LOS ANGELES -- When the nets finally cooled down at Staples Center, the Houston Rockets had a choice. They could be excited about their highest-scoring game of the year, or dismayed at their worst defensive effort in more than five months. James Harden and the Rockets chose to draw motivation from both sources for their playoff push after a prolific night against the Los Angeles Lakers. Terrence Jones and Harden scored 33 points apiece, and the Rockets beat the Lakers 145-130 on Tuesday night for their third straight victory. Chandler Parsons scored 19 points for the Rockets, who used a 49-point third quarter to solidify their hold on fourth place in the Western Conference standings despite their second-worst defensive performance of the year. Still, Houston won the opener of a three-game road trip without injured Dwight Howard and Patrick Beverley, scoring with stunning ease against the Lakers laughable defence. "We had it going," said Harden, who had 12 assists and hit three 3-pointers. "We still gave up too many points, more than we wanted to, but we still got it going. Tonight was a tough game, a weird game." Jones scored 23 points during a dominant first half, while Harden contributed 18 points during an overwhelming third quarter for the Rockets, who made 18 of their 24 shots and hit seven 3-pointers to go ahead 115-90. Jones, who limped off the court with cramps, and Harden both sat out the fourth quarter of the Rockets third win over the Lakers this season. Rookie Isaiah Canaan matched his career high with 15 points for Houston (52-25), which leads Portland by 2 1/2 games with a game in hand for fourth place in the West. "When you go up like that, its hard to stay locked in (defensively)," Parsons said. "But we can do a better job of that. Weve just got to keep going and lock up homecourt advantage and get ready for the playoffs." Steve Nash moved into third place on the NBAs career assists list for the miserable Lakers (25-53), who tied the franchise record for losses in a single season with their worst defensive performance of the year. Afterward, Nash said his season might be over after playing through another twinge of pain in his troublesome hamstrings. "I just wanted to hang on and get this over with," the two-time NBA MVP said. "All of this is beyond my aspirations and wildest dreams. To be in that company is phenomenal." After matching the 1957-58 Minneapolis Lakers 53 losses in a 72-game season, coach Mike DAntonis injury-riddled team will finish with the clubs most losses since moving to Los Angeles in 1960. Nick Young scored 32 points and Jodie Meeks added 30 for the Lakers, who have lost five straight. Jordan Farmar had 15 points and eight assists in his return from a 10-game injury absence with a strained groin for the Lakers, who allowed 143 points by Minnesota 11 days ago. "We talk about schemes and different ways to play things, but it just seems like guys on other teams score too easily," Farmar said. "It just comes down to heart. It comes down to pride. Guys have to want it." Howard, nursing a sprained left ankle, didnt play in the Rockets second visit to the Lakers home court since he spurned the 16-time NBA champions as a free agent last summer for less money in Houston. The fans still booed and shouted "Coward!" at Howard, who came out to the Rockets bench late in the first quarter wearing bright pink pants. The home crowd gave a standing ovation to Nash when he passed Mark Jackson late in the first half with a long outlet pass to Meeks for his 10,335th career assist. The 40-year-old Nash, who is expected to return to the Lakers next season, trails only assists leader John Stockton (15,806) and Jason Kidd (12,091) in league history. Nash finished with three points and five assists in 13 minutes, sitting out the second half in just his 15th game of the season. The Lakers were down to just nine healthy players for their latest loss, playing without injured Pau Gasol, Chris Kaman, Xavier Henry and Kent Bazemore. Nash, Farmar and Young played through injury problems to suit up. Nash catalyzed a 22-8 run in the second quarter by the Lakers, who briefly took the lead before Houston went into halftime up 66-61. The Rockets made a 28-6 run in the opening minutes of the third quarter. NOTES: Late in the fourth quarter, the Lakers announced general manager Mitch Kupchak has agreed to a multiyear contract extension. The clubs longtime personnel boss had one year left on his contract. ... The Clippers scored 137 points against Houston in the fourth game of the season. ... Welterweight champion Timothy Bradley Jr. was at Staples Center to promote his rematch with Manny Pacquiao on Saturday in Las Vegas. Andy Garcia, Jason Biggs, Jenny Mollen and Robbie Keane watched at courtside. Gerald Green Rockets Jersey . -- Peyton Manning is the only player in this Super Bowl who has won the big game. Nene Rockets Jersey http://www.authenticrocketsproshop.com/Chris-Paul-Jersey/. There will be no Down Under four-peat for Djokovic, as the eighth-seeded Swiss slugger Wawrinka outlasted the second seed 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 at Melbourne Parks Rod Laver Arena in yet another five-set thriller in their burgeoning rivalry. Charles Barkley Jersey . Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone dismissed Tuesdays massive anti-government protest in Manama as "a lot of kids having a go at the police." "I dont think its anything serious at all," Ecclestone was quoted as saying in The Guardian newspaper on Wednesday. Nene Jersey . Torres calmly stroked a 51st-minute spot kick down the middle with goalkeeper Romel Quinonez diving right to convert a penalty earned by Javi Martinez. Spain controlled play at the Sanchez Pizjuan but found it hard to convert against a well-organized Bolivian team before Iniesta charged forward to curl around Quinonez in the 84th to seal victory.MONTREAL - Venus Williams recalls the first time she played against younger sister Serena in a top-level match. They were still teenagers. It was the second round of the 1999 Australian Open, and Venus won in two sets. "I totally remember," Venus Williams said Friday at the US$2.44 million Rogers Cup. "We had a tough match back then. "Thats the trend that started and it hasnt changed. I suspect this will be another tough match." The 34-year-old Venus and the 32-year-old Serena have their 26th career meeting in the semifinals of the hardcourt event at Uniprix Stadium on Saturday. Serena, ranked first in the world, is 15-10 against her 26th-ranked sister, although one was a walkover when her sister withdrew. She has won the last five head-to-head matches. "I have to play well," added Venus Williams, whose last win over Serena was at Dubai in 2009. "Theres no secret or science to it. "I think anyone who has got any wins against her, theyve pretty much played the match of their life. Granted, Id like to imagine that I wont have to play the match of my life. Thats tough to do. But I know I need to play well." Both rallied from one-set deficits to win their quarter-final matches. Serena Williams defeated Denmarks Caroline Wozniacki 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 while Venus Williams dispatched 14th-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. "I definitely dont like playing her," Serena Williams said of her sister. "I think Ive lost to her more than anyone on the tour, so its definitely not a fun match. "Shes tough. She has a great serve. She runs every ball down. She has a great backhand. She hits winners off the forehand. She does everything well so its not an ideal matchup for anyone, to be honest." In another quarter-final, Ekaterina Makarova ended the Cinderella run of American qualifier Coco Vanderweghe with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 victory. Vanderweghe had knocked off two former world No. 1s en route to the quarter-finals. Makarova will play the winner of a later quarter-final between Victoria Azarenka and Agnieszka Radwanska. The sisters will meet for the first time since Serena Williams cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 win on clay at Charleston, S.C., in 2003. Between them, the Williams sisters have won 24 grand slam tournaments, with Serena taking 17 and Venus seven. They have also been credited with introducing more of a power game to womens tennis, and of inspiring players from minority communities to take up the sport. "Weve had such a great impact," saiid Serena Williams.dddddddddddd"I think having been pretty much one of the first African-Americans to do well, then to see all the African-Americans, even some Canadians here playing really well, it makes me feel really good. "Im really excited to see that. We just had an opportunity to do something really special. Sometimes I get chill bumps when I think about it because were just so normal and so down-to-earth. We just feel like we want to help everyone to do the best that they can." Serena Williams, the defending champion, extended her Rogers Cup win streak to 14 matches after victories at the 2011 and 2013 events in Toronto. She skipped the 2012 tournament. Wozniacki, coming off a win at Istanbul, ended an eight-match streak. The match that lasted two hours 41 minutes saw Wozniacki take control in the first set and build a 2-0 lead in the second before Williams started hitting the lines. "I was making a lot of unforced errors in general," said Williams. "But I just thought: Just keep fighting. Hopefully I can just hold on and hold on, try to break, keep going for each shot. " She broke service for a 3-2 first-set lead and fought off two break points to close the set. The third set featured five service breaks, the last giving Williams the win on her third match point. Williams is now 7-1 all-time against Wozniacki. Williams won at Stanford last week and has won seven straight matches. But she knew beating Wozniacki wouldnt be easy. "Especially when you play someone like Caroline or other opponents, you know your match might be a little longer than normal," said Williams. "You go in there thinking: This is not going to be routine. Youre ready." Wozniacki was happy with her tournament despite the defeat. "It was really small things that did it out there today," she said. "She came up with quite a few big serves when she needed to. "It could have gone both ways. I had a break in the second set. Didnt manage to hold on. But I gave it everything I had. It just wasnt quite enough." Venus also needed time to find a rhythm against 14th-seeded Suarez Navarro. She has gone three sets in three of her four matches, including her third-round upset of sixth-seeded Angelique Kerber. "Whats happening well for me is just competing," said Venus Williams. "I think my movement has been very helpful to me, as well, covering a lot of court. "Ive been playing some stellar opponents, so it hasnt been easy." Wholesale NFL T-shirts Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping NFL Jerseys Wholesale China NFL Gear Wholesale NFL Camo Jerseys Cheap NFL Hoodies Camo China NFL Jerseys ' ' '
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