The Phoenix Suns clinch a victory over the Houston Rockets Monday night at Toyota Centre
The Phoenix Suns would not let the Houston Rockets get past them with a victory as they snapped a three-game losing streak with a score of 123 against Rockets’ 116. The game took place on Monday night at the Toyota Centre and it
may have been disappointing for most of the Rockets fans because it was their own home ground where their team faced a narrow loss.
The Suns have been lucky in their meeting with the Rockets as they have won 10 out of the last 13 games with them.
Arena Stats
The game lasted 2 hours and 19 minutes and the number of audience recorded was 15,080. The lead changed 10 times and the game was tied five times.
Inactive Players
Among the inactive players were Gani Lawal and Robin Lopez from the Suns and Aaron Brooks, Yao Ming and Jeff Patterson from the Rockets.
Technical Fouls
Steve Nash and Grant Hill committed a technical foul for the Suns and Luis Scola from the Rockets committed one.
In the Limelight
Steve Nash was among the top players of the game. He was one bright ray that emerged from the Suns and hit right at the fuel tank of the Rockets in order to grip the game for his team. He played for a course of 37 minutes despite
his groin injury. By doing so he proved that he is capable of playing even though he missed the last two games for the same reason.
Jordan Hill was successful in scoring a career-high 10 rebounds while playing for the Houston Rockets.
Box Score
Jason Richardson scored 26 and Grant Hill grabbed 17 points for the Suns. Hill also saved seven rebounds and seven assists for his team.
As for the Rockets, Kevin Martin scored 19 points, Kyle Lowry and Scola both contributed 16 and Ish Smith scored 14.
Yao Ming missed his sixth straight game because of a bruise in his left ankle.
Play by Play:
First Quarter
Nash was in good form and was practicing an hour before the tipoff. He practiced his jumpers from the free throw line and 3 point arc. He definitely made the right decision when he chose to play as he was the one who took the Suns
to an early lead when he hit 13 out of his first 19 shots. The Rockets, on the other hand, missed the first eight of their 3 point attempts. They were, however, close enough to the Phoenix Suns in the first quarter, outrebounding them 16-9.
The Suns were leading 26-25 in the opening period as both Nash and Hill scored eight points for their team. The game was in the lead for the Suns 41-39 when there were 5:17 remaining before halftime. Satisfied by the performance
of their teams, the coaches of both teams went back to their benches.
Second Quarter
Richardson came forward in the next two minutes when the Suns went on a 9-0 spurt. He made a 3-pointer from the wings that elevated the lead to 11. In the second quarter the Phoenix Suns shot 56 percent from the field that made
them lead 59-45 by the break.
In the first half, the Houston Rockets went 0 for 12 from a 3-point range.
Third Quarter
Houston was finally successful in gaining some points in the third quarter when they hit four of their first five shots. Nash was there to flip an off-balance layup and take it to 64-54.
Shane Battier was trying hard to save the show for the Rockets late in the third quarter after he sank a 3 from the corner. Luis Scola jumped ahead and hit two midrange shots that pulled the Rockets even closer. Kyle Lowry did
not like seeing the Rockets stealing the game from them and he dived in and grasped a three-point play. He then converted his fifth steal into a magnificent break-away layup that once again gave the Suns a 74-72 lead.
Fourth Quarter
This turned the course of the game and the Rockets tripped a bad fall after that. They missed the next four shots that came their way and gave as many as four turnovers in a short period of four minutes. The Suns turned the steering
of the game in their own direction with a 14-2 run. Hill made a 3-pointer when the quarter buzzer rang and gave the Suns a 90-76 lead while heading to the fourth quarter.
Last Breaths
Jordan Hill committed an offensive foul with 1:52 remaining. Nash scored at the very end of the game and was rather pleased to see his fans blocking the exits.
Coming Up: For the Suns, Wednesday vs. Chicago, Friday vs. L.A. Clippers, Sunday @ Denver. For the Rockets, Wednesday vs. Golden State, Friday @ Charlotte (ESPN2), Sunday vs. Oklahoma City.
Tags: