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Wood bags 27 points to fuel Rockets win over Spurs
LOS ANGELES, Jan 15, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – The Houston Rockets put this week’s
franchise-altering trade in the rear view mirror on Thursday night as they
kicked off their post-James Harden era with a gutsy comeback NBA win over the
San Antonio Spurs.
Journeyman Christian Wood scored a team high 27 points and had 15 rebounds
for the Rockets in a 109-105 win over the Spurs a day after Houston sent
shockwaves through the NBA when they traded three time league scoring
champion Harden to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a mammoth multi-team deal.
Sterling Brown delivered 23 points and Jae’Sean Tate had 13 points and 10
assists for short-handed Houston, who were coming off back-to-back blowout
losses at home to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Asked what the feeling was like in the Rockets’ dressing room one day after
the blockbuster deal, Wood correlated it to the never give up mindset of the
late Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant.
“We have the Mamba mentality. That means everybody is thinking, everybody
has a lot to prove,” Wood said. “We are all dogs out there. It starts with
DeMarcus (Cousins) to me. Everybody wants to come out and play hard.”
The blockbuster trade came less than 24 hours after the disgruntled Harden
declared that the Rockets were “not even close, honestly” to the league’s top
competition.
Wood is with his sixth team in five NBA seasons since turning pro with the
Philadelphia 76ers in 2015. Houston signed him in November to a three-year
deal after he played 62 games with the Detroit Pistons last season.
“My life long dream is to play in this league,” Wood said. “Me being cut
shows my resilience. I was tired of being cut. I was tired of being waived. I
just had to keep going.
“Every single night I have to come out and think I am the best player.”
Wood made his Rockets’ debut in December, tallying 31 points, 13 rebounds
and three assists in a thrilling 128-126 overtime loss to Portland.
Thursday’s win was just as entertaining as the Rockets held on for the
victory after being outscored 52-45 over the second and third quarters.
Spurs star DeMar DeRozan’s shot as the clock was winding down bounced twice
on the rim before falling harmlessly away to seal the win for the Rockets.
Elsewhere, Chris Boucher matched his career best with 25 points and added
10 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors held off the Charlotte Hornets 111-108.
In Philadelphia, Shake Milton scored a season-high 31 points off the bench,
Tobias Harris added 18 and the Philadelphia 76ers rolled over the depleted
Miami Heat 125-108.
BSS/AFP/GMR/1033 hrs