Neal, Parker lead Spurs over Rockets in OT 134-126

[December 11, 2012]  HOUSTON (AP) -- Gary Neal scored 29 points and Tony Parker had a triple-double to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 134-126 overtime win against the Houston Rockets on Monday night.

Parker had 27 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists to complement Neal's 7-of-10 performance from 3-point range.

Jeremy Lin had his best game since joining the Rockets, scoring a career high-tying 38 points with leading scorer James Harden sidelined by a sprained right ankle.

Neal's last 3-pointer followed by a three-point play by Manu Ginobili put the Spurs ahead 130-122 with two minutes left in overtime, and they held on for the win. It was San Antonio's fifth straight win overall and second over Houston in three days after a 114-92 victory Friday.

The Rockets provided a stronger challenge in this one after San Antonio never trailed in Friday's win. But Houston's inexperience showed in overtime as the Rockets had three turnovers to help the Spurs build the lead.

Houston fell to 0-2 since coach Kevin McHale returned to the bench Saturday after taking a leave of absence Nov. 10 to be with his family as his daughter's health worsened. Alexandra "Sasha" McHale died Nov. 24 of complications from Lupus. She was 23.

A 3-pointer by Ginobili put the Spurs up two before Omer Asik tied it on a jumper with 37 seconds left. Parker then missed a shot, but Lin dribbled out the shot clock under pressure from Danny Green, giving the Spurs another chance. Carlos Delfino blocked a shot by Tim Duncan to send it to overtime tied at 120.

Asik had a career-high 21 points and added 10 rebounds, and Chandler Parsons scored 20 for Houston.

The game was tied when Neal and Parsons got into what looked like a 3-point shooting contest. Neal hit one before Parsons made two straight for Houston. Neal made a second before Parsons added another to put Houston up 116-113 with 3 1/2 minutes to go.

Lin heated up late in the third quarter and continued his surge in the fourth, scoring six points during a 9-2 run to help Houston extend its lead to 102-93 less than two minutes into the quarter.

The Spurs trailed by seven when Lin went to the bench with under 10 minutes remaining. They used a 10-2 spurt while Lin was out, powered by five points from Parker, to tie it at 107 before he returned with about six minutes left.

San Antonio led by seven after a reverse layup by Parker with about 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the third quarter. Lin scored seven straight points for Houston to tie it at 88 just over a minute later. Neal made a 3-pointer on the other end before the Rockets closed out the quarter with two free throws by Marcus Morris and a 3-pointer by Lin to take a 93-91 lead.

Duncan left the game after picking up his fourth foul with just over 10 minutes remaining in the third and didn't return until the start of the fourth.

Houston was up by three with about 10 minutes left in the second quarter before using an 11-4 run to extend the lead to 42-32 a couple of minutes later. The Rockets were still up by 10 later in the quarter when San Antonio scored eight straight points, with four from Parker, to cut the lead to 49-47.

The Spurs had taken a three-point lead later in the second before Toney Douglas hit a shot as time expired in the first half to get Houston within 64-63 at halftime.

NOTES: Duncan finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds. ... Douglas had 17 points, his fourth straight double-digit scoring game.

[Associated Press; By KRISTIE RIEKEN]

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