Stats of the Game: Spurs vs. Rockets
The San Antonio Spurs needed to work overtime to put away a scrappy Houston Rockets team that played without Yao Ming.
The Rockets (0-5) decided to rest Ming against the Spurs to preserve him for their next game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Spurs (4-1) caught a break when Houston lost starters Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin to left ankle sprains.
Still, it was a win in the end, with that let's check out the numbers that stood out in this game.
85.7 - The Rockets took care of their free throws, making 18-21 (85.7%) shots for the game. The Spurs did not fare very well from the foul line, converting just 17-25 (68.0%) of their free throws.
50 - Even without Yao Ming the Rockets managed to dominate inside the paint outscoring the Spurs 50-42, with 20 points coming from Luis Scola.
45 - The Rockets hit their outside shots, connecting on 9-20 (45%) from behind the arc. The Spurs weren't that bad from the three-point line either, making 9-21 (42.9%) of their 3-point attempts, including 4-5 from Richard Jefferson.
38 - For the second straight game the Spurs' reserves were owned by their counterparts. The Rockets' bench outscored the Spurs' second unit 38-28.
28 - Manu Ginobili had a game-high 28 points, including a jumper that forced the game into overtime. The Spurs also continued to share the ball well and finished with 28 assists, fourteen coming from Tony Parker.
27 - The Spurs' running game seemed to be effective, they had 27 fast break points against the Rockets' 18.
24 - Martin led the Rockets with 24 points despite playing only 23 minutes.
22 - Richard Jefferson continues to be efficient and productive, he added 22 points and 3 rebounds from the Spurs while shooting 8-13 (61.5%) from the field and 4-5 (80%) from behind the arc.
11 - After committing 23 turnovers against the Phoenix Suns, the Spurs took care of the ball this time and only had 11 turnovers for the entire game. They also had 11 steals, including five from Tony Parker. The Rockets only have five steals as a team.
10 - George Hill came back to the Spurs' lineup and scored 10 points, added five rebounds, two assists and a steal in 23 minutes of action.
7 - Tony Parker had a great all-around game, he had 21 points, 14 assists and five steals against the Rockets. More importantly, he scored 7 of the Spurs' 11 in overtime.
0 - Tim Duncan did not commit a single turnover in 38 minutes of action, he had 19 points, 11 boards, 3 assists, three blocks and a steal for the night. Chase Budinger went 0-5 from the field against the Spurs and the Rockets remain winless after five games.
Rookie Watch: Gary Neal had five points off the bench but only shot 2-9 from the field. Tiago Splitter had two points and two rebounds in 11 minutes of action. Rookie James Anderson did not play against the Rockets as he returned to his hometown of Junction City, Arkansas to be with his fiancee during the birth of their daughter.
What's Next? The Spurs will hit the road once again when they visit the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday.
