A day after suffering a crippling defeat at the hands of the much-improved Sacramento Kings at Toyota Center, the Houston Rockets went on the road Wednesday night to take on the New Orleans Hornets.
There was no doubt that the Rockets sorely needed a victory if they were to have any chance at chasing down the Memphis Grizzlies, who led Houston by three games in the western conference playoff race. But tough, physical play by the Hornets in the second half sealed the deal for New Orleans, beating the Rockets 101-93 and clinching a playoff spot.
Shooting 7-of-17 from the field, Kevin Martin led all Rockets with 21 points. Luis Scola, Houston's most dependable low post threat, added another double-double to his season statistics and scored 16 points while pulling down 10 rebounds. But Kyle Lowry, who had been playing the best basketball of his career, had a forgettable game, scoring only eight points on 3-of-11 from the floor.
With only three games to play in the 2010-2011 NBA season, the Houston Rockets now trail the Memphis Grizzlies by three and a half games. And all the Grizzlies have to do to lock up the last playoff seed in the western conference is win one of their last four games.
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