Rockets defeat SuperSonics 111-107
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-04-13 14:36

Mark Jackson made a rare start and scored a season-high 25 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 111-107 win over the Seattle SuperSonics on Monday night.

Houston locked up the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Houston Rockets' Yao Ming, of China, left, is fouled by Seattle SuperSonics' Vitaly Potapenko, of Ukraine, in the second half Monday, April 12, 2004, in Seattle. Ming had 20 points in the Rockets' 111-107 victory. [AP]

Jackson, who signed with Houston as free agent on Jan. 15, entered the game with a 1.9-point scoring average and had made only three of his 33 3-point attempts this season. He made three from beyond the arc and shot 14-of-17 from the free throw line.

Houston has won three of its last four games, while Seattle has dropped seven of nine.

Six Rockets reached double figures. Yao Ming had 20 points, Jim Jackson scored 18 of his 22 points in the first quarter, Maurice Taylor had 16, Scott Padgett added 12 and Bostjan Nachbar had 11.

The Rockets were without their usual starting guard tandem of Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley. Francis has been suffering from a sprained right wrist and inflammation in his left elbow. Mobley has a left shoulder contusion, which he got while setting a pick at Utah on Saturday.

Houston led 81-61 with 4:54 to play in the third quarter, but the Sonics made a furious fun in the fourth quarter.

Seattle made three straight 3-pointers, one each by Vladimir Radmanovic, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, before Lewis caught a fast-break lob from Ronald Murray for a dunk that trimmed Houston's advantage to 98-94 with 3:45 to play.

Nachbar hit a 3-pointer with 30.9 left. Radmanovic responded with another 3-pointer with 12.8 to make it 105-103.

Mark Jackson and Jim Jackson combined to make five free throws in the final 12 seconds to keep the Rockets in front.

The Sonics were led by Murray's 24 points. Allen and Radmanovic had 21 points apiece. Vitaly Potapenko added 12 and Lewis 11.

Notes@: Before the game, a small plane flying over downtown Seattle had a banner trailing behind it that read: Go Sonics - Fire Wally Walker!, referring to the team's president. ... Seattle placed F Leon Smith on the injured list with a sprained left ankle. He was replaced by Radmanovic, who had been on the injured list since April 2 with a sprained right ankle. ... The Sonics were 21-20 at home, their worst home winning percentage since going 20-21 in 1984-85. ... Houston F Kelvin Cato did not play. Nachbar made his second start of the season.

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