Gay scores 26 to lead Kings past Rockets, 106-91
Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay reacts after being called for a loose ball foul against the Houston Rockets during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 15, 2013. Gay had a game-high 26 points and the Kings won 106-91. AP
SACRAMENTO, California—Rudy Gay scored 26 points in his first home game since coming over in a trade from Toronto to lead the Sacramento Kings past the Houston Rockets 106-91 Sunday (California time).
Gay added five rebounds and four assists. He finished 10-for-20 shooting in a dazzling home debut for the Kings, who had lost eight of their past 10 games.
DeMarcus Cousins had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Isaiah Thomas added 19 points and eight assists to help Sacramento hold on to the lead for most of the final three quarters.
James Harden twisted his left ankle early in the third quarter but finished with 25 points, and Dwight Howard had 13 points and 10 rebounds while battling foul trouble in a disappointing end to Houston’s cramped three-game road trip. The Rockets lost at Portland on Thursday and won at Golden State on Friday.
Portland’s Damian Lillard hit a spinning fadeaway shot with one-tenth of a second left in overtime to lift the Trail Blazers over the Detroit Pistons 111-109.
Lillard was guarded well by Rodney Stuckey as he tried to drive to the basket, but he was able to hit a tough fadeaway from about eight feet. Detroit couldn’t get off a shot before the buzzer.
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 27 points for Portland and Lillard finished with 23 points.
At Memphis, Tennessee, Kevin Love had 30 points and nine rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves hit a season-high 12 3-pointers in beating the Memphis Grizzlies 101-93.
The victory ended Minnesota’s 11-game losing streak to the Grizzlies and also gave the Timberwolves their third win in the last four.
The Phoenix Suns beat the Golden State Warriors 106-102 for their fifth straight game after Eric Bledsoe scored seven of his 24 points in the fourth quarter.
Bledsoe added eight rebounds and eight assists, Goran Dragic scored 21 points, and Channing Frye added 20 for the Suns.
Stephen Curry scored 30 points, including 20 in the second half, and Klay Thompson added 19 for the Warriors.
In other games, the Oklahoma City Thunder downed the Orlando Magic 101-98 and the Denver Nuggets defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 102-93.
