By Sam Perley, hornets.com
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The Result
The Hornets came out of the gates looking much sharper then they did the day before in Detroit but ultimately just couldn’t hang with the Houston Rockets as they fell, 100-90, on Monday, Apr. 13 in Charlotte. With five players out of Charlotte’s lineup because of injuries, a handful of younger Hornets shined but just didn’t have enough to knock off the veteran Rockets, who won their ninth-consecutive game against Charlotte. Brian Roberts led the way for Charlotte coming off the bench for a career-high 23 points, while James Harden tallied 29 points to lead Houston in the win.
Turning Points
Trailing 68-66 with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Hornets let Houston slowly slip away as the Rockets reeled off a 15-9 run to end the frame with an 83-75 advantage. Houston then opened the fourth quarter with four-straight points to take a 12-point lead which was ultimately too much for the Hornets to come back from as they dropped their fifth-consecutive game.
Inside the Box Score
Brian Roberts led the Hornets with a career-high 23 points… Jeffrey Taylor tallied a season-best with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field to finish in double figures for the second-straight game… Troy Daniels matched his season-high set three nights earlier in Atlanta with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting which included 3-of-6 from behind the arc… Marvin Williams also reached double figures with 12 points along with four rebounds and four assists… Bismack Biyombo finished just shy of a double-double with nine points and team highs in both rebounds (13) and blocks (three)… Kemba Walker and Gerald Henderson each dished out a team-high five assists… James Harden notched 29 points, six rebounds and a team-high-tying six assists to lead Houston… Josh Smith (16), Jason Terry (13), Trevor Ariza (11), Corey Brewer (11), Terrence Jones (10) and Clint Capela (10) also scored in double figures for the Rockets… Jones and Smith each pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds, which was the eighth double-double of the season for both players… The Hornets lost the turnover battle, 15-10 and were outrebounded, 49-43… Houston also outscored Charlotte in the paint, 46-30… The Hornets hit just 9-of-17 free throws (52.9 percent) while the Rockets were 21-of-26 (80.8 percent).
Hornets Player of the Game
Brian Roberts had his finest outing of the season notching a career-high 23 points (16 in the second quarter), along with a season-high-tying five rebounds and three assists for the Hornets. Roberts also set a new career high with five made 3-pointers and has scored in double figures in three of his last four games.
Rockets Player of the Game
James Harden continued to strengthen his MVP campaign with a game-high 29 points, six rebounds, a team-high-tying six assists and two blocks to lead the Rockets in the win. The former Arizona State Sun Devil remains on pace to be the first player since LeBron James in 2009-10 to average at least 27.5 points, 6.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds while playing a minimum of 75 games in a single season, which would also be only the 15th such season in NBA history.
Game Notes
Charlotte has not beaten Houston since Nov. 26, 2010… The Rockets finish the season 26-15 on the road, which is the second-most road wins in franchise history (27-14, 1996-97 Rockets)… The Hornets finish the season 19-22 at home and 5-10 at home against Western Conference teams.
Next Up
The Hornets will play their final game of the season against the Raptors at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Apr. 15 in Toronto. The game can be seen on ESPN or heard on WFNZ or on the official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.