NBA News Wire
Nets 105, Rockets 96
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
NEW YORK— Brooklyn forward Joe Johnson scored 32 points and the Nets set a franchise record with their 14th straight win at home, defeating the Houston Rockets 105-96 on Tuesday night.
The Nets are 21-2 in their last 23 home games.
In a game that saw neither team lead by more than 12 points, Johnson had another efficient night from the field as the veteran carried the Nets, who have had trouble shooting. Johnson hit four of the Nets’ six 3-pointers.
Three of his 3-pointers came in the second half with the Rockets closing in.
Trailing for most of the game but never by less than nine points, the Rockets continued to snap at the Nets’ heels but could not overtake Brooklyn.
The Rockets have now lost two straight after a five-game winning streak was snapped on Saturday.
Rockets guard James Harden, the NBA’s fifth-leading scorer, had 26 points and seven assists. Forward Chandler Parsons and guard Jeremy Lin scored 16 points each.
Nets guard Shaun Livingston scored 17 points and complemented guard Deron Williams’ 12 points and six assists.
The Rockets were held to five points in the game’s first six minutes until Harden found his groove, scoring half of his team’s first 24 points. Houston did not fare well from the field, hovering around 40 percent for much of the game.
Livingston, despite early foul trouble, had 10 points in the first half as both teams had difficulty finding their shooting touch.
A 10-2 run by the Rockets provided their first lead of the game with four minutes left in the first half, but the Nets were quick to answer with an 11-0 run to take a three-point lead at halftime.
NOTES: The Rockets had a five-game winning streak snapped Saturday night in Los Angeles, losing to the Los Angeles Clippers 118-107. … The Rockets were without F Terrence Jones (flu-like symptoms) and C Dwight Howard (ankle). Howard ranks third in the NBA in field goal percentage (59 percent) and fourth in rebounding (12.3 rpg). … Rockets G James Harden ranks fifth in the league with 25.0 points per game, leading the NBA’s second-best offense, which averages 107.0 ppg. …The Nets won their 14th straight home game, topping the franchise record set in 2002. Brooklyn is 20-2 at the Barclays Center since Dec. 27. … Nets coach Jason Kidd was named the Eastern Conference’s coach of the month. It is the second time this season that he won the award.
