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 And once those shots started going in, the Rockets pulled off an
impressive comeback.
Reserve guard Marcus Thornton and forward Trevor Ariza delivered
clutch 3-pointers during overtime as the Rockets rallied from a
14-point deficit in the final eight-plus minutes of regulation and
pulled out a wild 116-111 victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday
night.
"What we did was didn't get down on ourselves," Houston interim
coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "We figured out another way to get
ourselves back in the ballgame. We did much a better job
defensively, we forced them into 23 turnovers. We kept them off the
offensive glass, and we got contributions from everybody, guys who
may not have been playing extremely well or a lot came in and made
plays, and it was a bunch of small plays."
The Rockets allowed the Knicks to shoot 57.7 percent but still found
a way to close regulation with a 24-10 spurt, going from being down
91-77 to getting the game to overtime.
Houston faced a sizable deficit but scored eight consecutive points
before forging a 101-101 deadlock on a 3-pointer by Thornton with 32
seconds remaining.
"They kept attacking," New York forward Lance Thomas said. "We
turned the ball over a little bit. We weren't as organized during
the duration of the game. They took advantage of it and put
themselves in a position to win."
Once the game reached overtime, some of those small things came into
play for the Rockets, who shot 58 percent (15-for-26) over the final
13:05.
"Our shots weren't falling in the first half, but our defense was on
point," Houston guard Patrick Beverley said. "If we just (stick)
with the defense and stay aggressive, good things will happen, and
that's what we did."
Ariza added, "We just took it possession by possession. We tried to
focus more on the defensive end, tried to get them one-shot
opportunities. So that's what our focus was."
Houston opened overtime on a dunk by center Dwight Howard off a lob
from Thornton, who then scored the next five points for a 108-103
lead. Even with momentum in Houston's favor, the Knicks forced two
more ties before Ariza hit the biggest shot of the night.
Howard set a screen on Knicks guard Arron Afflalo, and Ariza had
ample time to knock down a long left-wing 3-pointer near the New
York bench. New York missed its next two chances as Afflalo misfired
on a long jumper with 10.5 seconds to play before Calderon was off
target on a 3-pointer two seconds later.
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Guard James Harden shook of a 2-for-9 start and led the Rockets with
26 points. Forward Clint Capela and Thornton added 18 apiece, while
Ariza contributed 16 and Howard had 14.
New York, which played without forward Carmelo Anthony (illness),
dropped its fourth straight game since winning in Houston Nov. 21.
"We couldn't get our defense back and set, and they really started
to attack us in transition," Knicks coach Derek Fisher said.
Afflalo led the Knicks with a season-high 31 points while shooting
13-for-19 from the floor. Rookie Kristaps Porzingis closed out his
first month by getting 20 points and 13 rebounds for his eighth
double-double, while Thomas contributed 15 in place Anthony.
"Obviously, it is tough," Affalo said. "I'm extremely proud of my
teammates. I thought everybody stepped up and did the best that they
could. I thought that it was a few little rebounds and a few
turnovers, some small things."
NOTES: Asked about the news about Los Angeles Lakers F/G Kobe
Bryant's retirement after the season, Houston G James Harden said:
"He's a warrior. He is a competitor. There will not be another guy
like him." ... Houston F/C Donatas Motiejunas participated at the
morning shootaround and is hopeful of returning to the team at some
point in the near future. He is scheduled to have his back examined
Tuesday and if it goes well, he could be cleared to start practicing
for the first time since last March's back surgery. ... New York
coach Derek Fisher coached in his 100th career game. Of the
franchise's 27 coaches, he is the 15th to coach at least 100 games.
... Fisher said the Knicks discovered Anthony was sick about 40
minutes before the opening tip when they have their final
preparation meeting. Anthony was in the arena before the game, but
the medical staff sent him home.
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