Agencies/Los Angeles
The Houston Rockets have championship aspirations while the woeful New York Knicks continue to turn the Big Apple rotten.
League top scorer James Harden tossed in 25 points in just three quarters, Trevor Ariza added 18, and the visiting Rockets extended the Knicks’ franchise-record losing streak to 14 Thursday with a 120-96 victory.
Asked how the Rockets prepared for the league-worst Knicks filled with untested youngsters and players on 10-day contracts, Harden said “We have one goal at the end of the season and that’s to be champions.”
“We can’t play down to our competition.”
Lithuania’s Donatas Motiejunas netted 17 points, Patrick Beverly had 14 while Dwight Howard collected 13 with 10 rebounds for Houston (24-11) which hit 16-of-36 from behind the arc and led by as many as 27 en route to its 12th straight victory in the series.
Reserves Travis Wear had 21 points, Langston Galloway had 19 and Cleanthony Early added 16 for the short-handed Knicks (5-34), losers of 11 consecutive home games and 24 of their last 25 overall.
“I see frustration, I see disappointment,” said Knicks rookie coach Derek Fisher, whose club hasn’t won since beating Boston on December 12. “None of us is enjoying losing at all.”
It’s gotten so embarrassing at Madison Square Garden that five young adults sat behind the baseline near the Rockets bench, each wearing brown paper bags over their heads in protest over the Knicks’ play.
“We’re doing this because the Knicks are the worst team,” one of the bag-wearers, 18-year-old James Martucci told the New York Daily News. “It’s not fair what they’re doing. They’re terrible. And Carmelo should be playing. Why isn’t he playing?”
With their top scorer Carmelo Anthony missing his fifth straight game because of a sore left knee, the Knicks trailed 56-42 at halftime as Harden and Ariza combined for 32 points.
The deficit grew to 24 behind Howard’s 11 third-quarter points.
With Houston comfortably ahead, 93-69 entering the final frame, Harden was done for the night, as well as diehard Knicks fan and film director Spike Lee, who was long gone, as the Rockets coasted home with the lopsided win.
“They’re going through a tough time, but they’ll turn it around soon,” Harden said.
Elsewhere, LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points with 12 rebounds, Wesley Matthews netted 18, and the Trail Blazers beat the visiting Heat 99-83 for their sixth win in the last seven games.
Trailing by five at the break, Portland (28-8) opened on a 17-3 run and outscored its guests 33-16 in the pivotal third quarter, with Aldridge dropping in 10 for a 76-64 lead.
The gap grew to as much as 23 in the final frame, as the Trail Blazers improved to 16-2 at home.
Dwyane Wade netted 23 points and Chris Bosh added 18 for Miami (15-21) losers in five of its last six games.
Gerald Henderson dropped in a season-high 31 points, Kemba Walker added 29, and the visiting Hornets (14-24) trimmed the suddenly-slumping Raptors 103-95 for their fourth straight victory.
The Raptors cut an early 11-point deficit to 99-95 with 42.3 seconds remaining. But Walker hit a jumper with 19.6 seconds left to seal the victory.
Kyle Lowry had 24 points and Lou Williams added 15 for Toronto (24-11) which suffered a season-high fourth straight loss.