Rockets-Suns Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Feb 09 2012 2:26AM

The Phoenix Suns came out flat during a loss to the Houston Rockets last week. They haven't suffered another defeat since then.

The Suns will try to add to their longest win streak of the season in Thursday night's rematch with the Rockets at the U.S. Airways Center.

Phoenix (11-14) trailed by 20 points at halftime Friday in Houston en route to a 99-81 defeat but has bounced back with three consecutive victories. In their latest win, the Suns blew a 21-point lead in the second half Tuesday in Milwaukee but Steve Nash's layup with five seconds left gave them a 107-105 win.

That victory was the fifth game in the first seven days of this month for the Suns, tying them with Oklahoma City and Utah for the most in the league over that span.

"We were able to grind it out. It was a pretty formidable win under pretty formidable circumstances," said Nash, who had 18 points and 11 assists on his 38th birthday.

Nash scored just six points in last week's loss at the Toyota Center while the Rockets (15-11) had seven players in double figures, led by Kevin Martin with 16. Houston had 50 points from its bench in that win and a season-high 66 - two shy of matching the best effort in the NBA this season - during a 103-96 victory in Portland on Wednesday.

"That's always a good thing, whenever the second unit can give the starters a rest when we have a game the next day," said forward Patrick Patterson, who had 11 points in nearly 24 minutes. "I think each person should be pleased with their play, and overall this was a team win."

Reserve forward Chase Budinger had a season-best 22 points and the Rockets might need to rely on their depth again in Phoenix, where they've lost four straight.

Starting point guard Kyle Lowry injured his right arm late in the third quarter against the Blazers and his status is unknown for Thursday's game. Lowry, averaging 14.8 points this season, scored 32 during the previous game in Phoenix on March 8.

With or without Lowry, Houston will seek a season-high third straight road victory in its fourth stop on its longest trip of the season. The Rockets are 2-1 on that six-game trek, which ends Tuesday against Memphis.

The Suns, meanwhile, are trying for consecutive home victories for only the second time this season. They're also seeking to win four in a row overall for the first time since Feb. 23-28.

Nash has played a big part during the four-game home win streak over Houston, averaging 20.8 points on 62.5 percent shooting and 13.5 assists. He was held to nine points during the 113-110 victory in March but made five free throws over the final 24 seconds.

The Rockets have won the past two matchups with Phoenix after dropping seven in a row and will try to earn another win while getting Martin out of a funk. Houston's leading scorer (18.7 ppg) has scored a combined 14 over the last three games while missing 20 of 24 shots.

Martin has averaged 18.8 points on 47.2 percent shooting over his last four matchups with the Suns.

Scola helps Rockets top Suns 96-89

Posted Feb 10 2012 12:30AM

PHOENIX (AP) Chase Budinger and the Houston Rockets' reserves roughed up the Phoenix Suns.

Budinger scored 12 points while playing a team-high 31 points and starter Luis Scola had 16 points to help the Rockets outlast the Phoenix Suns 96-89 on Thursday night.

"The first half, we played so well," said Patrick Patterson, who had 14 points in a backup role. "We thought in the second half we could go out there and keep passing the ball, sharing the ball, looking for each other, getting stops on defense and pushing it on transition. We feel that our second unit can go out there and compete with anybody."

Kyle Lowry scored 14 points, joining Scola as the only Houston starters in double figures, and the Rockets used a 57-13 edge in scoring from their backups to win their third straight and fourth in five games. Houston's reserves averaged 51.5 points in the Rockets' two victories against Phoenix this season.

"All of those guys shot over 50 percent," Lowry said. "You can't do any better than that. You can't ask for no more."

The Rockets held Phoenix to five field goals and 13 points in the fourth quarter.

"We definitely tightened down our defense and just tried to make it as tough as possible for them and create chaos for them," Budinger said. "We were able to make some steals, get in the passing lanes and make it tough for them."

Houston also dominated on the glass, pulling down 12 offensive rebounds to Phoenix's five and scoring 22 second-chance points to Phoenix's six.

"These guys are relentless on the board so you've got to be able to put your body on them," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said after Rockets snapped his team's three-game winning streak. "You have to be able to pursue the ball and go get it. When you have good defensive possessions time after time and they get the ball back time after time, it's a little deflating."

Channing Frye, playing the entire second half, scored a season-high 21 points, and Marcin Gortat added 16 for the Suns. Steve Nash, selected to his eighth All-Star game earlier Thursday, scored 14 points on 7-for-7 shooting and had 13 assists.

Michael Redd scored on a layup with 8:14 remaining to give the Suns an 81-80 lead. But Jordan Hill hit a 17-footer and Courtney Lee added a 17-foot pullup jumper to give the Rockets the lead for good at 84-81 with 7:30 to go.

The Suns pulled to 92-89 on Gortat's free throws with 2:18 left and had a chance to tie it with a 3-pointer. But Lowry tipped a crosscourt lob pass into the Suns' backcourt, sprinted to the ball and made a layup to give Houston a 94-89 lead.

"We didn't convert in so many areas, so it makes it a really disappointing loss," Nash said. "You're going to have cold patches but you've got to find other ways to stay in the game."

Two Phoenix offensive fouls in the final minute, the first coming when the 6-foot-11 Gortat ran over the 6-foot Lowry, sealed the victory for the Rockets.

"I'm 5-2," said Lowry, laughing. "He didn't see me.

The Rockets' backups dominated play throughout the game, outscoring the Suns' reserves 17-3 over the first 6-plus minutes of the second quarter.

Gentry responded by playing four of his five starters the entire third quarter and Gortat and Frye the entire second half rather than using the bench players. The backups were a combined 1 for 15 from the floor in the first half.

"We had a really nice second quarter," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "Our first and third is what we've got to figure out."

Redd provided all but two of the 13 points for the Suns' backups, who played only a combined 56 minutes.

NOTES: The Rockets attempted only six free throws, making four. Houston did not go to the line in the first half. ... Houston G Goran Dragic matched a season high with 11 assists. ... Markieff Morris had the Suns' other two points off the bench. ... Gortat played 41-plus minutes, one below his career high. ... Suns F Grant Hill was the only starter to come off the floor for Phoenix in the third quarter, giving way to Redd.

Notebook: Rockets 96, Suns 89

Posted Thursday February 9, 2012 11:39PM

By Mike Tulumello, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: The Phoenix Suns wish the Houston Rockets would keep their reserves on the bench.

The surging Rockets (16-11) got tremendous production off the bench in pulling away late from the Suns (11-15) Thursday night in Arizona, 96-89.

The Rockets' reserves outscored the Suns bench, 57-13, led by Patrick Patterson's 14. Also, Goran Dragic killed his old team with 11 points and 11 assists.

The Suns played the Rockets more or less even until the two teams went to their benches, then the Rockets took over.

"Our bench just played fantastic," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said.

Channing Frye had 21 points and 10 boards for the Suns. Steve Nash, just named to the All-Star Game, had 14 points and 13 assists.

QUOTABLE: "We went small and really did a nice job defensively."
-- Kevin McHale.

THE STAT: The Rockets outrebounded the Suns 55-41.

TURNING POINT: The Rockets, down 85-84, midway through the final quarter, got 3-pointers by Chase Budinger and Dragic to take a 90-85 lead. A steal and layup by Kyle Lowry to make it 94-89 with 1:40 left wrapped it up.

HOT: Nash hit all seven of his shots.

NOT: The Suns bench shot 5-for-22.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Suns reserves Ronnie Price and Hakim Warrick have fallen out of the rotation.

NOTABLE: At 38, Nash becomes the fourth player age 38-plus to make the All-Star team, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Karl Malone. Nash is averaging 15.1 points and an NBA-best 10.0 assists. He is shooting an astounding .559 from the field, best among NBA guards. He is also shooting 45.5 percent on 3-pointers, the second-highest mark of his career.

UP NEXT: For the Rockets, Sunday @ Golden State, Tuesday @ Memphis and Wednesday vs. Oklahoma City. For the Suns, Saturday @ Sacramento, Monday @ Golden State and Tuesday @ Denver.

• Rockets: Morris, Smith
• Suns: --

• Rockets: --
• Suns: --

• Lead Changes: 14
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
• Officials: #48 Scott Foster, #47 Bennie Adams, #34 Kevin Cutler
• Attendance: 16122
• Duration: 1:58