NBA: Jalen Green guides Rockets to OT win over Lakers

Rookie Jalen Green scored 13 consecutive Houston points bridging the fourth quarter and overtime, and the Rockets pulled away for a 139-130 win over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers.

Green scored a season-high 32 points, including the first seven of the Rockets' 10-0 blitz that opened the extra period. He finished 13 of 21 from the floor but had ample help as seven Rockets scored in double figures.

Fellow rookies Josh Christopher and Alperen Sengun scored 21 points apiece, with Sengun adding 14 rebounds to his season-best point total. Kenyon Martin Jr. (17 points, 11 rebounds) also recorded a double-double for Houston, which was missing two starters and entered on a 2-17 skid.

LeBron James posted his fifth triple-double of the season with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists for Los Angeles. Russell Westbrook added 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists, but the Lakers allowed the Rockets to shoot 51 percent from the floor, including 17 of 40 (42.5 percent) from 3-point range.

The Lakers hit 46.5 percent of their field-goal attempts and 18 of 47 (38.3 percent) from long distance while losing for the sixth time in seven games.

Green pulled the Rockets even by sinking two free throws with 2:22 left in regulation, then lifted Houston to a 120-118 lead with an 18-foot pullup with 2:02 remaining.

James delivered one of his four blocks, rejecting Sengun in the post before feeding Westbrook for a game-tying jumper at the 1:09 mark. Westbrook and James then combined to thwart Green on a drive to the basket, with James following some physical Westbrook defense with another block.

After the Rockets had what was a seven-point lead shaved to 82-81 on a pair of free throws by Austin Reeves (17 points) at the 6:15 mark of the third quarter, Houston surged back ahead 91-83 when Dennis Schroeder fed Sengun for a dunk.

The Lakers closed the period with a flurry and reclaimed the lead just prior to the buzzer when they turned three offensive rebounds into an extended possession following a missed free throw. D.J. Augustin converted the final offensive board with a 16-foot jumper for a 98-97 lead.

James (knee) was questionable to play after missing the Lakers' loss in San Antonio on Monday.

-reuters-

NBA: Kawhi Leonard pours in 31 as Clippers clobber Rockets

Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points and dished out eight assists Friday as the Los Angeles Clippers earned their fourth victory in a row, a 126-109 decision over the visiting Houston Rockets.

Reggie Jackson finished with 26 points, Nicolas Batum added 17 and Terance Mann totaled 16 points and nine rebounds for Los Angeles. Clippers forward Paul George didn't play as the team gave him a rest following consecutive 30-plus-point outings, and Rajon Rondo (adductor soreness) also sat out.

Houston had six players in double figures, led by Christian Wood with 23 points. 

Jae'Sean Tate finished with 18 points, Sterling Brown added 15, Kevin Porter Jr. totaled 14 points and 13 assists, Kenyon Martin Jr. added 14 points and Kelly Olynyk contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds.

The Rockets, who lost for the sixth time in seven games, rested John Wall ahead of a Saturday game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco. Wall has a lingering left Achilles injury.

The Clippers trailed by 10 points after the first quarter as the Rockets came out with energy.

However, Los Angeles outscored Houston 41-10 in the second quarter to take a 21-point lead into halftime, and the Clippers never fell behind again.

The 10 points were the fewest the Clippers have given up in a quarter this season and the fewest Houston has scored in a second quarter this year.

The Rockets cut Los Angeles' advantage to five points on D.J. Augustin's 3-pointer with 7:07 left in the game. 

The Clippers responded by scoring the next eight points to push their lead back to double digits, and they held off the Rockets the rest of the way.

The Clippers had to adjust the starting lineup with the team announcing that Patrick Beverley sustained a fractured left hand that required surgery. 

Beverley, who will be out at least three weeks, was hurt chasing down a rebound in the fourth quarter of L.A.'s win over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.

With Beverley unavailable, Jackson returned to the starting lineup at point guard, and he finished 6 of 9 from 3-point range.

-reuters-

NBA: Harden keeps streak alive as Rockets stop Raptors

James Harden extended his streak of consecutive 30-point games to 22 but had plenty of help as the Houston Rockets claimed a 121-119, wire-to-wire victory over the visiting Toronto Raptors.

Harden continued his recent struggles from behind the 3-point line, missing 11 of 13 attempts. However, he relied on a variety of floaters and a 15-for-15 performance from the free-throw line to produce a game-high 35 points.

Harden added seven assists as the Rockets, with all five starters scoring in double figures, claimed back-to-back victories for the first time this month.

Things got dicey at the end. Harden gave Houston a 119-108 lead with two free throws at the 1:19 mark, then Toronto closed with a dramatic 11-2 run.

Kawhi Leonard (32 points, seven rebounds, five assists) misfired on a 3-pointer at the buzzer, and the Rockets held on to win.

Kenneth Faried, making his home debut for the Rockets, posted an energetic double-double (21 points, 14 rebounds). Eric Gordon added 24 points, P.J. Tucker 18 and Austin Rivers 13 for Houston.

Toronto dropped back-to-back games for the first time since mid-December. Pascal Siakam totaled 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Raptors while Danny Green added 22 points.

From the start, it was clear that Harden wouldn't have to do it alone. Gordon and Tucker tallied eight points apiece in the first quarter, with Tucker connecting on a pair of 3s.

Gordon played assertively all over, closing the scoring in the opening frame with a thunderous dunk.

When Gordon hit a 3 at the 9:41 mark of the second, Houston led 40-22. The Rockets stretched their advantage to 22 points roughly 90 seconds later before Toronto finally decided to make a run.

Reserve guard Fred VanVleet ignited the rally with consecutive three-point plays and Houston went cold after Rivers converted a floater for a 52-32 lead with 6:54 left in the half.

Leonard and Green worked in tandem dragging the Raptors back into contention, with Green catching fire from the perimeter while Leonard scored in a variety of ways.

Toronto closed within six on a Green 3 at the 2:20 mark, and when Leonard followed three Harden free throws with a twisting, contorting 3 against solid defense, Toronto trailed 70-61 at the break.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Harden's triple-double powers Rockets past Grizzlies

James Harden recorded a triple-double, and the Houston Rockets completed an unbeaten month at home with a 113-101 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

Harden posted 43 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists to drag the Rockets to their 10th victory in 11 games overall and cap a 9-0 mark at Toyota Center in December.

Harden recorded his fourth consecutive 40-plus-point game and set an NBA record with his 10th successive 30-plus-point, five-plus-assist effort, though he did commit nine turnovers.

The Rockets, who led by as many as 24 points, improved to 5-5 without guard Chris Paul.

Clint Capela chipped in a double-double (19 points, 13 rebounds) while Gerald Green added 18 points and five rebounds off the bench. Danuel House Jr. scored 16 points and hit 4 of 6 3-point attempts for Houston, which finished 18 of 41 from behind the arc. 

The Grizzlies went 6-for-25 on treys.

Memphis lost 10 of 15 games in December. Kyle Anderson paced the Grizzlies with 20 points despite going 0-for-6 from the free-throw line. Mike Conley tallied 19 points, and JaMychal Green added 17 off the bench. 

Marc Gasol recorded a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Just when it appeared that Houston had complete control, the Grizzlies closed the third period with a 14-3 run that sliced the deficit from 24 points to 86-73 entering the fourth quarter. 

Gasol initiated that rally with a 3-pointer and added a layup off a pick-and-roll to breathe life into Memphis.

The 3-point discrepancy paced the Rockets' runout to the lead. While Memphis converted only 2 of 6 from behind the arc in the first quarter, seven of the Rockets' nine first-quarter field goals came from deep.

And with the Grizzlies trapping Harden early, he was secondarily involved in the outburst, posting six assists against only four attempts in the opening frame.

Green was the beneficiary, hitting 4 of 6 treys for 12 first-period points to spark the breakaway.

Harden was the linchpin when Houston extended its lead in the second, pouring in 20 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the period. 

His 3-pointer built the advantage to 45-28 at the 4:31 mark, and he added a floater, three free throws and back-to-back treys inside the final 1:37 of the half, the last hoop beating the buzzer and extending the lead to 61-38 at the break.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Harden, Rockets rally past Thunder

James Harden recorded his seventh consecutive 30-plus-point game Tuesday, but when he needed scoring help down the stretch, he got it as the Houston Rockets rallied for a 113-109 win over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder.

Harden finished with a game-high 41 points plus six rebounds and seven assists.

However, a crucial stretch came with Harden either on the bench or facilitating, as the Rockets flipped an 88-86 deficit entering the fourth quarter into a 102-95 lead before Harden scored more than halfway through the final period.

Clint Capela (16 points, 23 rebounds) threw down a pair of dunks before Eric Gordon (17 points) converted a driving layup that extended the Houston lead to seven points.

Guard Austin Rivers, one day after signing with the Rockets, subsequently drilled a pair of 3-pointers to keep the Thunder at bay.

Rivers scored 10 points in 31 minutes off the bench while P.J. Tucker added 11 points and seven boards for the Rockets, who won a second consecutive game without Chris Paul (hamstring). Houston has won seven of its past eight games overall.

Paul George paced the Thunder with 28 points and 14 rebounds while Russell Westbrook chipped in 21 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Steven Adams added 17 points and seven boards for Oklahoma City, which surprisingly finished at a deficit (54-52) on the boards.

What the Rockets established early was their determination on the glass against one of the best rebounding teams in the league. Capela was particularly instrumental, grabbing six rebounds to go along with six first-quarter points to set the tone for Houston.

The Rockets shot just 38.5 percent in the opening frame yet didn't crater defensively despite allowing the Thunder to grab seven offensive boards. Oklahoma City converted those second opportunities into only three points.

The Thunder didn't need second-chance points in the second period, shooting a blistering 16 of 25 overall with 26 points in the paint and seven in transition.

Oklahoma City extended to an 11-point lead and forced seven turnovers in the frame, scoring from every conceivable angle.

However, while Adams and Westbrook combined for 28 first-half points, Harden kept the Rockets within range.

After the Thunder built a 48-38 lead on an Adams alley-oop dunk, Harden converted two free throws, a jumper at the elbow and a 3-pointer in succession.

An additional Harden floater and 3-pointer inside the final 42 seconds of the half enabled Houston to cut the deficit to eight by the break.

The Thunder took their second loss in a row following a four-game winning streak.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Harden drops 39, Rockets fend off Spurs without Paul

James Harden recorded his sixth consecutive 30-point effort and the Houston Rockets earned their first victory without Chris Paul, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 108-101 on Saturday at Toyota Center.

Behind a stellar performance from DeMar DeRozan, the Spurs erased a 17-point, fourth-quarter deficit and led 97-96 on consecutive 3-pointers from Derrick White and Rudy Gay, the latter coming with 3:03 to play.

But Harden answered with a 3-pointer 24 seconds later and, after DeRozan countered with a driving layup, Eric Gordon sank a 3 following critical offensive rebounds from Clint Capela and P.J. Tucker.

Harden added a step-back 3 over White and three free throws after drawing the foul from White on the ensuing possession as Houston snapped the Spurs' three-game winning streak.

DeRozan scored 12 of his 28 points in a scintillating third quarter, a frame in which the Rockets shot 9 of 13 on 3-pointers. LaMarcus Aldridge added 18 points for the Spurs while Gay had 13.

Harden paired 39 points with 10 assists. Capela dominated on the interior for the Rockets with 21 points and a season-high 23 rebounds. Gordon scored 18 while Gerald Green added 15 off the bench on 4-of-4 3-point shooting in the third quarter.

Harden made his intentions clear in the first quarter, hoisting 10 shots in an attempt to fill the void left by Paul. The Rockets were particularly assertive from behind the arc, shooting 6 of 14 on 3s to stave off what was another strong tandem performance from Aldridge and DeRozan.

But in the second quarter, the offense fell apart for both teams. The Rockets didn't score until the 6:44 mark when Harden converted a challenging driving layup crossing the paint from right to left. That snapped the Spurs' 10-0 run and cut the deficit to 34-30. Houston managed to shoot a paltry 5 for 21 in the period but the Spurs failed to take advantage, going 7 for 22.

The third quarter featured another swing of the shooting pendulum, with DeRozan offsetting the Rockets' torrid perimeter shooting almost singlehandedly via determined forays to the rim.

--Field Level Media

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Harden's 50-point triple-double lifts Rockets past Lakers

James Harden recorded a 50-point triple-double and came through during a decisive stretch in the fourth quarter to lift the host Houston Rockets to a 126-111 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

In what was a signature win for the Rockets, Harden posted 50 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists to thwart the Lakers, who were 6-1 in their previous games.

With Houston clinging to a 109-106 lead following an explosive dunk by the Lakers' Kyle Kuzma with 4:16 to go, Harden sank three free throws before drilling consecutive 3-pointers. 

The last one rolled in after a tantalizing dance on the rim, extending the advantage to 12 points. Harden accomplished the scoring flurry just 54 seconds.

Kuzma scored 24 points and handed out five assists to complement another strong performance from LeBron James, who tallied 29 points on 12-of-18 shooting. 

Lance Stephenson scored 17 points off the bench while Josh Hart chipped in 15 points for the Lakers, who were partially undone by their 15-of-27 effort from the free-throw line.

The Rockets got a double-double from Clint Capela (16 points, 14 rebounds) while Danuel House delivered 15 points in 29 minutes off the bench. Chris Paul added 14 points, nine assists and three steals.

Harden and James treated the raucous sellout crowd to the fireworks most everyone craved in the first quarter, initiating a riveting back-and-forth battle between the former league MVPs.

Harden posted 13 points in the opening frame, following a thunderous dunk over JaVale McGee with a four-point play after absorbing a foul from Hart while drilling a 30-footer at the 8:32 mark.

James countered with nine points on only five shot attempts, converting an alley-oop dunk and a 3-pointer after the Rockets extended to an early six-point advantage. 

What hurt the Rockets early against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, an inability to corral defensive rebounds, wasn't an issue in the first period against the Lakers, who failed to secure one offensive board while Houston built a 29-24 lead after the opening quarter.

Paul provided some assistance with a dozen points in the second quarter to continually stave off the Lakers, who finally provided James support in the form of Kuzma and McGee (11 points total). 

When the Lakers closed within 54-53 with just under two minutes remaining in the half, Paul responded with a 3-pointer and three free throws, and Houston carried a 62-56 lead into the intermission.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Thunder shut down Rockets for 7th win in a row

Paul George had 20 points and 11 rebounds as the Oklahoma City Thunder won their seventh consecutive game, beating the visiting Houston Rockets 98-80 on Thursday night.

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak by the Rockets, who were led by James Harden's 19 points. But Harden was just 7 of 19 from the floor and 4 of 12 from behind the 3-point line.

Houston's 80-point scoring effort was the lowest for an NBA team this season.

Steven Adams added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Thunder, while Terrance Ferguson hit four 3-pointers to score 14 points.

Both teams struggled from behind the 3-point line, though. Oklahoma City was 9 of 37 (24.3 percent) from beyond the arc while Houston was 11 of 42 (26.2 percent).

The Thunder were without Russell Westbrook for the second consecutive game after Westbrook suffered a sprained ankle in Monday's win over New Orleans.

But while the Thunder looked lost at times without Westbrook during the season's first two games as the star point guard returned from offseason knee surgery, Oklahoma City used defensive intensity to find a way to win without him this time around, holding the Rockets to just 37.8 percent from the field.

George also had six steals and six assists.

Oklahoma City closed out each of the first three quarters strong.

The Thunder scored the final 10 points of the first quarter to take a 29-19 lead early, then finished the second with a 21-6 run to lead by 14 at the break.

The third was low scoring overall but Oklahoma City still outscored the Rockets 14-5 over the final seven minutes to take a 20-point lead going into the fourth.

The game was the first for Carmelo Anthony in Oklahoma City since leaving the Thunder in an offseason trade, which wound up with him being bought out and eventually signing in Houston. 

He scored just two points, going 1 of 11 from the field in 20 minutes.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

SpaceX lands rocket on ocean platform for first time

MIAMI, United States – After four failed bids SpaceX finally stuck the landing Friday, powering the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket onto an ocean platform where it touched down upright after launching cargo to space.

Images of the tall, narrow rocket gliding down serenely onto a platform that SpaceX calls a droneship sparked applause and screams of joy at SpaceX mission control in Hawthorne, California.

"The first stage of the Falcon 9 just landed on our Of Course I Still Love You droneship," SpaceX wrote on Twitter, after launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 4:43 pm (2043 GMT).

Landing from the chase plane pic.twitter.com/2Q5qCaPq9P

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 8, 2016

 NASA spokesman George Diller confirmed that the rocket had successfully landed, just minutes after the Falcon 9 propelled the unmanned Dragon cargo craft to orbit, carrying supplies for astronauts at the International Space Station.

SpaceX has once before managed to set the rocket down on land, but ocean attempts had failed, with the rocket coming close each time but either crashing or tipping over.

Speaking to reporters afterward, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said that being able to return costly rocket parts for repeated use, instead of jettisoning them into the ocean after each launch, will make spaceflight less expensive and less harmful to the environment.

"It is just as fundamental in rocketry as it is in other forms of transport such as cars or planes or bicycles or anything," said Musk, who also runs Tesla Motors.

Musk said it costs around $300,000 to fuel a rocket, but $60 million to build one.

"If you have got a rocket that can be fully and rapidly reused, it is somewhere on the order of a 100-fold cost reduction, in marginal costs," he said, adding that he hoped his competitors would follow suit.

Obama leads praise

President Barack Obama led the praise, tweeting: "Congrats SpaceX on landing a rocket at sea. It's because of innovators like you & NASA that America continues to lead in space exploration."

Also on Twitter, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield said: "Landed! That is amazing! World-leading ability, proven.

"Opens the imagination to what is possible."

    Congrats SpaceX on landing a rocket at sea. It's because of innovators like you & NASA that America continues to lead in space exploration.

 — President Obama (@POTUS) April 8, 2016


Friday's breakthrough came after a closely watched return-to-flight mission, SpaceX's first cargo delivery since June 2015, when the Falcon 9 exploded just over two minutes after liftoff, destroying the rocket and the supply ship.

SpaceX blamed the blast on a faulty strut in the Falcon 9's upper booster, which allowed a helium bottle to snap loose, causing the explosion of the rocket, cargo ship and all its contents.

It has since upgraded its Falcon 9 rocket and changed its protocol to avoid a repeat.

This time, the gumdrop-shaped capsule was packed with nearly 7,000 pounds (3,100 kilos) of supplies for the astronauts living in orbit.

The Dragon's cargo includes an inflatable space room astronauts will test in microgravity.

Known as the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, the chamber will be temporarily attached to the space station.

Lab mice for experiments and lettuce seeds for growing at the orbiting outpost were also included in the spacecraft, which should arrive at the International Space Station early Sunday.

'Proven it can work'

Musk said the rocket was being welded onto the droneship with metal shoes, so as not to tip over as it made its way back to land.

Next, the booster will undergo a series of tests, including 10 static fires on the launchpad, before engineers decide if it is in good enough shape to fly again.

If so, the next launch of the same booster could be in the next two to three months, Musk said.

"In the future, hopefully we will be able to relaunch them in a few weeks."

In the meantime, SpaceX will keep working on perfecting its landing techniques, whether on ocean or solid ground, since both options need to be available to suit different types of missions.

Musk said about half of SpaceX's rockets will need to land at sea, and it might take a few years to work out all the kinks.

"But I think it is proven that it can work," he said.

"We will get it to a point where it is routine to bring it back and the only changes to the rocket are to hose it down, give it a wash, add the propellant and fly it again."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

N. Korea fires 10 rockets into sea - official

SEOUL - North Korea Sunday test-fired ten rockets into the sea, South Korea's defense ministry said, the latest in a series of launches that have provoked criticism from Seoul and Washington.

The rockets were fired off the North's east coast and flew about 70 kilometers (42 miles) into the Sea of Japan (East Sea), a ministry spokesman said.

"Following the North's rocket launch at 6:20 pm (0920 GMT), our military has maintained a close watch for possible North Korean provocations," he said.

Yonhap news agency earlier reported that 10 short-range missiles were fired.

South Korean troops have increased vigilance following a series of rocket or missile launches in late February and this month.

The activity coincides with annual South Korean-US military exercises that started in February and will run until mid-April.

Pyongyang routinely condemns such war games as rehearsals for an invasion, while Seoul and Washington say they are purely defensive.

"We urge North Korea to stop provocative activities that will heighten military tension across the border," the spokesman said.

The North has defended its missile and rocket tests as justifiable self-defense drills.

South Korea has called the launches a "reckless provocation" while Washington urged Pyongyang to halt the tests immediately, saying they risked inflaming regional tensions.

Sunday's rocket launch came two days after the North's National Defense Commission threatened to demonstrate its nuclear deterrence.

Analysts said the comments could indicate the regime is preparing to carry out a fourth atomic test.

"Additional measures will be taken to demonstrate its might one after another as long as the US nuclear threat and blackmail persist as now", the commission said in a statement.

"The US had better roll back its worn-out hostile policy towards (North Korea) as soon as possible and shape a new realistic policy before it is too late."

North Korea and its main ally China want a resumption of six-party talks on the North's nuclear weapons program. But the United States and South Korea both insist that Pyongyang first demonstrate some tangible commitment to abandoning nuclear weapons.

The North carried out nuclear tests in 2006, 2009 and in February last year.

Analysts in Seoul said it was now mulling three options -- a fourth nuclear test, the firing of a long-range rocket or the disclosure of progress in its program to enrich uranium.

Despite tensions over the drills and the North's missile tests, cross-border ties are currently enjoying an upswing.

The two Koreas recently held the first reunion for more than three years of families divided by the Korean War -- an event that raised hopes of greater cooperation.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com