THE Rockets roared to their 12th consecutive victory when they beat the Chicago Bulls 110-97 in Houston on Sunday.
Tracy McGrady had 24 points and eight assists as the Rockets won their 16th game in their last 17. Yao Ming had 12 points and six rebounds. Their current streak is their longest since their championship season of 1993-94, and the longest active streak in the NBA.
In his first game with the Rockets, point guard Bobby Jackson scored 11 of his 14 points in the second half.
The Bulls kept it close through three quarters, but the Rockets’ hot shooting in the fourth quarter put the game out of reach.
The Rockets were ahead by seven early in the fourth quarter before Jackson, who was traded from New Orleans, scored five straight points for Houston, capped by a nifty off-balance layup and the free throw that followed to make it 84-74.
Three straight 3-pointers by Luther Head, McGrady and Jackson about midway through the fourth quarter made it 92-78.
Houston was ahead 96-84 when Shane Battier made three straight 3-pointers for the Rockets to push the lead to 16 points with about four minutes to play.
The Rockets made a season-high 13 3-pointers and shot 54 percent from long range, also a season best.
Houston led by two midway through the third quarter before three layups by Luis Scola sparked a 9-4 run to push the lead to 61-54 with about 7 1/2 minutes left in the quarter.
A jumper by Kirk Hinrich got Chicago within two points later in the quarter, but 3s by McGrady and Battier helped the Rockets stretch their lead to 74-66 about four minutes later.
The Rockets led 77-68 entering the fourth quarter.
The Bulls got significant playing time from Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes in their first game with Chicago since being traded from Cleveland in the deal that sent Ben Wallace and Joe Smith to the Cavaliers. Cedric Simmons, also acquired in the trade, had two points in about two minutes of play.
The game was tied at 28 in the second quarter when Houston outscored the Bulls 9-2 in a little more than two minutes to take a 37-30 lead with about five minutes left in the quarter.
The Rockets led by five after a 3-pointer by Rafer Alston with 37 seconds left, but a long 3 by Thabo Sefolosha seconds later cut Houston’s halftime lead to 49-46.
The Rockets trailed by five in the first quarter before going on 7-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer by McGrady as the shot clock ran down, to take a 20-18 lead after one.
(SD-Agencies)
THE Rockets roared to their 12th consecutive victory when they beat the Chicago Bulls 110-97 in Houston on Sunday.
Tracy McGrady had 24 points and eight assists as the Rockets won their 16th game in their last 17. Yao Ming had 12 points and six rebounds. Their current streak is their longest since their championship season of 1993-94, and the longest active streak in the NBA.
In his first game with the Rockets, point guard Bobby Jackson scored 11 of his 14 points in the second half.
The Bulls kept it close through three quarters, but the Rockets’ hot shooting in the fourth quarter put the game out of reach.
The Rockets were ahead by seven early in the fourth quarter before Jackson, who was traded from New Orleans, scored five straight points for Houston, capped by a nifty off-balance layup and the free throw that followed to make it 84-74.
Three straight 3-pointers by Luther Head, McGrady and Jackson about midway through the fourth quarter made it 92-78.
Houston was ahead 96-84 when Shane Battier made three straight 3-pointers for the Rockets to push the lead to 16 points with about four minutes to play.
The Rockets made a season-high 13 3-pointers and shot 54 percent from long range, also a season best.
Houston led by two midway through the third quarter before three layups by Luis Scola sparked a 9-4 run to push the lead to 61-54 with about 7 1/2 minutes left in the quarter.
A jumper by Kirk Hinrich got Chicago within two points later in the quarter, but 3s by McGrady and Battier helped the Rockets stretch their lead to 74-66 about four minutes later.
The Rockets led 77-68 entering the fourth quarter.
The Bulls got significant playing time from Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes in their first game with Chicago since being traded from Cleveland in the deal that sent Ben Wallace and Joe Smith to the Cavaliers. Cedric Simmons, also acquired in the trade, had two points in about two minutes of play.
The game was tied at 28 in the second quarter when Houston outscored the Bulls 9-2 in a little more than two minutes to take a 37-30 lead with about five minutes left in the quarter.
The Rockets led by five after a 3-pointer by Rafer Alston with 37 seconds left, but a long 3 by Thabo Sefolosha seconds later cut Houston’s halftime lead to 49-46.
The Rockets trailed by five in the first quarter before going on 7-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer by McGrady as the shot clock ran down, to take a 20-18 lead after one.
(SD-Agencies)
