NBA roundup: Scola, Patterson boost Rockets to win over Suns, 96-89
Staff , Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
PHOENIX - Luis Scola scored 16 points, Patrick Patterson added 14 and the Houston Rockets outlasted the Phoenix Suns 96-89 on Thursday night. \n Chase Budinger and Kyle Lowry each scored 12 points, an…
https://www.gannett-cdn.com/sites/lubbockonline/images/favicon.png
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
PHOENIX - Luis Scola scored 16 points, Patrick Patterson added 14 and the Houston Rockets outlasted the Phoenix Suns 96-89 on Thursday night.

Chase Budinger and Kyle Lowry each scored 12 points, and the Rockets used a 57-13 edge in scoring from their backups to win their third straight and fourth in five games.

Channing Frye, playing the entire second half, scored a season-high 21 points, and Marcin Gortat added 16 for the Suns, whose season-best, three-game winning streak was snapped. Steve Nash, selected to his eighth All-Star game earlier Thursday, scored 14 points on 7-for-7 shooting and had 13 assists.

The Rockets held the Suns to five field goals and 13 points in the fourth quarter and had 22 second-chance points to Phoenix's six.

Michael Redd scored on a layup with 8:14 remaining to give the Suns an 81-80 lead. But Jordan Hill hit a 17-footer and Courtney Lee added a 17-foot pullup jumper to give the Rockets the lead for good at 84-81 with 7:30 to go.

The Suns pulled to 92-89 on Gortat's free throws with 2:18 left and had a chance to tie it with a 3-pointer. But Kyle Lowry tipped a crosscourt lob pass into the Suns' backcourt, sprinted to the ball and made a layup to give Houston a 94-89 lead.

¦ Lakers 88, Celtics 87

BOSTON - Pau Gasol blocked Ray Allen's putback attempt at the buzzer in overtime and the Los Angeles Lakers held on to beat the Boston Celtics.

Kobe Bryant had 27 points, Gasol finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds, and Andrew Bynum added 16 points and 17 rebounds to help the Lakers snap a two-game losing streak.

Allen scored 22 points and Kevin Garnett had 12 points and 12 rebounds for Boston, which had won five in a row and nine of its previous 10 games. But Garnett was 6 for 23 from the field and Paul Pierce was 7 for 18, including a clean-look jumper at the end of overtime.

It rimmed out and Allen tried to push the rebound in, but Gasol got his fingertips on it and it floated away as the buzzer sounded.

The Lakers had lost six of their last seven games on the road.

But a trip to Boston to play the rival Celtics was just what they needed.

¦ Warriors 109

Nuggets 101

DENVER - Stephen Curry scored a season-best 36 points and Golden State handed fading Denver its fifth straight loss, the Nuggets' longest losing streak in five seasons.

Denver has dropped seven of eight games overall and also has lost five in a row at home.

Klay Thompson added 19 points, Dorrell Wright had 15 and Monta Ellis 14 for the Warriors, who snapped a two-game skid and posted just their third win in nine road games.

Arron Afflalo led the Nuggets with 26 points.