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Saturday, Dec. 18 8:30pm ET
Cato connects on first 11 shots | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
HOUSTON (AP) -- Kelvin Cato hit nearly all his shots Saturday night but preferred to talk about how well the Rockets passed the ball. "We had a lot of great passing and that made a difference," Cato said after his career-high 27 points and 12 rebounds helped Houston to a 100-94 victory over Boston and end a five-game losing streak. "The coaching staff had a game plan and we ran out and ran it. It's the same plan we've had all season but this time we just ran it." Cato was the big beneficiary, coming off the bench and connecting on his first 11 shots, many of them dunks and layups. He helped the Rockets build as much as a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter before the Celtics rallied late to make it close. "I've been trying to get these guys to do that all year," Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "I've told them if the ball moves faster than people, there's going to be shots. "I'm so happy because this is what I've been preaching all season." Cato's 3-point play midway through the third quarter climaxed a 9-0 run that put the Rockets ahead to stay and send the Celtics to their fifth consecutive loss and ninth straight defeat on the road. "When they forced us to rotate, we had no one to control Cato," said Antoine Walker, who topped Boston with 24 points, 10 of them late in the game as the Celtics nearly overcame an 86-69 Houston lead. "Cato was great in the post and hard to stop," said Kenny Anderson, who added 23 for the Celtics. "We just couldn't stop him." With the Celtics ahead 51-50, Shandon Anderson and Carlos Rogers hit back-to-back baskets, Steve Francis made two free throws, and Cato made a 3-point play to put Houston in front 59-51. Cato, who finished 11-for-13, also had a basket and two free throws in a 10-0 run to start the final period. Boston's rally trimmed the Rockets' lead to 97-92 after Anderson's layup with 56.7 seconds left. Cuttino Mobley, who finished with 21 points, hit three of his next four free throws and the Celtics could add only a basket by Adrian Griffin. "We did some stupid things in the fourth quarter but we were able to make the big plays in the end and we made our free throws,' Mobley said. "I was still a little disappointed because it looked like we were going to collapse again," Tomjanovich added. "We were making some mistakes, but we held on and this should show them this system works." In the first half, Dana Barros' 22-foot jumper to open the second quarter gave Boston a 25-19 lead, its largest of the game. The Rockets went on an 11-0 run, holding the Celtics scoreless until Walker hit two free throws with 6:53 remaining in the quarter. The Celtics went back in front with a 10-4 run before Houston closed the half with a 9-2 spurt to lead 45-39 at the break.
Game notes | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Boston Clubhouse Houston Clubhouse RECAPS Washington 95 New York 83
Houston 100
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