SB Nation Houston - Rockets Fall To Denver 113-106https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46691/houston-fave.png2011-01-04T00:57:19-06:00http://houston.sbnation.com/rss/stream/16758832011-01-04T00:57:19-06:002011-01-04T00:57:19-06:00Carmelo Anthony Drops 33 As Rockets Drop Second In A Row
<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>Denver, CO (Sports Network) – <span>Carmelo Anthony</span> finished with 33 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Denver Nuggets</a> topped the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Houston Rockets</a> 113-106 at Pepsi Center.</p>
<p>Nene notched a double-double with 16 points and 11 boards and <span>Arron Afflalo</span> added 15 points in the win, giving head coach <span>George Karl</span> his 298th career victory with the Nuggets.</p>
<p><span>Chauncey Billups</span> scored 13 and <span>Kenyon Martin</span> rounded out the starting five with 11 points and six rebounds for Denver, which has won four straight.</p>
<p><span>Luis Scola</span> led Houston with 24 points. <span>Kyle Lowry</span> contributed 21 points and <span>Chase Budinger</span> scored 13 in a reserve role for the Rockets, who have dropped three of four.</p>
<p>The game stayed close in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, but after two Anthony free throws and a Nene three-point play, the Denver advantage was eight, 103-95, with 3:09 remaining.</p>
<p>Scola then added a jumper and Anthony responded with two from the line. Denver’s lead hit a game-high 10 on two Nene free throws with 2:22 remaining.</p>
<p>The teams traded shots down the stretch, but the Denver advantage never fell below five.</p>
<p>“They closed the game better than us,” said Scola. “It was an even match until that point.”</p>
<p>Anthony shot just 10-of-25 from the floor and did a lot of his damage at the foul line, hitting 13 of his 14 free throws. Karl said a lot factored into his star’s good night.</p>
<p>“I thought he was the hardest guy to cover on the court,” Karl said.</p>
<p>Denver led 25-21 after the first, but the Rockets rallied to tie the game, 52-52, at halftime. The teams were knotted at 81 after a tight third quarter.</p>
<p>Game Notes</p>
<p>Denver played without <span>Al Harrington</span>, who missed his fourth straight game with a dislocated right thumb…The Nuggets have won four of their last five with the Rockets, including a 107-94 win in Houston on October 30…Denver scored 46 of its points in the paint…<span>Ty Lawson</span> scored 12 points in a reserve role for Denver…<span>Courtney Lee</span> and <span>Brad Miller</span> scored 12 and 10 points, respectively, for Houston…The Rockets dished out 27 assists.</p>
<p>For more, check out <a href="http://www.thedreamshake.com" target="new">The Dream Shake</a>.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/houston-rockets/2011/1/4/1912732/carmelo-anthony-drops-33-on-spiraling-rocketsRivers McCown2011-01-03T15:54:46-06:002011-01-03T15:54:46-06:00Rockets Look To Break Even On Mini-Road Trip In Denver
<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>(Sports Network) - The <a href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Denver Nuggets</a> will shoot for their fourth straight win tonight when they entertain the <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Houston Rockets</a> at Pepsi Center.</p>
<p>The Nuggets won the opener of a brief two-game homestand Saturday when <span>Carmelo Anthony</span> returned to the lineup with a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds as Denver upended woeful Sacramento, 104-86.</p>
<p><span>Chauncey Billups</span> collected a game-high 22 points for the Nuggets, who have won all three contests in their run by 15 points-or-more. <span>J.R. Smith</span> scored 17 off the bench and Nene chipped in with 16 points and 14 rebounds.</p>
<p>"I'm just feeling a lot better," Billups told the Nuggets' website. "I'm a lot healthier now. It's a long season. I just believe in the law of averages."</p>
<p>Anthony, of course, had missed the previous five games in the wake of his sister's death before returning to practice last Friday. The All-Star played 30 minutes against the <a href="https://www.sactownroyalty.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Kings</a>, hitting just six of his 22 shots.</p>
<p>"I just couldn't bury a shot tonight. I couldn't find a rhythm," Anthony said. "My legs weren't there, but I'm glad I got this one out of my system."</p>
<p>On the injury front for the Nuggets, forward <span>Al Harrington</span>, who has missed the past three games with a dislocated right thumb, could return tonight.</p>
<p>Denver hasn't won four straight games by at least 15 points since Nov. 12-20, 2007.</p>
<p>The Rockets, meanwhile, were routed in the opener of a quick two-game road trip in Portland on Sunday. <span>LaMarcus Aldridge</span> had a double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds in that one as the <a href="https://www.blazersedge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Trail Blazers</a> earned their eighth straight home win with a 100-85 victory over Houston.</p>
<p><span>Kevin Martin</span> scored 15 points to lead the Rockets, who lost for the second time in three games on the heels of a five-game winning streak. <span>Courtney Lee</span> added 12 points in the setback.</p>
<p>"We were stuck behind all night. We weren't ready to play," said Rockets head coach <span>Rick Adelman</span>.</p>
<p>Denver has won three of its last four meetings with the Rockets, including a 107-94 win in Houston back on Oct. 30.</p>
<p>For more on the Rockets, check out <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thedreamshake.com">The Dream Shake</a>.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/2011/1/3/2327434/rockets-look-to-break-even-on-mini-road-trip-in-denverRivers McCown