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Streaking Rockets defeat Pacers 91-83 Bob Sura scored 17 points and the Houston Rockets won their sixth straight game, holding the Indiana Pacers to a single point in the final 7 minutes in a 91-83 victory Friday night.
After trailing by 15 points, Indiana rallied to tie it at 82, with Reggie Miller hitting two 3-pointers. But the Pacers missed their final 12 shots as the Rockets pulled away in the closing minutes.
Indiana still had a chance after Jeff Foster hit one of two free throws with 2:51 to go, but Houston clinched the game with a free throw by Tracy McGrady and two foul shots by David Wesley.
Miller, who announced he will retire at the end of the season, came back into the game with a minute to go but missed his final shot, finishing 4-of-10 for the game. Jermaine O'Neal was even worse, going 7-of-23 and missing his last nine attempts.
McGrady and Yao Ming added 16 points each for Houston, Juwan Howard had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Wesley added 13 points. O'Neal and Stephen Jackson had 18 points apiece for the Pacers, Fred Jones finished with 14, and Miller and Anthony Johnson added 11 each.
The Rockets missed their first eight shots and got into early foul trouble as the Pacers scored the first eight points of the game. Jackson had 13 points in the opening period, including two free throws after McGrady's second foul, a basket on a goaltending call against Yao and a basket and free throw after Wesley's second foul.
Jackson left the game with his second foul with a minute left in the period, and Houston finished with an 11-4 run, taking its first lead at 29-28 on a 3-pointer by Ryan Bowen with 2 seconds to go.
There were four lead changes and three ties in the second quarter before two baskets by McGrady and two free throws by Howard put Houston in control. A 3-pointer by Wesley gave the Rockets a 53-46 lead at the half, then after two straight 3-pointers by Miller early in the third quarter, the Rockets began pulling away.
Consecutive 3-pointers by Wesley and Sura pushed the lead to 65-54, and the Rockets stretched it to 77-62 in the next two minutes before Yao left with his fourth foul.
Indiana closed to 80-70 at the end of the quarter and scored the first 10 of the final period, tying the game at 80 on a 3-pointer by Johnson. The last tie was at 82 before a basket by McGrady put Houston ahead to stay.
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