Skip to main content

Paul polishes off Lakers to rescue Rockets from skid


Chris Paul of the Houston Rockets tries to evade the clutches of 
Tyler Ennis of the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. MICHAEL WYKE / AP
HOUSTON - With James Harden in the locker room with a hamstring injury and the Houston Rockets desperate to end their losing streak, Chris Paul came to the rescue.
Harden scored 40 points before leaving with the injury late in the fourth quarter, and Paul scored 15 of his 28 points in overtime as the Rockets snapped a five-game skid with a 148-142 double-overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night.
"He just willed us to win, and great players can do that," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Certain guys can just say, 'We're not losing,' and 'Whatever it takes,' and that's what he said tonight and that's what he did."
Los Angeles led by as many as 17, but couldn't hold on as the team's season-long losing streak stretched to six games.
Paul made a pair of free throws to tie it at 142 with about a minute left in the second overtime before Tarik Black blocked Kyle Kuzma's shot on the other end to give Houston the ball back. PJ Tucker grabbed a rebound on a miss by Paul and put it back up to put Houston on top.
Tucker blocked a 3-point attempt by Kuzma, and Paul added two more free throws to make it 146-142 with three seconds left. Paul made two more free throws after that to secure the win.
The Rockets had hoped to limit 32-year-old Paul's playing time in his second game back after missing three games with a groin injury. But with Harden out, he ended up playing 42 minutes.
"We worked too hard to let that game go," Paul said. "We had fought. Different guys had been in and out of the lineup. James carried us all game long and different guys had to step up and it's just will at that point. Let's just figure out a way to win it."
Julius Randle set season highs with 29 points and 15 rebounds, but fouled out with about three minutes left in the first overtime.
"It's obviously frustrating but... we're short-handed right now and it would've been a lot easier to kind of just pack it in and individually go out and try to put up big numbers until we get healthy or until we get to an easier part of the schedule," Lakers coach Luke Walton said. "Our guys really came together tonight and really played well for most of the game."
Los Angeles was up by four points in the second overtime before a dunk by Black followed by a 3-pointer from Trevor Ariza made it 140-139 with 2 1/2 minutes remaining. The Lakers scored the next three points before Paul's free throws tied it.
Ariza finished with a season-high 26 points.
Paul gave Houston its first lead since the second quarter with a 3-pointer that made it 127-125 with 2:40 remaining in the first overtime.
The Lakers got two free throws from Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart added a basket on a goaltending call to make it 131-129 with about a minute to go in the first OT.
Harden's health
Harden was injured when he missed a layup after that and was taken to the locker room.
Harden has a strained left hamstring and had a noticeable limp after the game, but he hopes he won't have to miss any time.
"Hopefully it's not that serious," he said. "Just a pull ... just got some treatment so hopefully day to day it gets better."
Sunday was Houston's first overtime game this season, and the Rockets have won six straight in double overtime dating to 2008. Five of those have been played at home.
Tip-ins
Lakers: Rookie Lonzo Ball missed his fourth straight game because of a sprained left shoulder. He did not make the trip, remaining in California for treatment ... The Lakers' 72 first-half points were a season high ... Ennis had a season-high 20 points.
Rockets: Capela, who is also dealing with a bruised heel, missed four of the previous five games. He had seven points and seven rebounds in his return after missing two games with an orbital fracture.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Coronavirus: 'The worst bit is the uncontrollable coughing'

"The worst bit is the uncontrollable coughing," says Andrew O'Dwyer, who is recovering after being infected with the new coronavirus following a skiing trip to Italy in late February. "I've had worse flu, without a doubt - but I wouldn't want to catch it again," he says during his self-isolation at home in south-west London. Despite having type 1 diabetes, Andrew says having the virus "isn't anything to worry about for me personally". He adds that the fever he experienced is "no different to normal flu-type symptoms". "I've not been concerned," he says. The severity of symptoms can vary widely among people. Those who are older and have pre-existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease) are more likely to become severely ill and can need hospital treatment. There have been 10 coronavirus-related deaths so far in the UK. Andrew was told the virus wasn't circulating in the resort ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Babajide made a Stunning Revelation about the Forthcoming Governorship Election in Edo State

Babajide a veteran journalist, while speaking on the popular program “Journalist Hangout” on TVC news Friday August 7, made a stunning revelation about the forthcoming governorship election in Edo state, says all political parties should shown violence because election is not a do or die affair. Babajide while reacting said “ I have to say I have my fears about these forthcoming election, and I hope my fears does not come past. As we can see the shenanigans in Edo state it is now visible that it is no more Oshiomole against Obaseki, it is now PDP against APC which could be devastating in the light of the politics going on now. Obaseki himself divided the APC, because all the lawmakers in Edo state belong to the APC but he divided them by inaugurating some lawmakers, and refusing to inaugurate others. Right now as it stands 17 lawmakers have decided to align with the APC and just 7 lawmakers is with the Governor. For me I think Obaseki should have averted these problem by just issuing a...
Post a Comment
Read more

7 Ways to boost your brain

When it comes to mental endurance, there are a few ways to ensure a sharp mind and excellent concentration. Peter Jordan, Principal Officer of Fedhealth, explains that nutritionists emphasise the importance of healthy eating habits at such a particularly stressful time. “They advise that the right food and drink can energise your system, improve your alertness and sustain you through the long exam hours. On the other hand making the wrong dietary choices could leave you feeling jittery, sluggish or burned-out.” 1. Don’t skip meals For one, it’s important to make sure to eat. Even if you’re feeling nervous or nauseous, your brain needs the energy from food to work efficiently and stave off fatigue. However it is important to ensure it’s a light meal so you don’t feel too full. If you eat a big breakfast or lunch before an exam, you could feel drowsy and heavy, because your body’s energy is being channelled to the digestive system rath...
Post a Comment
Read more