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Martin leads Rockets over Grizzlies

Dec 18, 2010 - 7:57 AM Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Kevin Martin scored 34 points, and Kyle Lowry supplied 17 points and a career-high 18 assists in Houston's 103-87 victory over Memphis at Toyota Center.

Luis Scola added 23 points and nine rebounds while Shane Battier chipped in with 17 points, 10 boards and five assists for the Rockets, who have won three of their last four.

"We just go out and play aggressive," Lowry said. "We do a very good job of scouting them. We know what we can get. We just play to our strengths."

Houston's decisive win came after it had found out earlier in the day that center Yao Ming was lost for the season with a stress fracture in his left ankle.

Yao wound up playing in just five games this season after missing the entire 2009-10 campaign following surgery on his left foot, averaging 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in slightly more than 18 minutes per contest.

Rudy Gay and Sam Young scored 19 points apiece, and Zach Randolph contributed 13 points and nine rebounds for the Grizzlies, who had won four straight.

Martin scored 20 as the Rockets raced out to a 34-13 lead after the first 12 minutes and never looked back in beating the visitors for a seventh straight meeting since the end of the 2008-09 season.

The lead grew to 43-13 just over two minutes into the second quarter and didn't dip below 22 for the remainder of the half as the Rockets took a 61-33 advantage at the intermission.

Houston shot 56.4 percent in the first half while the Grizzlies connected on just 12-of-41 attempts for 29.3 percent.

Memphis did not draw closer than 22 in the third quarter before it finally whittled the deficit to 17 with under seven minutes to play.

Game Notes

Martin made 13-of-21 shots, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc...Lowry's previous career best in assists was 12, accomplished four times, last against Detroit on December 7...The Rockets made 10-of-22 from long distance while the Grizzlies hit on just 2-of-5...Memphis shot just 36.5 percent from the floor and had only 12 assists on 31 made buckets...Gay made 8-of-14 shots while Marc Gasol connected on only 2-of-16 and finished with 10 points in defeat.