Rockets Shoot Down Nuggets

The Houston Rockets needed their 48-minute man to beat the Denver Nuggets.

Shandon Anderson played the entire game and had 26 points and 13 rebounds as the Houston Rockets won their season-high fifth straight with a 122-115 victory Thursday night.

Anderson was one short of his career high, rookie Steve Francis added 22 points and seven assists and Kenny Thomas had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Cuttino Mobley had 17 points.

Anderson went 4-for-5 from 3-point range.

"Shannon took advantage of the situation tonight," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "He was making his 3s when he got the open looks. It was his day. He played with a lot of energy, so I gave him some extra minutes."

The Rockets offset Antonio McDyess' season-high 40 points, six short of his career high. Nick Van Exel added 31 points and 11 assists, and Ron Mercer had 22 points for the Nuggets, who lost their season-high fifth straight.

"It would have been a different game if we'd played defense," McDyess said. "We didn't play defense at all. It was a lack of effort and a lack of confience."

The Rockets, who beat the Nuggets for the 11th straight time, didn't take command until midway in the fourth quarter when a 9-0 run gave them a 99-91 lead with 9:36 to play.

Mobley scored at the third-quarter buzzer to give the Rockets a 90-89 lead. His two free throws early in the fourth period started the Rockets' 9-0 run.

Anderson got the Rockets off to a fast start with 17 points in the first quarter and he had 20 at halftime, but the Nuggets trailed by only one, 58-57 because McDyess had 20 and Van Exel 17.

"I think the confidence always is a factor" Tomjanovich said. "Now we're getting confidence about what we're doing. The guys know when to get the ball on the court and what seams to attack."

"We've been competitive all year but we couldn't close out the close ones. I think we learned from those games and now we're getting the payoff."

Nuggets coach Dan Issel wasn't pleased after the game.

"Just take a look at the stat sheet. Our defense was so soft and Houston did what they wanted to and that was the difference," Issel said. "The whole issue about this game is being concerned about winning the basketball game and not how the stat sheet looks after the game."

"Antonio McDyess had a fantastic game, but all of our big guys should have had good games."

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