Box Score

 

HOUSTON (78)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
K Cato              27   0-5   4-6  5-11   2   4    4
J Jackson           38  6-13   0-1   0-6   4   1   14
Y Ming              37  7-12   7-8   3-9   1   3   21
C Mobley            40  7-13   0-0   0-6   2   4   17
S Francis           41   2-9   0-0   1-7   7   3    4
M Taylor            25  6-11   1-2   1-2   0   3   13
B Nachbar           17   1-5   0-0   0-0   0   3    3
M Norris             9   0-0   0-0   0-1   2   1    0
T Braggs             6   1-2   0-0   1-2   0   1    2
J Amaechi          DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
S Padgett          DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
M Wilks            DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 30-70 12-17 11-44  18  23   78
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.429, FT-.706. 3-Point Goals:
6-18, .333 (J Jackson 2-8, C Mobley 3-5, S 
Francis 0-2, B Nachbar 1-3). Team Rebounds: 
7. Blocked Shots:7 (Y Ming 2, J Jackson, M 
Taylor, K Cato, C Mobley, B Nachbar). 
Turnovers:16 (M Taylor 3, C Mobley 3, S 
Francis 3, J Jackson 2, Y Ming 2, K Cato 2, T
Braggs). Steals: 4 (S Francis 2, C Mobley, B 
Nachbar).


PORTLAND (85)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
R Wallace           39  4-14   5-6   0-6   3   5   14
Z Randolph          43  6-19  9-11   3-8   3   3   21
D Davis             16   1-1   2-2   1-3   0   3    4
J McInnis           34  3-13   1-2   1-1   5   1    8
D Stoudamire        40  8-13   4-4   1-5   7   1   23
V Stepania          16   1-5   1-2   4-5   1   3    3
Q Woods             29  2-10   0-0   2-8   0   0    5
M Carroll            2   0-1   0-0   0-0   0   0    0
R Patterson         20   3-6   1-1   5-8   1   1    7
R Boumtje-Boumtje    1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   0    0
B Wells            DNP  - SUSPENDED BY TEAM                              
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 28-82 23-28 17-44  20  17   85
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.341, FT-.821. 3-Point Goals:
6-16, .375 (R Wallace 1-6, J McInnis 1-3, D 
Stoudamire 3-4, Q Woods 1-2, R Patterson 
0-1). Team Rebounds: 9. Blocked Shots:1 (Q 
Woods). Turnovers:9 (Q Woods 3, Z Randolph 2,
V Stepania 2, D Stoudamire, J McInnis). 
Steals: 9 (R Wallace 4, D Stoudamire 2, R 
Patterson, Z Randolph, Q Woods).

-------------------------------------------
HOUSTON              27  12  18  21   -  78
PORTLAND             16  26  22  21   -  85
------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: Portland - 1 (Defensive 
Three, 2:55 3rd).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 16,898. T: 2:27. 
Officials: Bill Kennedy, Eddie F. Rush, 
Violet Palmer.

Extended Box

 

HOUSTON (78) AT PORTLAND (85)

HOUSTON

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
K CATO            F    27    0-5      4-6      5   6  11    2   4   0   2    4
J JACKSON         F    38    6-13     0-1      0   6   6    4   1   0   2   14
Y MING            C    37    7-12     7-8      3   6   9    1   3   0   2   21
C MOBLEY          G    40    7-13     0-0      0   6   6    2   4   1   3   17
S FRANCIS         G    41    2-9      0-0      1   6   7    7   3   2   3    4
M TAYLOR               25    6-11     1-2      1   1   2    0   3   0   3   13
B NACHBAR              17    1-5      0-0      0   0   0    0   3   1   0    3
M NORRIS                9    0-0      0-0      0   1   1    2   1   0   0    0
T BRAGGS                6    1-2      0-0      1   1   2    0   1   0   1    2
J AMAECHI             DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
S PADGETT             DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
M WILKS               DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   30-70    12-17    11  33  44   18  23   4  16   78
                            (.429)  (.706)  TEAM REBS:  7 TOTAL TO: 17 (20 PTS)    

PORTLAND

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
R WALLACE         F    39    4-14     5-6      0   6   6    3   5   4   0   14
Z RANDOLPH        F    43    6-19     9-11     3   5   8    3   3   1   2   21
D DAVIS           C    16    1-1      2-2      1   2   3    0   3   0   0    4
J MCINNIS         G    34    3-13     1-2      1   0   1    5   1   0   1    8
D STOUDAMIRE      G    40    8-13     4-4      1   4   5    7   1   2   1   23
V STEPANIA             16    1-5      1-2      4   1   5    1   3   0   2    3
Q WOODS                29    2-10     0-0      2   6   8    0   0   1   3    5
M CARROLL               2    0-1      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    0
R PATTERSON            20    3-6      1-1      5   3   8    1   1   1   0    7
R BOUMTJE-BOUMTJ        1    0-0      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    0
B WELLS               DNP  - SUSPENDED BY TEAM                                        
  
TOTALS                240   28-82    23-28    17  27  44   20  17   9   9   85
                            (.341)  (.821)  TEAM REBS:  9 TOTAL TO: 9 (15 PTS)     
  
   HOUSTON            27   12   18   21   -   78
   PORTLAND           16   26   22   21   -   85
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: HOUSTON - Y MING 2, J JACKSON, M TAYLOR, K CATO, C MOBLEY,
B NACHBAR.  PORTLAND - Q WOODS.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: HOUSTON 6-18 (.333), J JACKSON 2-8, C MOBLEY 3-
5, S FRANCIS 0-2, B NACHBAR 1-3. PORTLAND 6-16 (.375), R WALLACE 1-
6, J MCINNIS 1-3, D STOUDAMIRE 3-4, Q WOODS 1-2, R PATTERSON 0-1.
TECHNICAL FOULS: PORTLAND - DEFENSIVE THREE.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: BILL KENNEDY, EDDIE F. RUSH, VIOLET PALMER.
A - 16,898. T - 2:27.

Game Story

PORTLAND, Oregon (Ticker) -- After being shut down, Steve 
Francis would not shut up.

Francis capped an awful game with a shouting match with several
members of the Portland Trail Blazers, who made all the clutch
shots down the stretch of an 85-78 victory over the Houston
Rockets.

A two-time All-Star guard, Francis made just 2-of-9 shots and
did not get to the free-throw line, scoring just four points as
he was hounded by Trail Blazers Jeff McInnis, Damon Stoudamire
and Ruben Patterson.

After Stoudamire made two free throws for an 85-76 lead with 38
seconds to go, Francis missed a 3-pointer.  McInnis could have
dribbled out the clock, but missed a jumper.

Francis made a steal and went in for a meaningless layup at the
buzzer.  After the horn, he had heated words with Portland
forward Qyntel Woods and had to be pulled away from McInnis.

"I was just talking to my team, getting them going, and he must
have taken something outta that," Woods said.  "Maybe because he
was having a bad game, I don't know, but I was talking to my
team."

"They were just talking at the line, jawing at each other, and
it just kinda escalated from there," McInnis said.

Francis refused to disclose what was said between himself and
Woods.

"Go ask that kid over there in Portland," Francis said.  "There
are just certain things that you do not say."

"I don't know or care (what happened)," said Trail Blazers coach
Maurice Cheeks, whose club improved to 7-1 at home.

McInnis and Stoudamire combined to score Portland's last 14
points, holding off a rally by Houston.

"I hit some shots against Miami (on Wednesday) that were big and
that carried over to this game," said Stoudamire, who had 23
points and seven assists.  "I just want to continue the things
that I've been doing."

Stoudamire's 3-pointer and jumper around a basket by Houston's
Maurice Taylor widened a one-point lead to 78-74 with 2:34 to
play.  McInnis followed with a 3-pointer and jumper for an 83-74
bulge with a minute left.

"I was struggling all game, but my teammates said, 'Keep your
head up, you're gonna make a big shot for us,'" said McInnis,
who scored eight points on just 3-of-13 shooting.  "That's what
I did."

Zach Randolph scored 21 points for Portland, which shot a
season-low 34 percent (28-of-82).  Yao Ming had 21 points and
nine rebounds for Houston, which wasted an early 13-point lead.

"We played a great first quarter and a very poor last three,"
Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said.  "When you hold a team on the
road to 34 percent, you should win the game."