Parsons Nets 32 Points As Rockets Beat Mavs
HOUSTON (AP) - Chandler Parsons felt like he couldn't miss. When he finally did, he wasn't aware that he also missed matching a team record.
Parsons scored a career-high 32 points on 12-for-13 shooting and the Houston Rockets snapped a nine-game losing streak to Dallas with an easy 136-103 win over the Mavericks on Sunday night.
Jeremy Lin and James Harden added 21 points apiece and Lin had nine assists for the Rockets.
Parsons sank his first 11 shots and helped the Rockets outscore Dallas 44-17 in the third quarter to blow open a close game. Parsons made his fifth 3-pointer with 3:57 left in the quarter, then missed a 3-point try he forced on Houston's next possession.
"I got a little carried away," Parsons said. "I was feeling it, so I just shot it up
there."
If that one had gone in, Parsons would've tied Yao Ming's single-game franchise record for field goals without a miss (12 for 12), set in 2009 against Miami. Parsons didn't know about Yao's mark until after the game.
"Now I really feel like an idiot," Parsons said.
O.J. Mayo scored 18 points and Shawn Marion had 14 to lead the Mavericks, who dropped six games behind Houston for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. The teams play again in Dallas on Wednesday night, their last meeting of the regular season.
"This game was all about disposition and attitude," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said.
"They had the stronger disposition and the stronger attitude and we've got to change that."
The Rockets led 64-61 at halftime, then opened the third quarter with a 15-0 spurt.
Parsons sank his third 3-pointer, and he and Lin finished fast-breaks with layups to push the lead into double digits. Vince Carter was whistled for an offensive foul as the Mavericks' offensive execution fell apart.
Dallas missed its first six shots out of the break before Brandan Wright's driving layup. But the Rockets continued to hit all the open shots the Mavericks gave them and consecutive 3-pointers by Parsons and Harden pushed the lead to 25.
"The third quarter was ugly," Carlisle said. "I don't have a good explanation for it, other than they picked up their game and we didn't match it."
The Rockets blew 17-point leads in consecutive losses to Washington and Milwaukee before they beat Orlando on Friday night. Houston just poured it on when they got the big lead on Sunday night.
"In the past few games, we have built leads and given them up," Lin said, "so it was good to see us just really build on that."
Dallas had as many turnovers as it had field goals (6) in the third quarter, and Patrick Beverley's layup just before the buzzer made it 108-78.
Rookie Thomas Robinson, acquired from Sacramento last week, had 10 points and eight rebounds for Houston.
Nowitzki was held to eight points and committed three turnovers for Dallas.
"We want to get him the ball and we need good things to happen," Carlisle said. "The problem was, we just couldn't guard these guys."
Dallas started 9 for 14 from the field and hit its first three shots from 3-point range. Harden, averaging 26.3 points per game, missed five of his first seven shots.
When he missed another driving layup, Parsons dunked home the putback, two of his nine first-quarter points.
The Mavericks stretched the lead to eight early in the second quarter. Francisco Garcia, seeing his first action for Houston since he was traded from Sacramento last week, sank two 3-pointers and a pull-up jumper to close the gap.
Dallas started 8 for 15 from 3-point range and led 50-41 midway through the second quarter. Houston's starters were back on the floor by the 5-minute mark of the second quarter and the Rockets started to take control with a 14-4 run.
Houston's defense stiffened in the final minutes of the half, forcing six turnovers. Parsons had a 3-pointer, then added a breakaway dunk after a long pass from Lin to put Houston up 62-59. Parsons went 7 for 7 and scored 18 points and Lin had seven assists in the first half.
NOTES: Dallas G Anthony Morrow sat out with a hip injury. ... Nowitzki, averaging 21.2 points and 10.4 rebounds in his previous five games, went 2 for 8 from the field and had only four rebounds. ... Houston's 44 third-quarter points was a high total for any quarter this season. ... The Rockets have hit at least 10 3-pointers in 35 games this season. ... Tracy McGrady, who played for Houston from 2004-10, had a courtside seat.
(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
