• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Johnson, Nets down Rockets

Apr 2, 2014 - 5:55 AM Brooklyn, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Joe Johnson had 32 points and the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Houston Rockets, 105-96, at Barclays Center.

Johnson was 13-of-21 from the field and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc for the Nets, who have won three in a row and seven of their last nine.

"He is by far the guy that's been the most consistent this season," Nets head coach Jason Kidd said of Johnson.

Shaun Livingston supplied 17 points and six rebounds and Deron Williams added 12 points and six assists in the triumph.

James Harden sunk all 16 of his foul shots and finished with 26 points for the Rockets, while Omer Asik tallied 12 points and 23 rebounds in place of Dwight Howard, who sat with a left ankle sprain.

"We let them get too comfortable early in the game. They got it going and it was tough," Harden said.

Chandler Parsons provided 16 points, eight boards and four helpers for Houston, which has dropped back-to-back games on the heels of a five-game winning streak.

Asik split a pair of foul shots to pull Houston within 67-65 with 7:51 left in the third quarter before the Nets seized control of the contest with an 11-2 run. Johnson capped the burst with a jumper and triple on consecutive trips down the floor, giving Brooklyn a 78-67 advantage with 4:01 left in the frame.

Francisco Garcia and Parsons then knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to jump-start a 12-2 Houston surge, which Omri Casspi finished with a jumper to pull Houston within 80-79.

Brooklyn, though, answered back with another flurry that bled into the fourth.

After Johnson hit a trey to give the Nets an 83-79 edge after three, Andray Blatche sunk 1-of-2 free throws and Mirza Teletovic knocked down a triple to extend the margin to 87-79.

The Rockets didn't have another run in them and never got within less than six the rest of the way.

Earlier, the Nets led 29-24 after a quarter of play and 54-51 at the break.

Game Notes

The Nets shot 53 percent (44-of-83) from the floor, while Houston finished 38.1 percent (32-of-84) from the field ... Jeremy Lin had 16 points for the Rockets.