third quarter on a 15-2 spurt.</p>
<p>"They just jumped on us, We talked about that during halftime...They came out and scored eight straight points, and that set the tone for the rest of the game," Rockets coach <span>Rick Adelman</span> told NBA.com.</p>
<p>According to Adelman, Rockets center <span>Yao Ming</span> (ankle) and guard <span>Aaron Brooks</span> (ankle) will still miss significant time due to injury.</p>
<p>Oklahoma City defeated Houston, 116-99, back on Nov. 17 this season in the OKC, but the Rockets are 20-4 in the previous 24 matchups in this series. The Sonics/Thunder franchise has dropped 10 straight in southeast Texas.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/2010/11/28/2325277/rockets-try-to-get-an-undefeated-day-for-houston-against-thunderRivers McCown