|
|
 |
 |   |
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE | |
HOUSTON (Ticker) -- Steve Francis did not let four subpar quarters stop him from leading the Houston Rockets to victory. Francis scored seven of his 23 points in overtime as the Rockets posted an 89-84 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in the season opener for both teams. After making just 4-of-17 shots in regulation, Francis completed a three-point play that put Houston ahead for good, 79-76, just 28 seconds into the extra session. "I was a bit frustrated with my shooting but sometimes they don't go down," he said. "You are going to have those games where you can't put it in the ocean but we got tough down the stretch." The Hawks stayed close as a follow shot by Theo Ratliff cut their deficit to 83-80 with 44 seconds to go. But Francis, who also grabbed 13 rebounds, nailed an 11-foot jumper for a five-point edge with 25 seconds left. Both teams had chances to snap a 76-76 tie in the final 30 seconds of regulation. Newcomer Shareef Abdur-Rahim turned over the ball with 28 seconds left for the Hawks and Houston set up for a final shot. "We had an opportunity to win it," Abdur-Rahim said. "It was a hard-fought game and there were plays to make but we didn't execute them. I have to be strong with the ball and I have to do better. There are no excuses." The Rockets isolated Francis, who drove to the basket, but Abdur-Rahim blocked his layup with four seconds left -- one on the shot clock. Houston's Kevin Willis missed a contested jumper from the foul line and Atlanta failed to get a clean look at the basket as time expired. Cuttino Mobley scored 21 points and Kenny Thomas had 13 for Houston, which survived a fourth-quarter field goal drought of more than seven minutes. Kelvin Cato had 12 rebounds and made a key basket in overtime for the Rockets, who held a 52-47 edge on the glass. "I thought we did a good job and I can't say enough about how Cato played down the stretch," Francis said. "That shot he made, the blocks, everything." Houston struggled offensively for most of the night, shooting only 39 percent (33-of-84). The Rockets received little scoring from its frontcourt and settled for numerous long jumpers. Glen Rice, acquired from New York for Shandon Anderson, made 3-of-9 shots for six points. "We played good and the hustle was there," Mobley said. "It's going to take time before we can really get it going. The more time we have together, the better we will get the feel for each other." The Hawks jumped to an early 10-point lead but the Rockets battled back and took a 10-point lead of their own at 58-48 with 6:47 left as back-to-back dunks by Cato triggered a 9-0 run. A basket by Mobley with 8:27 left in the fourth quarter gave Houston a 70-64 lead. But Atlanta roared back with a 10-1 spurt for a three-point edge with three minutes to go. The Rockets responded with five straight points, including a resounding dunk by Thomas off a feed from Mobley for a 76-74 edge. Jason Terry then set up Abdur-Rahim for an easy basket to tie the game with 62 seconds to go. Abdur-Rahim collected 28 points and 18 rebounds in his debut for Atlanta. However, he committed six turnovers and failed to come through down the stretch. "Teams will guard Shareef like crazy and he has to learn and deal with that," Hawks coach Lon Kruger said. "Close ballgames call for players to deliver and we did not get that tonight." Emanual Davis scored 15 points for the Hawks but Terry shot 2-of-9 and Toni Kukoc went 1-of-6 to combine for 11 points. Ratliff had 12 points and eight rebounds for Atlanta.
|
