ZCZC
BSP-09
BASKET-NBA-WRAP
Rockets nab long-range record in win, Raptors rally
LOS ANGELES, Dec 20, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – The Houston Rockets set an NBA
single-game record with 26 three-pointers Wednesday in a 136-118 rout of the
Washington Wizards.
The crowd at Houston’s Toyota Center was chanting “One more three! One more
three!” when Michael Carter-Williams drained the record-breaker from beyond
the arc with 31.1 seconds remaining and victory assured.
Gary Clark’s three-pointer with 2:42 to play had tied the previous mark of
25 set by the Cleveland Cavaliers against Atlanta in March 2017.
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player James Harden had six three-pointers on
the way to 35 points. Chris Paul added five from beyond the arc and Gerald
Green and Eric Gordon made four apiece as the Rockets — who endured a rough
start to the season — got back to their free-wheeling ways in a fifth
straight victory.
“We’re just playing better,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “When you
have the right spirit, you’re doing the right things, hustling, stuff falls
in. If you don’t, you don’t make them.
“Our energy is right the last five games. We’ve just got to keep it there.”
Things were a lot tighter in Toronto, where Fred VanVleet drained the go-
ahead three-pointer with 26.4 seconds left as the Raptors erased a 17-point
second-half deficit to improve their NBA-leading record with a 99-96 victory
over the Indiana Pacers.
Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points and Pascal Siakam added 17 for the Raptors,
who had lost two straight but avoided a second three-game losing streak this
season.
VanVleet scored nine of his 11 points in the final quarter as the Raptors
again overcame the absence of point guard Kyle Lowry, who missed his third
straight game with a left thigh injury.
Down by 17 with less than six minutes left in the third period, the Raptors
trailed by 13 early in the fourth.
Siakam knotted the score at 92-92 with a layup with 4:12 remaining. Victor
Oladipo’s jump shot put the Pacers in front again with 1:36 to go, but
VanVleet’s three pointer put Toronto up 97-96.
MORE/MR/ 1050 hrs
ZCZC
BSP-10
BASKET-NBA-WRAP-TWO-LAST
Green then forced a jump ball in the waning seconds, finally clinching the
win with two free throws.
“To be honest, I was really disappointed with how we were playing,” Toronto
coach Nick Nurse admitted. “In the end we finally started guarding. We told
them to stay with it … keep eating into them and hang in there and we might
be able to pull it out.”
– Suns shining –
The Phoenix Suns’ surge continued with a 111-103 victory over the Celtics
in Boston.
Devin Booker scored 25 points with eight assists a steal and two blocked
shots for Phoenix. Rookie Deandre Ayton added 23 points and 18 rebounds for
the Suns, who are last in the West but have now won four straight.
In Orlando, LaMarcus Aldridge scored 20 points to lead five San Antonio
players in double figures in the Spurs’ 129-90 victory over the Magic.
San Antonio connected on 12 of 19 shots from three-point range as they
notched their sixth win in seven games.
San Antonio led 104-77 through three quarters, and the Magic, playing
without leading scorer and rebounder Nikola Vucevic, never got a look in.
Vucevic missed the game to be with his wife and baby son, who was born on
Monday.
In Philadelphia, Ben Simmons’ triple-double of 13 points, 10 assists and 11
rebounds helped the 76ers to a much-needed 131-109 victory over the New York
Knicks.
The Sixers, who had lost three of their last four, converted 15 of 30
three-point attempts in a convincing victory.
Joel Embiid led Philadelphia with 24 points and also pulled down 10
rebounds for his 28th double-double of the season, while four-time All-Star
Jimmy Butler added 20 points with four rebounds, four assists and three
steals.
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1050 hrs