| Rockets Beat Short-Handed Mavericks Authored by Jason Linnard - March 6, 2005 - 8:13 pm
The Dallas Mavericks were without their two top scorers Sunday, and the Rockets took full advantage of it.
The Rockets defeated the Mavericks 90-69, their lowest point total of the season. Their previous low was 80, in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
The Rockets were led by Tracy McGrady’s 32 points and 10 rebounds.
Dirk Nowitzki was a late scratch due to swelling in his right knee. Michael Finley had already been sidelined with a bruised calf. The Maverick’s starting center, Erick Dampier, has been on the injured list since Feb. 23.
The Rockets opened the first quarter on a mid-range jumper from David Wesley. Wesley scored his first four points before two minutes had elapsed.
By halftime, the Rockets had a 9 point lead. McGrady led the way in the first half with 16 points, along with 9 from David Wesley.
With about 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, Dallas had cut the lead to two, but the Rockets began a 23-4 run which lasted well into the final quarter, putting the Mavericks down for good. McGrady accounted for 10 of Houston’s 23 points during the run.
Houston outscored Dallas 29-14 in the game’s final period.
"We hung around for a long time," Mavericks coach Don Nelson said. "We played well for three quarters, and if we had made some of our shots it could have been a different game." The Mavericks went 0-3 on their road trip and return home to face Toronto on Monday.
Coach Jeff Van Gundy acknowledged Nowitzki’s importance to this team.
"When a team loses a player like Nowitzki, I thought we did a good job in just staying mentally ready, knowing that Terry, Stackhouse and Van Horn have all averaged 20 points in this league," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "There's no exhaling or breathing a sigh of relief."
Up Next: Houston @ Seattle, 9:00 Tues. |
