Notebook: Rockets 93, Sixers 87

Posted Thursday February 23, 2012 12:00AM

By Matt Miller, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: No NBA team may be looking forward to the All-Star break more than the Philadelphia 76ers.

Luis Scola posted a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Kevin Martin scored 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter as the Houston Rockets took advantage of another dismal offensive outing by the Sixers to claim a 93-87 victory on Wednesday at Toyota Center.

Rookie Nikola Vucevic poured in a career-high 18 points and grabbed eight boards to pace Philadelphia's attack, while Lou Williams added 17 points and six rebounds.

Philadelphia (20-14) has limped to the season's midway point, scoring an average of only 83.2 points on 39.5 percent (169-for-428) shooting in five consecutive defeats. The Rockets (20-14), meanwhile, will enter the All-Star break winners of four of their last five contests. Wednesday's victory put Houston six games above .500 for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign, when Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming were still on the roster.

QUOTABLE: "I can always tell when our offensive efficiency is not good. ... There's no continuity in what we're doing. We're doing so much dribbling, and that's not when we're good. We're good when we're moving the ball side to side."
-- Sixers coach Doug Collins on his team's offensive funk

THE STAT: As in nearly all tightly contested games, free-throw shooting down the stretch was critical. Houston delivered in the final period of this game, shooting 9-for-10 at the charity stripe. The Rockets have nailed 18 of 19 free-throw attempts (94.7 percent) in the fourth quarters of their last two games -- both of which were decided by six points or less.

TURNING POINT: Philadelphia had the ball trailing 86-85 with less than 1:30 remaining in the fourth quarter when Kyle Lowry (13 points, eight rebounds, five assists) stood his ground and drew a charge on forward Thaddeus Young. Young tried to utilize his strength advantage by posting up Lowry, but he lowered his shoulder too forcefully and turned the ball over. The officials sided with Lowry on the Rockets' next possession, as well. The 6-foot point guard waited for a screen and knifed into the Philadelphia interior before crashing into Young, who was whistled for a blocking foul as Lowry's layup fell through the hoop.

QUOTABLE II: "Our bigs have been setting screens a little bit lower so I can turn the corner, and I just get the angle. Once I got the angle, just get on the board and make a shot. My teammates are always going to count on me in the fourth quarter."
-- Lowry on his "and-one" drive against Young and other crucial plays he made down the stretch

HOT: Scola posted his third double-double of the season and drained eight of 16 field-goal attempts Wednesday. The 6-foot-9 forward from Argentina has averaged 18.3 points on 58.1 percent (25-for-43) shooting to go with 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists over his last three games.

NOT: Second-year swingman Evan Turner, who scored only two points on 1-for-6 shooting Wednesday, has averaged only 4.0 points on 25.5 percent (12-for-47) shooting over his last seven games.

GOOD MOVE: Houston swarmed the one Philadelphia player who had produced consistent offense over the last couple of games, Jrue Holiday. Frustrated by solid defensive rotations, ball pressure and the occasional trap, Holiday finished Wednesday's contest with only six points on 3-for-9 shooting after posting back-to-back 20-plus-point performances.

BAD MOVE: Just when the Rockets appeared to be gaining complete control of the game, their floor general's decisions allowed Philadelphia to battle back. Houston went on a 13-4 run to grab its first double-digit lead of the game during the closing minutes of the first half, but Lowry single-handedly killed the Rockets' momentum with three poor decisions. With a deficit of eight points, the Sixers started a fast break and Lowry bailed out of the lane instead of taking a charge. On the other end of the court, Lowry threw an awful pass right into the hands of Iguodala, leading to more Philadelphia points. The next Houston possession ended after Lowry jacked up a deep 3-pointer that bounced high off the rim and into Williams' hands.

NOTABLE: The Sixers played without starting forward Elton Brand (sprained right thumb) for the second straight game. Collins said he is hopeful that Brand can return to Philadelphia's lineup after the All-Star break. ... Lowry left the game during the first quarter after spraining his right ankle, but he returned at the beginning of the second and finished the game. ... The Rockets finished with a season-low four offensive rebounds. ... Houston improved to 12-0 this season when limiting opponents to less than 90 points and 11-0 when holding its opponent to worse than 42.4 percent shooting from the field. ... The Rockets won for only the second time in 14 tries when trailing after three quarters, thanks in part to pouring in a season-high 32 points in the final period. ... The Sixers lost in Houston for the first time since the 2006-07 season. ... Philadelphia fell to 0-11 when it does not hand out more assists than its opponent. ... The Sixers lost on the second night of a back-to-back set for only the second time in nine occasions this season. ... Philadelphia shot 0-for-9 from 3-point range.

UP NEXT: For the Sixers, Tuesday @ Detroit, Wednesday vs. Oklahoma City, March 2 vs. Golden State (ESPN). For the Rockets, Tuesday vs. Toronto, Wednesday @ Utah, March 2 vs. Denver.