Rockets-Cavaliers Preview

By KATE HEDLIN
Posted Mar 11 2012 1:36AM

With their leading scorer struggling and their starting point guard possibly missing a second straight game, the Houston Rockets may rely even more heavily on their bench.

The Rockets hope to build off one of their best offensive performances of the season Sunday night when they visit a Cleveland Cavaliers team coming off an impressive upset.

Houston ended a season-high five-game losing streak Saturday with a 112-106 win at New Jersey. The Nets inadvertently tipped in the go-ahead shot for the Rockets (22-19) with 63 seconds remaining.

Despite playing without Kyle Lowry, who was being monitored at a New York hospital for a high fever, the Rockets shot a season-best 56.1 percent. They posted their second-highest point total and had six players finish in double figures, led by Goran Dragic, who started in place of Lowry and scored a season-high 23 points.

"It was a tough game for us," Dragic said. "We knew we had lost five games in a row, so this game was especially important for us."

Houston averaged 96.2 points and shot 41.8 percent during its losing streak, but received a better effort from its reserves Saturday. Not including Dragic's big game, the Rockets reserves finished with 41 points - led by 17 from Courtney Lee - after averaging 27.0 during the losing streak.

With Lowry, who is averaging 15.9 points and 7.2 assists, uncertain for Sunday and Kevin Martin struggling, Houston's supporting cast is key.

Martin leads the Rockets with 17.4 points per game, but he's played just 37 total minutes in the last two games. He scored five points Saturday, attempting five shots.

Martin's woes seem to be isolated to the road. He is averaging 7.3 points and shooting 27.3 percent in his last 10 road games compared to scoring 22.2 points per game at home this season.

With two games remaining on his team's five-game road trip, Martin will try to turn things around personally in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers (15-23), though, are looking to win a season-high third straight after a pair of road victories over Denver and Oklahoma City.

Kyrie Irving had 12 assists with just one turnover Friday and Antawn Jamison finished with 21 points and eight rebounds in a 96-90 victory that ended the Thunder's 14-game home win streak. Cleveland had a 51-40 rebounding advantage and grabbed 21 offensive boards.

"Obviously that's a pretty good win, any time you can beat a team this good in their building," coach Byron Scott said. "It says a lot about the way our guys came and competed, the way we played."

The Cavaliers have used a three-guard lineup to close each of the last two wins. The 6-foot-9 Jamison was the only player taller than 6-6 on the court at the end Friday.

"It allows the lane to open up that much more," Irving said. "I'm able to attack. The basket just seems that much more open than when we have our bigs in."

While Cleveland has found an effective use for a smaller lineup, Jamison has come up big over the last week, averaging 26.3 points and 7.5 rebounds the last four games. He scored 33 against the Nuggets.

The Cavaliers hope the momentum from the surprising trip can help them end a four-game losing streak at home. They'll try to avoid a three-game skid versus Houston, which has won four of five and 12 of 16 in the series.

Jamison, Irving lead Cavs past Rockets 118-107

Posted Mar 11 2012 10:33PM

CLEVELAND (AP) Kyrie Irving sees everything on the court - while also keeping an eye on the standings.

Cleveland's star rookie scored 16 of his 21 points in the final 4:14 of the fourth quarter Sunday night as the Cavaliers rallied for a 118-107 win over the Houston Rockets.

The Cavaliers, coming off impressive road victories over Denver and Oklahoma City, have moved back into the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference with three straight wins. And Irving, the No. 1 pick in the draft, knows exactly what's going on there.

"You have to pay attention to the standings," he said. "I'm aware we're a game out of the eighth spot."

Antawn Jamison scored 28 points and Cleveland had six players in double figures in winning its third straight game for the first time this season. The Cavaliers also recorded a season high in points.

Cleveland's latest victory, which also ended a four-game home losing streak, moved the Cavaliers within one game of New York for the final playoff spot in the East. The teams are tied in the loss column.

"I sit and look at it all the time," Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said. "I know the teams in front of us and what they're doing, I know the team that's right behind us. So I know we have a golden opportunity."

While the Cavaliers are positioning themselves to have a shot at the playoffs, the Rockets are sinking in the Western Conference. Houston has lost six of seven and slipped to eighth place.

"This is a bad part of the year for us," said forward Luis Scola, who scored a season-high 30 points. "We're struggling. We're not playing the right way. We don't have confidence and things aren't working out our way."

Goran Dragic scored 20 points for Houston, and Chase Budinger added 16 off the bench. Kevin Martin, the Rockets' leading scorer with 17.4 points per game, was held to three points in 15 minutes and also sustained a strained shoulder.

Houston played without starting guard Kyle Lowry, who remains in a New York-area hospital with an illness. A team spokesman said before the game there is no timetable for when Lowry, who is averaging 15.9 points and 7.2 assists, will rejoin the Rockets.

While Jamison led the way by going 8 for 16 from the field, Irving again took over down the stretch. He orchestrated a decisive run in the final 3 minutes when Cleveland snapped Oklahoma City's 14-game home winning streak Friday night.

In Sunday night's fourth quarter, Irving hit three of four shots, including a 3-pointer, and was perfect from the line in nine attempts. Cleveland scored 37 points in the period while erasing a three-point deficit. Ramon Sessions scored 15 points, and Alonzo Gee, Daniel Gibson and Samardo Samuels added 11 apiece.

"When it comes to the fourth quarter, I'm like, `Here comes The Kyrie Show.' He's an unbelievable talent," Samuels said.

Irving scored five points on 2-for-11 shooting in his first 24 minutes on the floor.

"It's tough, but you have to push through it," he said. "You have to do other things to help your team."

The Cavaliers took control early in the fourth quarter as Sessions and Omri Casspi hit 3-pointers to help Cleveland take a 93-86 lead with 8:36 to play. Irving's three-point play pushed the lead to 101-93 with 4:14 remaining. He added 13 additional points and had a team-high six rebounds as the Cavaliers pulled away. Irving was also 10 for 10 from the foul line.

Cleveland built a 46-35 lead midway through the second quarter before Houston rallied. Dragic scored 11 points and Budinger added eight in the period to help Houston take a 57-54 lead at the half. Cleveland went ahead 66-61, but Houston regained control and took a 73-67 advantage.

Houston broke a season-high five-game losing streak with a victory in New Jersey on Saturday, but couldn't sustain the momentum. The Rockets finish a five-game road trip in Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

"The start of the fourth quarter doomed us," Houston coach Kevin McHale said. "We never could get our momentum back. They made some shots, but our defense was very porous."

Following the game, the Cavaliers allowed the second 10-day contract of reserve guard Manny Harris to expire.

Notes: Lowry has been hospitalized since late last week with abdominal distress and fever. He was admitted after the Rockets traveled from Toronto to face the Nets in New Jersey. ... F Terrence Williams (stomach flu) was inactive for Houston. ... Cleveland coach Byron Scott had no update on C Anderson Varejao, who has missed the last 14 games with a broken right wrist. He hasn't played since Feb. 10 and the team said at the time of the injury he would miss four to six weeks. Varejao has been doing cardiovascular work to stay in shape, but it's unclear when he will return. ... Irving was disappointed to hear that Minnesota G Ricky Rubio sustained a season-ending knee injury Friday. "It's never something you want to happen, especially to such a great player," he said. "It's tragic. He was my nemesis - me vs. him at times. I'm used to seeing his stats every single night, seeing how many points and assists he had."

Notebook: Cavs 118, Rockets 107

Posted Monday March 12, 2012 12:43AM

By Brian Dulik, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Power forward Antawn Jamison scored 28 points and point guard Kyrie Irving had 21 points and five assists, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 118-107 come-from-behind win over the Houston Rockets. The victory was Cleveland's third in a row and snapped its season-long, four-game home losing streak. Power forward Luis Scola collected a season-high 30 points and eight rebounds for Houston, while point guard Goran Dragic had 20 points and a game-best eight assists. The Rockets, who played without starting point guard Kyle Lowry, have lost six of their last seven contests.

QUOTABLE: "This was fun to be a part of because our guys, we like winning, man. Our job is to come off the bench and provide energy, so the starters can get a break. And when it comes to the fourth quarter, I'm like, 'Here comes the Kyrie Show.' He's an unbelievable talent."
-- Cavaliers power forward Samardo Samuels

THE STAT: Irving exploded for 16 points in the final 4:14, including 9-for-9 free throws, to complete Cleveland's rally from an eight-point, second-half deficit. The top overall pick in the NBA Draft also grabbed a team-high six rebounds in 29 minutes -- fueling the Cavaliers' highest-scoring performance since March 4, 2011. "You have to pay attention to the standings," said Irving, who had five points on 2-for-22 shooting in his first 25 minutes. "I'm aware we're now a game out of the eighth (and final Eastern Conference playoff) spot. That's what you play for."

TURNING POINT: Cavaliers small forward Alonzo Gee drilled a 20-footer as time expired in the third quarter, cutting Houston's lead to 84-81 -- and starting a 39-23 game-ending run. Just 3:02 earlier, the Rockets had taken their biggest lead of the evening at 80-72 when small forward Chase Budinger made a 3-pointer. "I thought we had a great stretch going, but Gee made a shot at the end of the third and they came out and made a run on us," Houston coach Kevin McHale said. "The start of the fourth quarter doomed us and we never could get our momentum back."

QUOTABLE II: "You're not going to win any game if you allow 118 points. This is a bad part of the year for us. We're struggling. We're not playing the right way. We don't have confidence and things aren't working out our way."
-- Scola

HOT: The Cavaliers have won three straight games for the first time since Nov. 4-9, 2010 after upsetting Denver, Oklahoma City and Houston. They also pulled within one game of the eighth-place New York Knicks in the East standings. "Last week, everyone was saying, 'We're done, we've got no chance (at the playoffs). Let's get ready for next year and start looking at the draft,'" Cleveland coach Byron Scott said. "I said, 'If we win three or four straight, we're right back in it.' Now, we've got a golden opportunity." ... Rockets center Samuel Dalembert had four blocked shots in the third quarter and finished with 15 points, a game-high 10 rebounds and five rejections. ... Dragic was 4-for-5 on 3-pointers and 7-for-11 overall while filling in for Lowry. ... Scola, who scored 14 points in the first period, wound up 15-for-25 from the field.

NOT: Rockets shooting guard Kevin Martin suffered a strained shoulder, limiting him to 16 minutes. The Zanesville, Ohio native had three points on 1-for-6 shooting. ... Houston center Jordan Hill fired up four bricks and committed four fouls in seven minutes off the bench. ... Rockets center Hasheem Thabeet was in uniform, but did not play for the 16th time this season. He also has been a healthy inactive on 16 occasions in Houston's 42 games. ... Rockets swingman Terrence Williams (stomach flu) did not dress, while center Greg Smith (bruised tailbone) was active, but logged a "Did Not Play -- Coach's Decision." ... Lowry missed his second straight contest and remains in a New York City hospital with abdominal distress and a fever. There is no timetable set for his return to the team.

QUOTABLE III: "Kyrie didn't have one of his better games, but when I took him out (for a rest), I told him, 'It's gonna come, just keep playing.' Not having his best stuff and still being able to produce like he produced tonight was great."
-- Scott

GOOD MOVE: The Cavaliers allowed the second 10-day contract of shooting guard Manny Harris to expire following the game, giving them roster flexibility as the Thursday trade deadline approaches. The Michigan product, who spent the entire 2011-2012 season with Cleveland, said he agreed with their logic. "I understand this is a business and what they did was smart," Harris said. "Now, I'm going to wait around until after the trade deadline and see what happens. If I don't get picked up by another team, I'll go back to Canton (in the NBA D-League)."

BAD MOVE: Rockets power forward Chandler Parsons accidentally plowed into official Mark Lindsay while attempting to hurry back on defense in the third quarter. They shared a laugh and a fist-bump after the collision, which allowed Gee to score a fast-break layup. ... Scott admitted that he was afraid the Cavaliers might trade backup point guard Ramon Sessions this week. "When I think about the future and Sess not being here, I go, 'Damn, I have no idea what we're gonna do.'" the veteran coach said. "He's played terrific basketball for us."

NOTABLE: Irving's main competitor for the NBA Rookie of the Year award, Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio, suffered a season-ending left knee injury Friday. "It's never something you want to see happen, especially to such a great player," said Irving, who leads all first-year players with an 18.4 scoring average. "He brought life back to Minnesota. I'm used to checking his stats every single night, seeing how many points and assists he had. It's tragic." Rubio ranks first among rookies in assists (8.2), steals (2.22) and minutes (34.2), while sitting fifth in scoring (10.6). ... Cavaliers mascot Moondog spent Saturday night at The Palace of Auburn Hills, entertaining fans at the Pistons/Raptors game, but was back at Quicken Loans Arena in time for the opening tip.

UP NEXT: For the Rockets, Tuesday @ Oklahoma City, Wednesday vs. Charlotte, Saturday @ L.A. Clippers. For the Cavaliers, Tuesday vs. Toronto, Wednesday @ Milwaukee, Sunday vs. Atlanta.

• Rockets: Lowry, Williams
• Cavaliers: Eyenga, Harangody

• Rockets: Flynn
• Cavaliers: --

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
• Officials: #49 Tom Washington, #29 Mark Lindsay, #64 SirAllen Connor
• Attendance: 17662
• Duration: 2:15