Spurs-Rockets Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
Posted Dec 09 2012 10:16PM

Kevin McHale wasn't with the Houston Rockets for last week's blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

He could be hard-pressed to make adjustments that will slow down the Spurs as these Southwest Division rivals meet Monday night in Houston.

McHale rejoined the Rockets (9-10) for Saturday's 116-109 defeat to Dallas. The coach spent almost a month away from the team, and returned two weeks after the death of his daughter.

"It was different being out there again," McHale said. "I had been away for a long time and we had put in some stuff. I've got to get caught up, so these next few days will be good for us."

The last game Houston played without McHale, Kelvin Sampson was interim coach for last Friday's 114-92 loss at San Antonio (17-4). Six different Spurs reached double figures as they led by as many as 33 points and outscored the Rockets 60-38 in the paint.

That disparity in points was probably what the Spurs' last opponent had in mind when Charlotte decided to pack the paint Saturday. That strategy didn't work because Danny Green made a career-high seven of San Antonio's franchise-record 19 3-pointers in a 132-102 rout.

"We were driving and kicking and moving the ball," said Green, who scored a season-high 23 points. "It makes the game a lot easier when you're making shots."

Tim Duncan was only needed to contribute 11 points in the Spurs' highest-scoring effort since a 133-111 win over Minnesota on April 12, 2010.

"We've been really good about moving the ball and we're really getting on the same page with that," Duncan said. "When our guys get open shots they knock them down. So if they don't want to concede them in the paint, we will hurt them on the outside."

The Spurs have won four straight and nine of 10, with the lone defeat the infamous loss at Miami in which Gregg Popovich left four key players at home.

San Antonio is second in the NBA with 104.6 points per game while Houston is allowing an NBA-worst average of 103.9.

The poor defense is a major reason why the Rockets have trailed by at least 17 points in each of their last three games. They are at a loss to figure out how to improve.

"Communication, transition defense, help-side defense, just everything," forward Chandler Parsons said. "We've got a lot of work to do. Our offense is fine, we can't worry about that."

Offense hasn't been a problem for James Harden, who followed up a 29-point effort in the loss to the Spurs with 39 versus the Mavericks.

Struggling point guard Jeremy Lin, however, logged a season-low 18 minutes in McHale's first game back. Lin has totaled 15 points in his last three games.

"That's a coach thing and that's their decision and I totally respect that," Lin said. "We're all in it together and we're on a team. Everybody goes through their own ups and downs."

The Rockets have won their last three home games over the Spurs.

Neal, Parker lead Spurs over Rockets in OT 134-126

By KRISTIE RIEKEN
Posted Dec 11 2012 12:31AM

HOUSTON (AP) Tony Parker was happy about getting his first career triple-double on Monday night.

When it became clear that the performance was going to help the San Antonio Spurs win, the 12-year veteran could enjoy it so much more.

Gary Neal scored a career-best 29 points and Parker had 27 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists to lead the Spurs over the Houston Rockets 134-126 in overtime.

"I was like: `Man if we lose, nobody is going to care,"' Parker said with a laugh about his triple-double. "Now that we won the game it makes it even better, because at the end of the day people only care about wins."

Parker's outing complemented Neal's 7-of-10 performance from 3-point range.

Parker's teammates had fun with him after the game, with a couple of them bellowing "Mr. Triple-double" as he entered the locker room, eliciting a sheepish grin and a shake of the head from him.

"All night long, he kept us in the game," Spurs coach Gregg Poppovich said of Parker. "With his play on both ends of the floor, he was magnificent."

Jeremy Lin had his best game since joining the Rockets, scoring a career high-tying 38 points with leading scorer James Harden sidelined by a sprained right ankle. It was just the second time he'd scored more than 20 points since coming to Houston.

Neal's last 3-pointer followed by a three-point play by Manu Ginobili put the Spurs ahead 130-122 with two minutes left in overtime, and they held on for the win. It was San Antonio's fifth straight win overall and second over Houston in three days after a 114-92 victory Friday.

"Gary was unbelievable," Parker said. "He made some big shots for us. He was the one who kept us in the game with timely 3s, very timely 3s in the fourth quarter and in overtime."

The Rockets provided a stronger challenge in this one after San Antonio never trailed in Friday's win. But Houston's inexperience showed in overtime as the Rockets had three turnovers to help the Spurs build the lead.

Houston fell to 0-2 since coach Kevin McHale returned to the bench Saturday after taking a leave of absence Nov. 10 to be with his family as his daughter's health worsened. Alexandra "Sasha" McHale died Nov. 24 of complications from Lupus. She was 23.

"Those guys, those closers have been in a million of those games," McHale said of the Spurs.

A 3-pointer by Ginobili put the Spurs up two before Omer Asik tied it on a jumper with 37 seconds left. Parker then missed a shot, but Lin dribbled out the shot clock under pressure from Danny Green, giving the Spurs another chance. Carlos Delfino blocked a shot by Tim Duncan to send it to overtime tied at 120.

Lin couldn't really enjoy his big game because it didn't help Houston get the win.

"I'm thankful that I was able to get comfortable out there, but that's definitely secondary to the fact that we blew another close game," he said. "I had the ball to win it and didn't even get a shot up. That one hurt."

Asik had a career-high 21 points and added 10 rebounds, and Chandler Parsons scored 20 for Houston.

The game was tied when Neal and Parsons got into what looked like a 3-point shooting contest. Neal hit one before Parsons made two straight for Houston. Neal made a second before Parsons added another to put Houston up 116-113 with 3 1/2 minutes to go.

Lin heated up late in the third quarter and continued his surge in the fourth, scoring six points during a 9-2 run to help Houston extend its lead to 102-93 less than two minutes into the final quarter.

The Spurs trailed by seven when Lin went to the bench with under 10 minutes remaining. They used a 10-2 spurt while Lin was out, powered by five points from Parker, to tie it at 107 before he returned with about six minutes left.

San Antonio led by seven after a reverse layup by Parker with about 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the third quarter. Lin scored seven straight points for Houston to tie it at 88 just over a minute later. Neal made a 3-pointer on the other end before the Rockets closed out the quarter with two free throws by Marcus Morris and a 3-pointer by Lin to take a 93-91 lead.

Duncan left the game after picking up his fourth foul with just over 10 minutes remaining in the third and didn't return until the start of the fourth.

Parker contended that his triple-double was helped by Duncan's foul trouble.

"Timmy was in foul trouble so I figured I'd pick up the slack on the boards," the 6-foot-2 Parker said before doubling over with laughter. "It was just one of those games where I was trying to help out."

Houston was up by three with about 10 minutes left in the second quarter before using an 11-4 run to extend the lead to 42-32 a couple of minutes later. The Rockets were still up by 10 later in the quarter when San Antonio scored eight straight points, with four from Parker, to cut the lead to 49-47.

The Spurs had taken a three-point lead later in the second before Toney Douglas hit a shot as time expired in the first half to get Houston within 64-63 at halftime.

NOTES: Ginobili had 22 points and six assists, and Duncan finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds. ... Douglas had 17 points, his fourth straight double-digit scoring game. ... Lin's four 3-pointers were a career high.

Notebook: Spurs 134, Rockets 126

Matt Miller, for NBA.com
Posted Tue Dec 11, 2012 12:20 AM - Updated Tue Dec 11, 2012 12:20 AM

THE FACTS: Tony Parker's first career triple-double was just enough for the San Antonio Spurs to stave off a valiant effort from the James Harden-less Houston Rockets.

Parker posted an eye-popping stat line of 27 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds to carry the Spurs to a 134-126 overtime victory over the short-handed Rockets on Monday night at Toyota Center. Gary Neal scored a career-high 29 points on 11-for-18 shooting, while Manu Ginobili added 22 points, six assists and five boards for San Antonio (18-4), which has won five consecutive games overall and 10 of its last 11 on the road.

Jeremy Lin recaptured his "Linsanity" form, pacing Houston (9-11) with a season-high 38 points on 11-for-21 shooting to go with seven assists. Omer Asik recorded his fifth double-double in the last eight games, finishing with a career-best 21 points and 10 rebounds. With leading scorer Harden watching from the sidelines due to a sprained right ankle, the Rockets lost their third consecutive game.

QUOTABLE: "Tony Parker, all night long, kept us in the game just with his floor play. On both ends of the court, he was magnificent."
-- San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich.

THE STAT: Three nights after the Spurs never trailed and led by as many as 33 points in a 114-92 beatdown of the Rockets in San Antonio, the two clubs duked it out in a rollercoaster ride that featured 11 ties and 15 lead changes. Ironically, Harden poured in 29 points on 10-for-16 shooting in the blowout defeat and never stepped on the court during Monday's thriller.

TURNING POINT: Lin and Toney Douglas combined to net the Rockets' first nine points of the fourth quarter to stretch Houston's lead to 105-96 with 9:59 left to play. The Spurs responded by limiting the Rockets to only one field goal over the next five minutes, as they ripped off a 14-2 run to grab a 110-107 advantage. The back-and-forth battle continued into overtime until veteran-laden San Antonio finally put away the inexperienced Rockets with a 10-4 spurt that gave the Spurs a 130-124 lead.

QUOTABLE II: "It's hard to put into words right now. It's frustrating because it's the second game in a row when we had a big lead in the fourth quarter and let it go away. ... When we get down and they go on runs, we're not going to give up. But it is so frustrating losing games that we have in our control."
-- Houston forward Chandler Parsons.

HOT: Both teams lit it up from the perimeter during the first half, combining to drain 14 of 27 (51.9 percent) 3-point attempts. After missing their first three attempts from behind the arc, the Rockets closed the half by nailing nine of 12 (75.0 percent) shots from long distance.

NOT: Saddled by foul trouble and locked down by defensive stalwart Asik, Tim Duncan delivered one of his worst offensive performances in recent memory. The Big Fundamental misfired on eight of nine shot attempts.

GOOD MOVE: Duncan appeared to have Asik boxed out as the pair of centers battled for a rebound less than two minutes into the third period. But Asik made a crafty move to shift into a position in which he could draw Duncan's fourth foul of the game. Duncan did not return to the court until the start of the fourth quarter.

BAD MOVE: Instead of figuratively punching the Rockets in the mouth at the onset of the game, as San Antonio did in Friday's blowout victory over Houston, the Spurs looked sluggish in the early stages of Monday's win. With San Antonio lacking the necessary amount of intensity to put the inferior team on its heels, Harden-less Houston gained confidence as it built a 10-point first-half lead.

QUOTABLE III: "I've had a 17-year career, and I've seen this situation probably a hundred times or more, where a team is lacking one or two of its best players. That team gets on a roll, and they get confident. ... Without pressure, everyone starts making shots. ... It's something you should know, and you talk about it, but it keeps happening."
-- Spurs guard Ginobili.

NOTABLE: Parker is the first Spur to record a triple-double since Duncan finished with 15 points, 18 boards and 11 assists against the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 30, 2010. Parker's triple-double is the 13th in franchise history. ... The Rockets received a scare when starting forward Parsons trotted to the locker room while holding his right arm less than 40 seconds into the game. But Parsons, who was struck on his funny bone, returned a few minutes later and finished the game without restrictions. ... Houston outscored an opponent in the first quarter for the first time in six games. ... Carlos Delfino, who started in place of Harden, shot a dismal 2-for-12 (16.7 percent) from the field. ... The teams shot a combined 30-for-60 (50.0 percent) from 3-point range. The Rockets set a season high and Toyota Center record with 16 made treys. ... San Antonio is the first team in the NBA to reach 18 wins this season. ... Monday's victory snapped the Spurs' three-game skid at Toyota Center. ... San Antonio improved to 13-0 this season when it connects on at least 45.0 percent of its field goals attempts and 14-0 when limiting its opponent to worse than 45.0 percent shooting. ... The Spurs are averaging 32.3 assists over their last four games, dishing out at least 27 dimes in each of those four contests. ... Houston fell to 3-10 this season against Western Conference opponents. ... Rockets guard Douglas has netted at least 10 points in a season-high four straight games. ... Houston has lost five consecutive overtime decisions dating back to last season.

UP NEXT: For the Spurs: Wednesday @ Utah, Thursday @ Portland, Saturday vs. Boston. For the Rockets: Wednesday vs. Washington, Friday vs. Boston, Sunday @ Toronto.

• Spurs: Jackson, Leonard
• Rockets: Machado, White

• Spurs: --
• Rockets: --

• Lead Changes: 15
• Times Tied: 11

• Arena: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
• Officials: #19 James Capers, #34 Kevin Cutler, #26 Pat Fraher
• Attendance: 13959
• Duration: 2:27