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Jabari Smith Jr. scores 21 as Rockets run away from Hornets 114-101 for third straight victory
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Jabari Smith Jr. had 21 points and 11 rebounds, Fred VanVleet added 20 points and the Houston Rockets beat the Charlotte Hornets 114-101 on Monday night for their third straight win.
Amen Thompson had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Cam Whitmore chipped in with 17 points off the bench for the Rockets. They led by 34 in the second half after getting a strong effort from their young corps of players.
Miles Bridges scored 24 points and LaMelo Ball added 23 for the Hornets, who’ve lost 13 of 14.
The Rockets stifled the Hornets early on, holding Charlotte to 15 points in the first quarter and 1 for 11 from beyond the arc. The Rockets extended their lead to 62-31 at halftime as VanVleet buried a 3-pointer just before the buzzer. As the Hornets walked to the locker room at halftime they were greeted with a cascade of boos from the home crowd.
Rockets: Houston dominated on the glass in the decisive first half, outrebounding the Hornets 25-14. On one trip down the floor, the Rockets were able to get up three 3-pointers after corralling two offensive rebounds. ... Aaron Holliday was ejected for arguing with officials after playing just three minutes.
Hornets: Charlotte shot 2 of 20 from beyond the arc in the first half. Part of that was Houston's defense, but mostly it was the Hornets simply failing to knock down open looks.
Thompson had the play of the game early in the fourth quarter when he drove the length of the floor, sidestepped Bridges in the lane and threw down a two-handed dunk.
The Rockets outrebounded the Hornets 59-44.
Both teams are on the road Thursday night, with the Rockets visiting New Orleans and the Hornets at Washington.
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| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 |  | Alperen Sengun vs. Mark Williams (LaMelo Ball gains possession) | ||
| 11:42 | | Josh Green misses three point jump shot | ||
| 11:40 |  | Alperen Sengun defensive rebound | ||
| 11:27 | | +2 | Jabari Smith Jr. makes two point stepback jump shot (Amen Thompson assists) | 2-0 |
| 11:11 | | Cody Martin misses two point stepback jump shot | ||
| 11:10 | | Amen Thompson defensive rebound | ||
| 11:02 | | Jabari Smith Jr. misses three point jump shot | ||
| 10:58 | | Josh Green defensive rebound | ||
| 10:46 | | LaMelo Ball misses three point jump shot | ||
| 10:43 | | Amen Thompson defensive rebound | ||
| 10:38 | | Jabari Smith Jr. misses two point running pullup jump shot | ||
| 10:36 | | LaMelo Ball defensive rebound | ||
| 10:20 | | Miles Bridges misses three point jump shot | ||
| 10:18 | | Fred VanVleet defensive rebound | ||
| 10:11 | | +2 | Jalen Green makes two point running finger roll layup (Fred VanVleet assists) | 4-0 |
| 9:58 | | Mark Williams misses two point turnaround hook shot | ||
| 9:56 | | Fred VanVleet defensive rebound | ||
| 9:39 | | Alperen Sengun misses two point floating jump shot | ||
| 9:38 | | Alperen Sengun offensive rebound | ||
| 9:37 | | Amen Thompson misses two point cutting layup | ||
| 9:35 | | Amen Thompson offensive rebound | ||
| 9:29 | | +2 | Jabari Smith Jr. makes two point cutting layup (Amen Thompson assists) | 6-0 |
| 9:28 | | Hornets 60 second timeout | ||
| 9:15 | | Mark Williams misses two point turnaround hook shot | ||
| 9:14 | | Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound | ||
| 9:05 | | Alperen Sengun turnover (lost ball) (Cody Martin steals) | ||
| 9:01 | | Cody Martin turnover (out of bounds bad pass) | ||
| 8:42 | | +2 | Fred VanVleet makes two point driving floating jump shot | 8-0 |
| 8:27 | | +2 | Mark Williams makes two point layup (Miles Bridges assists) | 8-2 |
| 8:27 | | Jabari Smith Jr. shooting foul (Mark Williams draws the foul) | ||
| 8:27 | | +1 | Mark Williams makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 8-3 |
| 8:13 | | Jalen Green misses two point pullup jump shot | ||
| 8:10 | | Mark Williams defensive rebound | ||
| 7:54 | | Miles Bridges misses three point jump shot | ||
| 7:51 | | Fred VanVleet defensive rebound | ||
| 7:30 | | Alperen Sengun misses two point driving floating jump shot | ||
| 7:29 | | Miles Bridges defensive rebound | ||
| 7:26 | | Josh Green misses three point running jump shot | ||
| 7:24 | | Amen Thompson defensive rebound | ||
| 7:17 | | Jalen Green misses three point running jump shot | ||
| 7:16 | | Mark Williams defensive rebound | ||
| 7:02 | | +2 | LaMelo Ball makes two point driving floating bank jump shot | 8-5 |
| 6:44 | | +2 | Fred VanVleet makes two point pullup jump shot | 10-5 |
| 6:32 | | +2 | LaMelo Ball makes two point stepback jump shot | 10-7 |
| 6:17 | | Alperen Sengun misses two point driving hook shot | ||
| 6:16 | | Alperen Sengun offensive rebound | ||
| 6:15 | | Alperen Sengun misses two point tip layup | ||
| 6:14 | | Mark Williams defensive rebound | ||
| 6:11 | | Cody Martin misses two point running finger roll layup | ||
| 6:09 | | Jalen Green defensive rebound | ||
| 5:59 | | +2 | Alperen Sengun makes two point floating jump shot (Jalen Green assists) | 12-7 |
| 5:38 | | +3 | LaMelo Ball makes three point stepback jump shot | 12-10 |
| 5:28 | | +2 | Amen Thompson makes two point driving floating bank jump shot | 14-10 |
| 5:17 | | Cody Martin misses three point jump shot | ||
| 5:15 | | Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound | ||
| 5:08 | | +3 | Fred VanVleet makes three point running pullup jump shot | 17-10 |
| 4:53 | | LaMelo Ball misses three point pullup jump shot | ||
| 4:51 | | Rockets defensive rebound | ||
| 4:39 | | +2 | Fred VanVleet makes two point driving finger roll layup | 19-10 |
| 4:38 | | Hornets 60 second timeout | ||
| 4:23 | | Isaiah Wong misses two point pullup jump shot | ||
| 4:20 | | DaQuan Jeffries offensive rebound | ||
| 4:10 | | Steven Adams blocks Vasilije Micic's two point driving finger roll layup | ||
| 4:08 | | Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound | ||
| 4:01 | | Jabari Smith Jr. misses three point running pullup jump shot | ||
| 4:01 | | Steven Adams offensive rebound | ||
| 4:01 | | DaQuan Jeffries shooting foul (Steven Adams draws the foul) | ||
| 4:01 | | Steven Adams misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 4:01 | | Rockets offensive rebound | ||
| 4:01 | | Steven Adams misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | ||
| 4:00 | | Nick Richards defensive rebound | ||
| 3:42 | | Vasilije Micic turnover (traveling) | ||
| 3:28 | | Nick Richards shooting foul (Jae'Sean Tate draws the foul) | ||
| 3:28 | | +1 | Jae'Sean Tate makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 20-10 |
| 3:28 | | +1 | Jae'Sean Tate makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 21-10 |
| 3:12 | | DaQuan Jeffries misses two point driving finger roll layup | ||
| 3:09 | | Isaiah Wong offensive rebound | ||
| 2:57 | | DaQuan Jeffries misses three point jump shot | ||
| 2:54 | | Jae'Sean Tate defensive rebound | ||
| 2:47 | | +3 | Fred VanVleet makes three point jump shot (Jae'Sean Tate assists) | 24-10 |
| 2:33 | | Vasilije Micic misses two point driving floating jump shot | ||
| 2:30 | | Isaiah Wong offensive rebound | ||
| 2:28 | | Isaiah Wong misses three point jump shot | ||
| 2:27 | | Steven Adams defensive rebound | ||
| 2:18 | | Fred VanVleet misses three point stepback jump shot | ||
| 2:15 | | Steven Adams offensive rebound | ||
| 2:14 | | +2 | Steven Adams makes two point putback layup | 26-10 |
| 1:53 | | +2 | Nick Richards makes two point cutting layup (Vasilije Micic assists) | 26-12 |
| 1:53 | | Steven Adams shooting foul (Nick Richards draws the foul) | ||
| 1:53 | | +1 | Nick Richards makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 26-13 |
| 1:38 | | +3 | Jae'Sean Tate makes three point jump shot (Fred VanVleet assists) | 29-13 |
| 1:25 | | Tidjane Salaun misses two point pullup jump shot | ||
| 1:23 | | Tidjane Salaun offensive rebound | ||
| 1:20 | | Tidjane Salaun turnover (out of bounds lost ball) | ||
| 1:03 | | +2 | Cam Whitmore makes two point driving floating jump shot (Fred VanVleet assists) | 31-13 |
| 0:41 | | +2 | Moussa Diabate makes two point dunk (Vasilije Micic assists) | 31-15 |
| 0:21 | | Fred VanVleet turnover (out of bounds bad pass) | ||
| 0:05 | | Vasilije Micic misses three point pullup jump shot | ||
| 0:00 | | Rockets defensive rebound | ||
| 0:00 | | End of period |
| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:50 | | Cam Whitmore misses three point jump shot | ||
| 11:48 | | Miles Bridges defensive rebound | ||
| 11:43 | | Cam Whitmore blocks DaQuan Jeffries's two point running finger roll layup | ||
| 11:41 | | Reed Sheppard defensive rebound | ||
| 11:21 | | +2 | Alperen Sengun makes two point driving hook shot | 33-15 |
| 11:14 | | Reed Sheppard blocks Miles Bridges's two point driving layup | ||
| 11:13 | | Moussa Diabate offensive rebound | ||
| 11:10 | | +2 | Moussa Diabate makes two point dunk | 33-17 |
| 10:57 | | Alperen Sengun misses two point turnaround fadeaway jump shot | ||
| 10:55 | | Amen Thompson offensive rebound | ||
| 10:49 | | Amen Thompson turnover (bad pass) (DaQuan Jeffries steals) | ||
| 10:36 | | Cam Whitmore shooting foul (Moussa Diabate draws the foul) | ||
| 10:36 | | Moussa Diabate misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 10:36 | | Hornets offensive rebound | ||
| 10:36 | | Moussa Diabate misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | ||
| 10:35 | | Cam Whitmore defensive rebound | ||
| 10:25 | | +3 | Cam Whitmore makes three point pullup jump shot (Alperen Sengun assists) | 36-17 |
| 10:11 | | Miles Bridges turnover (out of bounds bad pass) | ||
| 9:56 | | +3 | Amen Thompson makes three point jump shot (Jabari Smith Jr. assists) | 39-17 |
| 9:54 | | Hornets 60 second timeout | ||
| 9:40 | | Cody Martin misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:38 | | Cam Whitmore defensive rebound | ||
| 9:29 | | Amen Thompson turnover (bad pass) (Cody Martin steals) | ||
| 9:13 | | Miles Bridges misses two point driving floating jump shot | ||
| 9:11 | | Amen Thompson defensive rebound | ||
| 9:09 | | Reed Sheppard misses two point driving floating jump shot | ||
| 9:08 | | LaMelo Ball defensive rebound | ||
| 8:57 | | +2 | Mark Williams makes two point floating jump shot (Josh Green assists) | 39-19 |
| 8:44 | | +3 | Reed Sheppard makes three point jump shot (Jabari Smith Jr. assists) | 42-19 |
| 8:35 | | +2 | Miles Bridges makes two point dunk (LaMelo Ball assists) | 42-21 |
| 8:26 | | +3 | Alperen Sengun makes three point jump shot (Reed Sheppard assists) | 45-21 |
| 8:14 | | LaMelo Ball misses three point jump shot | ||
| 8:13 | | Alperen Sengun defensive rebound | ||
| 7:49 | | Jabari Smith Jr. turnover (bad pass) (Mark Williams steals) | ||
| 7:42 | | Alperen Sengun shooting foul (Mark Williams draws the foul) | ||
| 7:42 | | +1 | Mark Williams makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 45-22 |
| 7:42 | | Mark Williams misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | ||
| 7:41 | | Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound | ||
| 7:26 | | Cam Whitmore misses three point stepback jump shot | ||
| 7:24 | | Mark Williams defensive rebound | ||
| 7:14 | | LaMelo Ball misses two point driving floating jump shot | ||
| 7:12 | | Cam Whitmore defensive rebound | ||
| 7:07 | | Cam Whitmore misses two point running layup | ||
| 7:06 | | Alperen Sengun offensive rebound | ||
| 7:05 | | +2 | Alperen Sengun makes two point tip layup | 47-22 |
| 6:44 | | Miles Bridges misses three point jump shot | ||
| 6:42 | | Reed Sheppard defensive rebound | ||
| 6:33 | | Jabari Smith Jr. misses three point jump shot | ||
| 6:31 | | Mark Williams defensive rebound | ||
| 6:21 | | LaMelo Ball misses three point stepback jump shot | ||
| 6:17 | | Mark Williams offensive rebound | ||
| 6:16 | | +2 | Mark Williams makes two point turnaround hook shot | 47-24 |
| 6:00 | | +3 | Jabari Smith Jr. makes three point jump shot (Alperen Sengun assists) | 50-24 |
| 5:42 | | Miles Bridges misses two point turnaround jump shot |