By Sam Perley, hornets.com
For the second-straight game, the Hornets dug themselves into a hole in the second half and ultimately couldn’t recover as they fell to the Rockets, 102-95, on Monday, Dec. 21, in Houston. While the Hornets tightened up the turnovers this time around, 32 combined points in the second and third quarters plus a 49-35 rebounding advantage for the Rockets eventually did them in as they dropped their 11th-consecutive game in Houston. Kemba Walker led six Hornets players in double figures with a team-high 14 points while James Harden scored a game-high 36 points for the Rockets in the victory.
Turning Points Trailing by 13 in the fourth quarter, the Hornets rolled off a 13-0 run to tie the game at 79 with 6:15 remaining. The game stayed tight up until the final minute when James Harden nailed a three-point play with 31 seconds left to give the Rockets a 94-91 lead. On Charlotte’s ensuing possession, Cody Zeller’s dunk attempt was blocked by Terrence Jones and recovered by the Rockets. Both teams exchanged free throws down the stretch but Charlotte could never get back out in front as Houston notched its sixth-consecutive home victory.
Inside the Box Score Kemba Walker led the Hornets in both points (14) and assists (six)… Jeremy Lin added 13 points and five assists off the bench… Marvin Williams chipped in 12 points and six rebounds… Frank Kaminsky also added 12 points and five rebounds off the bench… Cody Zeller finished with 10 points, a team-high seven rebounds and two steals… Jeremy Lamb also scored in double figures with 10 points and three assists… James Harden tallied a game-high 36 points, five rebounds and a game-high seven assists for the Rockets… Terrence Jones finished with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, six rebounds and two blocks off the bench… Marcus Thornton (13 points) and Patrick Beverley (11 points) also scored in double figures for Houston… Dwight Howard tacked on nine points and a team-high nine rebounds in 27 minutes of play before fouling out in the fourth quarter… Houston turned the ball over 20 total times while Charlotte had just 12 total giveaways… The Rockets made 29-of-41 attempts from the free-throw line (70.7 percent) while the Hornets were successful on 25-of-31 shots from the charity stripe (80.6 percent)… Charlotte connected on 12-of-41 attempts from three-point range (29.3 percent), which set a new franchise record for most three-point attempts in a single game. The Rockets hit just 7-of-25 shots from long distance (25.0 percent)… Houston outscored Charlotte in the paint, 42-28.
Hornets Player of the Game Frank Kaminsky had a solid outing off the bench, finishing with 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting (2-of-5 from three-point range) to go along with five rebounds. Kaminsky, who has now scored in double figures four times this season, also scored all 12 points in the second half, nine of which came in the fourth quarter.
Rockets Player of the Game James Harden had an outstanding night for the hometown Rockets, tallying a game-high 36 points on 9-of-16 shooting (16-of-19 from the free-throw line) along with five rebounds and a game-high seven assists in the win. Harden has now scored 30-or-more points in five out of his last nine games for the Rockets.
Game Notes Charlotte lost its 10th-consecutive game to Houston, dating back to its most recent win on Nov. 26, 2010…. The Hornets haven’t won in Houston since Dec. 22, 2004… Ty Lawson did not play for Houston (NBA suspension)… Steve Clifford, Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum and Dwight Howard were all whistled for technical fouls during the game
Next Up The Hornets head home to take on the Boston Celtics at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 23 in Charlotte. The game can be seen on FOX Sports Southeast or heard on WFNZ or on the official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.
