NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
HOUSTON 24 15 27 11 77
SAN ANTONIO 20 20 19 24 83 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: HOU - STEVE FRANCIS 24, SHANDON ANDERSON 13, TWO PLAYERS
WITH 7
SAS - TIM DUNCAN 20, DAVID ROBINSON 14, TERRY PORTER 11
HIGH REBOUND: HOU - MATT BULLARD 8, TWO PLAYERS WITH 6
SAS - TIM DUNCAN 10, MALIK ROSE 8
HIGH ASSISTS: HOU - STEVE FRANCIS 4, TWO PLAYERS WITH 2
SAS - TERRY PORTER 5, MARIO ELIE 4
ATT: 23,837
Extended Box
HOUSTON (77) AT SAN ANTONIO (83)
HOUSTON
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
BULLARD F 30 3-10 0-0 2 6 8 0 1 0 2 7
ROGERS F 32 3-9 0-4 0 3 3 2 3 0 1 6
HAMILTON C 26 2-5 2-3 1 5 6 1 1 1 0 6
ANDERSON G 31 4-6 4-7 2 3 5 2 3 0 0 13
FRANCIS G 34 9-15 6-8 3 3 6 4 2 1 4 24
DREW 18 1-7 0-0 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 2
CATO 20 3-7 1-2 1 2 3 0 2 0 0 7
THOMAS 17 3-7 0-0 4 1 5 1 5 0 3 6
MOBLEY 24 1-8 1-2 1 3 4 1 3 1 4 3
WILLIAMS 8 1-1 0-0 0 3 3 1 2 0 3 3
MASSENBURG DNP - GROIN INJURY
GRAY DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 30-75 14-26 15 29 44 13 23 5 18 77
(.400) (.538) TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 20(16 PTS)
SAN ANTONIO
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
BROWN F 17 2-7 2-2 0 2 2 2 1 0 0 6
DUNCAN F 43 8-16 4-6 2 8 10 2 5 2 1 20
ROBINSON C 30 5-13 4-4 2 4 6 1 4 1 2 14
ELIE G 30 2-6 4-6 1 2 3 4 2 1 3 9
JOHNSON G 30 3-12 0-0 1 0 1 3 4 2 0 6
ROSE 19 3-7 1-2 0 8 8 1 4 0 0 7
PORTER 29 2-4 6-6 1 1 2 5 0 1 5 11
JACKSON 22 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 2
J KERSEY 16 4-6 0-0 1 3 4 0 1 2 1 8
WALKER 4 0-0 0-2 1 2 3 0 3 0 1 0
DANIELS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
S KERR DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 30-74 21-28 9 30 39 19 25 9 14 83
(.405) (.750) TEAM REBS: 12 TOTAL TO: 14(9 PTS)
HOUSTON 24 15 27 11 - 77
SAN ANTONIO 20 20 19 24 - 83
BLOCKED SHOTS: HOUSTON - HAMILTON 2, CATO 2, ANDERSON, ROGERS. SAN
ANTONIO - DUNCAN 4, ROBINSON 4, ROSE 2, BROWN.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: HOUSTON 3-10 (.300), BULLARD 1-2, ANDERSON 1-2, FRANCIS
0-2, DREW 0-1, THOMAS 0-1, MOBLEY 0-1, WILLIAMS 1-1. SAN ANTONIO 2-6
(.333), ELIE 1-2, PORTER 1-2, JACKSON 0-2.
TECHNICALS: HOUSTON - HEAD COACH TOMJANOVICH.
OFFICIALS: MARK WUNDERLICH, TERRY DURHAM, RODNEY MOTT.
A - 23,837. T - 2:23.
Box Score
HOUSTON (77)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Bullard 30 3-10 0-0 2-8 0 1 7
Rogers 32 3-9 0-4 0-3 2 3 6
Hamilton 26 2-5 2-3 1-6 1 1 6
Anderson 31 4-6 4-7 2-5 2 3 13
Francis 34 9-15 6-8 3-6 4 2 24
Drew 18 1-7 0-0 1-1 1 1 2
Cato 20 3-7 1-2 1-3 0 2 7
Thomas 17 3-7 0-0 4-5 1 5 6
Mobley 24 1-8 1-2 1-4 1 3 3
Williams 8 1-1 0-0 0-3 1 2 3
Massenburg DNP - groin injury
Gray DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 30-75 14-26 15-44 13 23 77
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.400, FT-.538. 3-Point Goals:
3-10, .300 (Bullard 1-2, Anderson 1-2, Francis
0-2, Drew 0-1, Thomas 0-1, Mobley 0-1, Williams
1-1). Team rebounds: 13. Blocked shots: 6
(Hamilton 2, Cato 2, Anderson, Rogers).
Turnovers: 20 (Francis 4, Mobley 4, Thomas 3,
Williams 3, Bullard 2, Drew, Rogers). Steals: 5
(Drew 2, Francis, Hamilton, Mobley).
SAN ANTONIO (83)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Brown 17 2-7 2-2 0-2 2 1 6
Duncan 43 8-16 4-6 2-10 2 5 20
Robinson 30 5-13 4-4 2-6 1 4 14
Elie 30 2-6 4-6 1-3 4 2 9
Johnson 30 3-12 0-0 1-1 3 4 6
Rose 19 3-7 1-2 0-8 1 4 7
Porter 29 2-4 6-6 1-2 5 0 11
Jackson 22 1-3 0-0 0-0 1 1 2
J Kersey 16 4-6 0-0 1-4 0 1 8
Walker 4 0-0 0-2 1-3 0 3 0
Daniels DNP - coach's decision
S Kerr DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 30-74 21-28 9-39 19 25 83
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.405, FT-.750. 3-Point Goals:
2-6, .333 (Elie 1-2, Porter 1-2, Jackson 0-2).
Team rebounds: 12. Blocked shots: 11 (Duncan 4,
Robinson 4, Rose 2, Brown). Turnovers: 14 (Porter
5, Elie 3, Robinson 2, Duncan, J Kersey, Jackson,
Walker). Steals: 9 (Duncan 2, J Kersey 2, Johnson
2, Elie, Porter, Robinson).
____________________________________________
Houston 24 15 27 11 - 77
San Antonio 20 20 19 24 - 83
____________________________________________
Technical fouls: Houston 1 (Head Coach
Tomjanovich, 10:13 2nd). Flagrant fouls: None.
A: 23,837. T: 2:23. Officials: Mark Wunderlich,
Terry Durham, Rodney Mott.
Game Story
SAN ANTONIO (Ticker) -- With another embarrassing home loss just
minutes away, David Robinson took charge for the San Antonio
Spurs.
Robinson scored the last six points in a decisive 12-0 burst as
the Spurs clamped down in the fourth quarter and rallied for an
83-77 victory over the shorthanded Houston Rockets.
Although the Spurs were coming off Tuesday's 111-93 victory at
Dallas, they had suffered a surprising 99-89 loss to Washington
on Saturday, their first in 10 games at the Alamodome this
season.
San Antonio appeared headed to another unlikely home loss as it
trailed by seven points with 7:08 to play. Robinson, who had
been quiet for two quarters, ignited the Spurs by scoring on
three straight possessions.
"Down the stretch we made some shots and executed better," Spurs
coach Gregg Popovich said. "Our aggression improved and we did
things down the stretch that allowed us to win."
The defending NBA champions have not played well of late. Even
with this win, the Spurs have lost four of their last seven
games.
"I hope experience will win games," Robinson said. "That is
what is supposed to happen. This was an ugly win, but it was a
good win. We fought through a really bad night. We could have
gotten down, but we fought and changed momentum."
The Rockets led 66-59 entering the fourth quarter and still held
a 71-64 advantage after a free throw by Kelvin Cato with 7:08 to
go. Tim Duncan made 1-of-2 foul shots and Terry Porter drilled
a 3-pointer from the right corner before a banker by Duncan got
the Spurs within a point with 4:23 remaining.
That's when Robinson took over. Limited to two points in the
second and third quarters, he drew a foul and made two free
throws, followed his own miss and added two more from the line
for a 76-71 lead with 2:31 to play.
After competing for most of the contest, it was a two-possession
game thereafter for the Rockets, who have lost the last six
meetings between the clubs. Playing without injured frontcourt
stars Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston has lost five
in a row overall.
"The theme of the year so far seems to be moral victories," said
Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich. "We need a tangible one right
now. It comes down to what's inside of us. It's like a 3-2
pitch in the bottom of the ninth in a baseball game. Do you hit
it or whiff at it "
Duncan had 20 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks and Robinson
added 14, six and four for the Spurs, who shot just 40.5 percent
(30-of-74) from the field but held the Rockets to 11 points in
the final period. Porter scored 11 points off the bench.
"We're not playing our best basketball," Duncan said. "We just
have to fight it out and keep pushing. It was great to go out
and get a win. We just have to keep on and get back in the flow
and get our rhythm."
"Our strength and character of this team has to be our defense,"
Robinson said. "I have to be our defensive leader. I have to
make things happen. I have to block shots. I see that as my
job."
Rookie Steve Francis scored 24 points and Shandon Anderson added
13 for Houston, which shot 40 percent (30-of-75) and held a
44-39 edge on the boards. Houston committed 20 turnovers.
"We outplayed them for three quarters and three-fourths of
another one," Francis said. "Then we gave it away in the last
six minutes. They have two good leaders on this team but
tonight they didn't have to lead. We gave it to them."
San Antonio held a 40-39 halftime lead but Francis scored 11
points and Anderson nine in the third quarter as Houston grabbed
a seven-point bulge heading to the final period.
