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Saturday, Dec. 11 8:00pm ET
Rockets struggle while Nets recover | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The banged-up Houston Rockets were just what the New Jersey Nets needed after their most embarrassing loss of a dreadful season. Stephon Marbury and Kerry Kittles scored all the points in a 14-4 spurt to end the first quarter and the Nets rebounded from a loss to Chicago and posted a 106-94 victory over the Rockets on Saturday night. The win was the Nets third in four games but it also came 24 hours after a 71-69 loss gave the Bulls only their second win of the season. That made this game an almost must win, considering Houston's injury problems. Hakeem Olajuwon is on the injured list and Charles Barkley is out for the season with a knee injury. "We needed this very much because we lost to the worst team in the league last night," said Kendall Gill, one of six Nets in doubles figures with 17 points. "If we would have lost tonight it would have been bad because this team is not 100 percent. "Olajuwon wasn't there. Neither was Barkley. We were basically playing a wounded animal and we needed to put them away, which we did," Gill added. Keith Van Horn led the Nets with 21 points, while Sherman Douglas had a season high 15 and Marbury and Jamie Feick 14 apiece. Feick also had 14 rebounds. "We played good ball, we dictated the game," said Kittles, who finished with 16. "We did what we wanted to do. It was important for us. We got everybody involved." Rookie Bryce Drew and Cuttino Mobley had 18 apiece for the Rockets, while big backup center Thomas Hamilton had a season-high 12 points and a career high 11 rebounds. "You play mentally and physically soft and you get your butt kicked, that's what happened," said Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich, who showed more fire than his players picking up a technical in the fourth quarter. "We have been in every game this year and our response should have been better." Rookie Steve Francis scored 11 of his 13 points in single-handedly keeping the Rockets in the game for the first eight minutes. His second driving dunk around Marbury gave Houston a 19-18 lead. That's when Marbury and Kittles took over. Marbury started the run with two free throws and Kittles converted a three-point play for a 23-19 lead. After Rogers sandwiched four points around a Marbury layup, Kittles hit a 3-pointer and Marbury hit two layups for a 32-23 lead. Marbury seemed perplexed being asked questions about the loss to Chicago. "We lost that game," he said. "Tonight is a new night. That's the best thing about the NBA, you get to rebound the next day." New Jersey led by 12 at halftime and then it blew the game open with a 21-6 to start the third quarter. Van Horn started the burst with a 3-pointer and Feick hit three straight baskets to give the Nets a 76-49 lead with 2:29 left in the quarter. Game notesNets backup guard Elliot Perry was not with team because of the death of his grandfather. ... Barkley, who suffered a career-ending knee injury Wednesday, didn't accompany the team to New Jersey for their only appearance of the season. ... After playing three games in four nights, the Nets will have the next three days off. ... Rockets forward Walt Williams went 0-for-5 from the field and is 2-for-19 over last three games. ... Douglas had a great shot-clock buzzer beater early in the second quarter, banking a turnaround jumper from just inside the 3-point line. | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Houston Clubhouse New Jersey Clubhouse Williams hopes to return to Nets lineup by middle of January
RECAPS LA Lakers 106 Vancouver 94
New Jersey 106
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