Houston back on the winning track

<p>OAKLAND -- The Houston Rockets were scrapping for a spot in the Western Conference playoffs nearly two months ago when they faced the Golden State Warriors.</p><p>The Rockets won that Jan. 19 meeting and did not stop for a while, reeling off 22 consecutive victories before their streak came to an end this week. Their spot in the playoffs now is virtually assured.</p><p>But the Warriors still have some work ahead of them.</p><p>Houston broke a two-game skid Friday night with an impressive 109-106 victory against the Warriors in front of a playoff-like boisterous sellout crowd at Oracle Arena. The Warriors lost for just the seventh in their past 30 home games.</p><p>"We knew what to expect," said Baron Davis, who led the Warriors with a game-high 27 points. "They play hard. They move the ball. They shoot open shots. They do what it takes to win, and that's what happened."</p><p>While the attention of most of the basketball world was focused on the happenings in the NCAA tournament, the Warriors and the Rockets staged an entertaining game of their own.</p><p>It did not have the win-or-go-home consequences seen this time of year from the college game, but it was an emotional game that certainly had a playoff aura surrounding it.</p><p>"I thought we played pretty well, actually," Warriors coach Don Nelson said. "But sometimes you get beat when you play well. I guess we have to give them credit. They definitely beat us."</p><p>With 14 games remaining in the season, the Warriors hold a 1½-game lead over the Denver Nuggets (41-28) for the eighth and final playoff spot out of the Western Conference. The Nuggets were 125-114 winners at New Jersey on Friday.</p><p>On a night five-time Grammy Award-winning artist John Legend sang the national anthem and performed at halftime, it was Tracy McGrady and his Rockets teammates who showed they are no ordinary people.</p><p>McGrady scored 26 points, while Shane Battier and Carl Landry scored 17 apiece.</p><p>Houston is tied with New Orleans at a half-game behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the top spot in the conference. The Warriors and Rockets split the season series with two wins apiece.</p><p>The Rockets, whose 22-game win streak was snapped Tuesday against the Boston Celtics, are looking to start a new win streak after dropping two straight. Houston also lost Thursday at New Orleans.</p><p>"It was a huge win for us," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "After the last two games and then coming in here playing a team that's like us, fighting, we had a solid game right on through."</p><p>Forward Stephen Jackson, who had the unenviable task of guarding McGrady most of the evening, said he felt the Warriors did not play sound basketball. He said the Warriors gave up too many easy shots and did not play efficiently on the offensive end, either.</p><p>"We have to play a lot smarter," Jackson said. "This is a game we should've won. We made a lot of dumb plays."</p><p>The turning point of the game, however, came on a sequence in which the Warriors played stifling defense.</p><p>Bobby Jackson rattled in a forced double-pump 3-point shot with Davis defending to key an 8-0 run for the Rockets in the fourth quarter. The burst gave the Rockets a 95-87 lead.</p><p>After a timeout Mickael Pietrus nailed a 3-pointer to ignite a Warriors run of their own. The Warriors tied the game at 97-97, but Jackson hit another 3-pointer with 2:04 remaining. Jackson finished with 16 points, including 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range.</p><p>Davis had a chance to tie the game with an open 3-point with eight seconds remaining, but it was off the mark. Carl Landry made a free throw to give Houston a four-point. Davis hit a 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to one point, but the Warriors never got another chance.</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Matt Maiocco at 521-5492 or matt.maiocco@pressdemocrat.com</p>