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Taylor and Rockets rally past Nets 80-69
Maurice Taylor, left on the court despite picking up three early fouls, made three straight shots to snap Houston out of an early offensive funk in the Rockets' 80-69 victory Monday night over the New Jersey Nets.
The Rockets missed their first eight shots and fell behind 11-0 before Taylor, whose third foul came just 3:34 into the first quarter, scored Houston's first six points.
Jim Jackson closed the first quarter with a 3-pointer for 20-17 edge, giving Houston the lead for good, and the Rockets eventually went ahead by as many as 22 to snap a two-game skid and send New Jersey to its third straight loss.
Tracy McGrady returned from a two-game absence due to a strained right hip and scored 14 points, including a jumper in the lane on which he was fouled with 4:30 left to hold off a mild rally by the offensively inept Nets.
Jackson scored a season-high 18 and Taylor added 12.
New Jersey shot just 23-for-75.
The Rockets weren't all that much better offensively and were outrebounded 53-34, but they were able to hold Alonzo Mourning to 15 points on 4-for-13 shooting and forced Richard Jefferson into seven turnovers.
Yao Ming was in foul trouble most of the night and scored just six points.
Jefferson led the Nets with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
After Taylor pulled the Rockets out of their early offensive slump, Juwan Howard scored on a jump hook to close a 16-0 run that made it 30-17. Dikembe Mutombo blocked Mourning's shots twice on one possession, helping the Rockets hold New Jersey to 11-for-41 shooting in the first half.
McGrady blocked a shot by Jefferson early in the third quarter and then converted a three-point play to give Houston its first 20-point lead, 50-30.
New Jersey pulled within 10 on a foul shot by Jacque Vaughn with 5:46 remaining, but Houston scored the next five points to end the threat. |
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