Warriors 96 - 99 Rockets
Final
  for this game

Rockets edge Warriors, playoff hopes still alive

Apr 22, 2012 - 5:18 AM Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Courtney Lee scored 20 points, while Goran Dragic added 18 points and seven assists as the Houston Rockets snapped a six- game slide with a 99-96 win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.

Luis Scola finished with 13 points and five boards for the Rockets, who are a full game behind Utah for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Jazz beat Orlando in overtime Saturday.

"We let six games go," Lee said of the losing streak. "Some of them we were in it down the stretch, we should have won them but we made mental mistakes."

The Rockets are also even with the Suns, who lost to Denver on Saturday, for ninth place.

Klay Thompson netted 24 points for the Warriors, losers of eight consecutive contests.

"He can put the ball on the floor and he's a under-rated passer, and he is good on the defensive end, he's going to be a heck of a player," Golden State head coach Mark Jackson said of Thompson.

Two Brandon Rush baskets sandwiched around a Lee three-pointer made it 96-92 in favor of the Rockets with 2:23 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Thompson's jumper pulled the Warriors within two before Chase Budinger made 1- of-2 from the foul line to make it 97-94 with 1:07 to go.

After Richard Jefferson turned the ball over at the other end, Patrick Patterson pulled down two crucial offensive rebounds and sealed the win with a tip-in, giving Houston a 99-94 advantage with 7.2 seconds to play.

"We got a fresh shot clock. We were able to waste some more time (off the clock). Then, he made a big play and he was able to tip it in," Lee said of Patterson's efforts during the final minute.

Earlier, Scola scored six points during a 10-0 Rockets run midway through the first quarter, which gave the hosts an 18-9 lead.

The Rockets led 31-21 after one, but the Warriors battled back to pull within 58-55 heading into the break after they outscored Houston, 34-27, in the second quarter.

Dragic netted seven points in the third and Houston took a 77-71 advantage into the fourth.

Game Notes

The Rockets tallied 22 second-chance points and held a 48-34 advantage on points in the paint...Houston was 10-of-26 from beyond the arc...The Rockets pulled down 15 offensive rebounds.






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