Feb 11, 2007, 4:50 GMT
Houston, TX - Dikembe Mutombo scored 14 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as the Houston Rockets crushed the Charlotte Bobcats, 104-83, at the Toyota Center.
'I thought Dikembe was really good,' said Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy. 'He's the guy we have to keep in with any guy of any size.'
Luther Head scored 17 points and was 5-of-8 from three-point range for the Rockets, who have won three of their last four and seven of nine games. Tracy McGrady and Juwan Howard scored 16 apiece. Kirk Snyder had 15 points and Rafer Alston scored 14 points and had eight assists for Houston, which has won five of its last six home games.
Emeka Okafor deposited 15 points and pulled down 12 boards for the Bobcats, who have dropped four straight games. Raymond Felton scored 16 and Matt Carroll and Walter Herrmann added 12 apiece for Charlotte, which has lost five of six on the road.
'Houston played well,' said Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff. 'We had a good seven or eight minutes to start the game and then when we went to our bench, there was no production at all. They distributed the ball well and hit their open shots. Our turnovers were a combination of fatigue and a number of things.'
After a Carroll jumper pulled the Bobcats to within 10, 60-50, Houston went on a 9-0 run to open a 19-point lead. McGrady scored seven during the spurt.
The Rockets breezed into the final quarter with an 82-66 lead and were never threatened in the fourth.
The Bobcats opened the game with a 13-2 burst, capped by a Carroll three.
Trailing 20-11, Houston closed the quarter with an 18-8 run capped by a pair of Chuck Hayes free throws, which gave the Rockets a 29-28 lead after the first period.
In the second, ahead 41-37, Houston took control of the game by outscoring the Bobcats 19-9 to end the quarter. Mutombo and Snyder scored six points apiece during the stretch.
The Rockets led 60-46 at the half.
Game Notes
Charlotte committed 27 turnovers.Charlotte shot 7-of-12 from beyond the arc.Houston won both meetings between these two this season and has won three straight after losing the first three matchups.
Charlotte committed 27 turnovers.
Charlotte shot 7-of-12 from beyond the arc.
Houston won both meetings between these two this season and has won three straight after losing the first three matchups.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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