 Dikembe Mutombo and Derrick Coleman are defenseless as Steve Francis flies by. Bill Baptist/NBAE/Getty Images 56k | 300k |
The Rockets held a nine-point lead entering the final period but missed their first 13 shots. Still struggling on offense, the 76ers weren't much better but closed to 65-63 on Matt Harpring's jumper with 5:43 to go.
After a timeout, Houston went to Thomas, who drew a foul and hit a pair of free throws. On the next possession, he beat Derrick Coleman for a driving layup and a 69-63 lead with 4:14 left.
"When you're playing Derrick Coleman, you have to stay down," Thomas said. "Down the stretch, I was able to come through for us and hit some big shots."
Dikembe Mutombo scored for the 76ers, but Thomas answered again with another inside basket over Coleman with 3:36 remaining. Kelvin Cato's dunk off a lob from Steve Francis built the lead to 73-65 with 2:25 to play.
"Everyone wants to be scoring," Thomas said. "If you say you're not, you're crazy. But I like to play defense and doing the little things. Scoring is good when it counts."
"Kenny Thomas, I think, is one of the most underrated players in this league," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "He can shoot, rebound, pass. He can do it all and he's doing it for us."
Cato's hoop was the last for the Rockets, who shot 3-of-20 in the fourth quarter. But it was enough to hold off the Sixers (0-5), who matched their worst start under coach Larry Brown.
Francis scored 18 points and Thomas and Glen Rice added 14 apiece for the Rockets (5-1), who are accustomed to quick starts. Houston has started 5-1 or better is six of the last nine years.
"Once we recognize that we have a good team and that we're all capable of scoring, we're gonna win big," Francis said. "We expect more. We feel that we're a better team than the one that has been playing. The good thing is that last year, we were losing these games."
Francis scored 10 points in the third quarter, when the Rockets took the lead for good. He weaved his way through the entire defense for a layup just before the buzzer that opened a 64-55 advantage.
Coleman had 20 points and nine rebounds and Dikembe Mutombo added 16 and 18 for the Sixers, who again were without NBA Most Valuable Player Allen Iverson and remained the lone winless team in the Eastern Conference.
"I think our guys were trying too hard tonight," Brown said. "We have a lot of young players out there that aren't sure of themselves. When Iverson gets back, that'll help, and I'm seeing a lot of improvement in our team."
The Sixers welcomed back guard Aaron McKie, who missed all of training camp and the first four games while recovering from shoulder surgery. The 2001 Sixth Man Award winner started and played 42 minutes, collecting eight points and 10 assists.
"I felt good, but my shot was not falling," said McKie, who was just 3-of-15 from the field. "That'll take some time and I just have to get my rhythm back."
"I thought he made it easier on our bench," Brown added. "He showed great leadership out there. He had 10 assists, but I really played him too long. He's got no legs right now. This is his training camp."
Philadelphia trailed by nine points in the second quarter before Coleman went to work on rookie Eddie Griffin, fueling a 14-5 run that forged a 33-33 tie late in the first half.
Houston took the lead for good at 46-44 with 7:51 left in the third quarter when Francis hit Cuttino Mobley with an alley-oop pass for a dunk.
Neither team shot well. The Rockets shot 40 percent (28-of-70) while the Sixers were at 42 percent (30-of-72).
"It wasn't pretty, but we got the defense," Tomjanovich said. "We missed a lot of easy shots and we have to start making some of those."
"We've got to be a little concerned," McKie said. "We have to find a way to get a win without our key guy."
The Sixers, who opened last season 10-0, did not lose their 5th game until December 11 last year.