Rockets-Bucks Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Jan 03 2013 1:43PM

Even when the Houston Rockets aren't hitting 3-pointers, they can still find ways to put the ball in the basket and come out on top.

Getting an early lead over the slow-starting Milwaukee Bucks could help them win Friday night when they begin a road-heavy portion of the schedule.

Led by James Harden and Chandler Parsons, the Rockets are second in the league in 3s per game (9.7) and attempts (27.2). However, they also rank second in points in the paint with 46.8 per game.

Houston (18-14) matched a season low with five 3s - in 24 attempts - but defeated New Orleans 104-92 on Wednesday. The Rockets outscored the Hornets 60-28 in the paint - Harden scored 16 of those - en route to their seventh win in nine games.

"I think that shows the maturity that we're growing and that we're getting better," said Harden, who scored 31. "Sometimes our offense isn't on point, but we're finding ways to score."

Harden certainly has, reaching 20 points in a career-high 14 consecutive games - he's averaged 29.5 in that span. Parsons, meanwhile, hasn't hit a 3-pointer in three straight games after making one in 27 of his first 28 contests.

Houston, among the league's best with 105.8 points per game, might have to rely more on post play as it opens a stretch of nine of 11 away from home.

The Bucks (16-14) are among the league leaders in fewest 3s allowed at 5.7 per game, but they gave up nine in 17 attempts in Wednesday's 117-110 home loss to San Antonio.

A bigger concern for coach Scott Skiles' team may be its recent sluggish starts. Milwaukee surrendered a season-high 69 first-half points and trailed by 17 at the break against the Spurs after falling behind 13-0 in Sunday's 96-94 loss at Detroit.

"We can't start off the game (against Houston) the way we did against San Antonio," said Brandon Jennings, averaging 27.0 points in the last three home games after scoring 31 on Wednesday. "... Once (Western Conference teams) get on the run, they kind of bury you."

Houston is scoring an NBA-best 18.7 points per game on the break, while the Bucks are yielding the second-most fast-break points at 15.6.

The Rockets' inside game also could be a big test. Center Omer Asik, among the league leaders with 11.7 boards per game, scored a career high-tying 21 points Wednesday. Patrick Patterson had 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench in his third game back from a foot injury that cost him seven games.

"We're glad to have him back and hopefully it continues," Parsons said.

The Bucks' frontline could benefit from more production by rookie John Henson, who had a season-high 20 points with nine rebounds Wednesday. The former North Carolina star totaled 10 points over Milwaukee's previous 14 games and didn't even play in five of them.

"It was a good step forward for him against a good team," Skiles said.

Bucks leading scorer Monta Ellis will get his first look at the Rockets since being acquired from Golden State in March. He's averaging 31.7 points in his last five games versus Houston.

These teams last met Jan. 25, when Jennings made four 3s and scored 20 in a 105-99 win at Houston. Jennings enters Friday having hit a 3-pointer in 18 consecutive games, the longest stretch by a Buck since current Rocket Carlos Delfino's run of 26 straight Feb. 5-April 6, 2010.

Delfino, who started 53 games for Milwaukee in 2011-12, set season highs with 22 points and six 3s in Monday's win over Atlanta but was held to two points Wednesday.

Harden's 29 lead Rockets over Bucks, 115-101

Posted Jan 05 2013 12:08AM

MILWAUKEE (AP) Houston Rockets coach Kevin McHale liked what he saw in the third quarter. So did Jeremy Lin, once he returned from getting stitches.

James Harden scored 29 points to lead the Rockets to a 115-101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.

Harden shot 11 of 18 from the floor to go with seven assists and four steals for Houston, which has won 10 of its last 13 games.

After trailing by 18 in the second quarter, Houston outscored Milwaukee 30-14 in the third and led 77-72 at the start of the fourth.

"Really, that third quarter is about as good as we can play," McHale said. "We locked down on the defensive end, we pushed it up, we got shots and made shots . Then we started blowing some of their plays up just by being aggressive. I was really proud of the guys."

Lin was taken to the locker room with 10:34 left in the third after the left side of his head was slightly bloodied when he collided with the right cheek of Milwaukee's Larry Sanders as the two scrambled for a loose ball near midcourt. After getting five stiches, he returned to the bench with just under 3 minutes left in the period and started the fourth quarter.

"I just know that when I came back, our guys were flying around with high energy," Lin said. "We were getting stops, just the way we're supposed to play, the way that we've played in the past in some spurts. And then we just tried to carry it over to the fourth quarter."

The Rockets, who shot 54 percent from the field, also got 22 points from Carlos Delfino in his return to Milwaukee. He played for the Bucks from 2009-12 before signing with Houston as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.

"I was sad, I thought I was staying in Milwaukee," Delfino said. "I was playing well in the second half last year. When I didn't have an offer on, I didn't blame anyone, I understand it's a business."

Milwaukee equaled a season worst by losing its third game in a row despite 16 points from Brandon Jennings.

"It's almost the second half of the season," Jennings said. "Teams are going to start turning it up a notch and we need to, also."

Houston, which remains on the road for eight of its next 10 games, pulled away with a 13-0 run midway through the fourth quarter.

It started with three consecutive 3-pointers. After Patrick Patterson drilled one, Harden made two of them. He was fouled on the first but missed the free throw, and then added another after an offensive rebound by Patterson for a 104-90 lead.

"Shoot the ball. Catch and shoot," Harden said. "I work on that every single day. The opportunity was in my hands and I took advantage of it."

After a layup by Lin, Harden capped the run with two free throws for a 108-90 lead with 4:12 to play.

Milwaukee committed five turnovers during that stretch and finished with a season-high 25 in the game.

The Rockets scored 19 of the first 21 points of the third period and took a 66-60 lead on a layup by Toney Douglas with 6:19 to play.

Milwaukee opened the quarter with three turnovers in a row and then missed 13 straight field goals. The Bucks shot 20 percent in the quarter.

"It just appeared that we just lost focus coming out of the locker room," Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles said. "We had a lot of trouble. That's as bad a collapse as I've ever seen. And it happened so fast: turnover, turnover, turnover. And we looked like we just started going 1-on-1 instead of kind of moving the ball like we did in the first half. And then when we did get a decent shot at the basket, if we missed, we didn't run back. They just ran right by us and went down and scored."

In the second quarter, a 22-5 run by Milwaukee gave the Bucks an 18-point lead, their largest of the game.

Milwaukee held a 26-25 lead when it scored 10 points in a row, capped by a layup by John Henson for a 36-25 lead with 8:37 remaining.

Another layup and free throw by Henson gave the Bucks a 48-30 advantage with 5:55 to play.

"It looked like they were going to maul us," McHale said.

Notes: Harden scored at least 20 points for the 15th consecutive game. . Houston is 13-2 against the Eastern Conference, including 5-1 on the road . ... Jennings has made at least one 3-pointer in 19 straight games and Sanders has blocked at least one shot in the last 18 contests. ... The Bucks are 2-8 against the Western Conference, including 1-6 against the Southwest Division. . The last time Milwaukee lost three straight was Nov. 19-24.

Notebook: Rockets 115, Bucks 101

Rick Braun, for NBA.com
Posted Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:07 AM - Updated Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:07 AM

THE FACTS: James Harden scored 29 points and added seven assists and four steals, and Carlos Delfino made 6-of-7 3-pointers on his way to 22 points off the bench against his old team as the Houston Rockets rallied from an 18-point deficit to whip the Milwaukee Bucks, 115-101, Friday night in Milwaukee.

Patrick Patterson and Toney Douglas added 18 each off the bench, as the Rockets (19-14) outscored the Bucks, 68-43, in the second half.

Brandon Jennings had 16 to lead the Bucks (16-15), who lost their third straight thanks to a season-high 25 turnovers.

QUOTABLE: "Just pathetic. Just a pathetic display of taking care of the ball. It enabled them to get out into the open floor on 1-on-0, 2-on-0 and 3-on-0 breaks and easy, easy baskets. It just really sucked the life out of the team and the building."
-- Bucks forward Mike Dunleavy on his team's 25 turnovers, 19 of which came in the second half.

THE STAT: Houston has just five points off six Milwaukee turnovers at the half and trailed, 58-47. The Rockets then scored 10 points off 10 third-quarter turnovers and 13 points off nine fourth-quarter turnovers to completely turn the game around.

TURNING POINT: For the second time in six days the Bucks were absolutely awful in the third quarter. This time they missed their first 10 shots and committed seven turnovers before finally scoring from the field on Ekpe Udoh's tip-in with 5:22 left in the quarter.

QUOTABLE II: "The second quarter we started turning it over and they just got on top of us. It looked like they were going to maul us. Then we battled back. Really, that third quarter is about as good as we could play. We locked down the defensive end, we pushed it up, we got shots, we made shots, we had steals. Tony Douglas was phenomenal in changing the tempo of the game."
-- Rockets coach Kevin McHale.

HOT: The Rockets had plenty of hot shooters. Delfino made 8 of 11, and Omer Asik and Patterson each made 6 of 7.

NOT: Rockets forward Marcus Morris missed all seven shots he took, and Milwaukee's Monta Ellis struggled through a 5-for-19 night.

GOOD MOVE: When Jeremy Lin had to leave to receive five stitches after slamming heads with Milwaukee's Larry Sanders, just 1:26 into the third quarter, McHale called on Douglas, who scored 12 of his 18 points in the period. Lin returned start the fourth quarter and finished with eight points, seven assists and six turnovers.

BAD MOVE: The Bucks would probably say that going to the locker room at halftime was their worst move of the night. They were never the same once they left the court after the first 24 minutes.

ROOKIE WATCH: Milwaukee's John Henson was a lone highlight, posting 11 points, 15 rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals in 27 minutes.

NOTABLE: The Bucks have lost three straight since beating Miami in a rousing home victory Saturday night. ... Sanders had four blocks in the first half, but when he picked up three fouls in the first 2:05 of the third quarter and had to go to the bench. He was never a factor again. ... The Rockets have won three in a row and 10 of their last 13. ... The Bucks are 2-8 against the Western Conference this season.

UP NEXT: For the Rockets, Saturday @ Cleveland, Tuesday vs. Los Angeles Lakers, Wednesday @ New Orleans. For the Bucks, Saturday @ Indiana, Tuesday vs. Phoenix, Wednesday @ Chicago.

• Rockets: Jones, White
• Bucks: Lamb, Przybilla

• Rockets: --
• Bucks: --

• Lead Changes: 5
• Times Tied: 9

• Arena: BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
• Officials: #48 Scott Foster, #35 Kane Fitzgerald, #58 Josh Tiven
• Attendance: 15867
• Duration: 2:03