|
 Parsons and Harden, the team's two leading scorers, returned to the lineup to help the Rockets win their third straight and eighth in 11 games. Parsons, who made 12 of 18 shots, had missed the previous game with food poisoning, while Harden had been nursing a foot injury. Harden also has nine rebounds and seven assists.
Omer Asik had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Jeremy Lin had 15 points and 10 assists, and Terrence Jones chipped in with 14 points and 11 rebounds for Houston, which is in seventh place in the Western Conference.
Tyreke Evans scored 22 points and Marcus Thornton had 21 for the Kings. DeMarcus Cousins had 20 points and fouled out late in the fourth quarter. Jason Thompson added 17 points and 15 rebounds.
After the Kings cut an 11-point deficit to five, the Rockets responded. With time running out on the shot clock, Lin made a 3-pointer and Asik followed with a three-point play, giving the Rockets at 112-101 lead with 1:42 remaining.
Ahead by three points in the fourth, the Rockets scored six straight. Jones scored twice from close range and Harden had an emphatic breakaway dunk following a Kings turnover, putting Houston ahead 102-93 with 5:45 left.
Coming of a sore right foot that caused him to miss the previous two games, Harden got off to a fast start. He made two 3-pointers and scored nine points in the opening quarter when the Rockets led 27-26.
Harden scored 15 and had six assists, while Parsons had 14 points for Houston, which took a 59-55 lead into the break. Cousins had 14 points and six rebounds and Thornton had 13 points for the Kings.
[to top of second column] |
Off the court, the uncertainty remains regarding the future of the Kings. A group from Sacramento and Seattle both made presentations in New York today with NBA commissioner David Stern and 12 owners.
The Seattle group, led by hedge fund manager Chris Hansen and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, made a 90-minute pitch accompanied by Seattle's mayor and a county executive.
The Seattle group has a pending agreement with the Maloof family to buy 65 percent of the team and move it back to the city the SuperSonics left in 2008.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and a potential ownership group -- Vivek Ranadive, Mark Mastrov, Ron Burkle and Paul Jacobs
-- pleaded their case to keep the team in Sacramento.
Stern said both cities made strong presentations. The commissioner indicated that it's possible the league might not be able to decide the issue at their Board of Governors meeting later this month, which was the original target date for a decision.
NOTES: There was a video tribute to former King Francisco Garcia during pre-game. Garcia played seven-plus seasons in Sacramento before being traded to Houston in February. . After missing a 10-game stretch for personal reasons, Kings reserve F James Johnson didn't play for the second straight game. . This was the second game in a five-game home stand for the Kings that ends April 10 against New Orleans. .. The Kings shot 8 of 23 in the third quarter, but were still only outscored 29-28.
[Associated
Press; By JEFF WEIDEL]
Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
