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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
PHOENIX (AP) -- To the Phoenix Suns, it was a classic comeback.
To the Houston Rockets, it was a classic ripoff.
|  | | Tom Gugliotta shoots over Shandon Anderson -- and misses the layup. |
Tom Gugliotta sank an 18-footer with 1.3 seconds remaining as
the Suns rallied from a 16-point third-quarter deficit to beat the
Rockets 94-92 on Sunday night.
It was the Suns' first lead since they were up 27-25 with 9:33
to go in the second quarter.
"We had a lot of opportunities in the second half to fold it up
and mail it in," Phoenix coach Scott Skiles said. "But we fought
back every time. We had a lot of big plays from a lot of guys."
Gugliotta, 0-for-6 from the field in the first half, was 5-for-5
in the second and finished with 12 points.
In a terrific battle between two of the NBA's best point guards,
the Suns' Jason Kidd had 19 points and 16 assists, including an
assist on the winning basket. Houston's Steve Francis had 22 points
and 14 rebounds.
Walt Williams' 3-pointer with 2:01 to play gave the Rockets a
92-88 lead.
Shawn Marion, struggling through a miserable offensive night,
scored eight consecutive Suns' points in the final 2:51. He tied it
at 92 with a remarkable short bank shot with 53.5 seconds to play.
"Marion made some big shots, really big shots," Houston coach
Rudy Tomjanovich said. "One when Cuttino (Mobley) still had his
hand on the ball."
The Rockets couldn't score on their last three possessions, and
Tomjanovich said the officials looked the other way.
"Those two guys got us again," Tomjanovich said. He did not
identify who in the crew of Bob Delaney, Derek Richardson and
Scott Foster he was talking about.
"I can't believe it. Twice in a row," he continued. "... I
have a bad taste in my mouth."
Mobley, who scored 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter,
missed on a drive to the basket the last time Houston had the ball.
Marion's 14-footer went in the basket, then bounced out. In a
fight for the rebound, the ball went out of bounds off Mobley with
8.1 seconds to go.
Kidd inbounded to Tony Delk, who tossed it back to Kidd. Kidd
drove the lane, then found Gugliotta open at the top of the key.
"The ball was to get into Jason's hands and have him make a
decision as to how the defense was guarding him," Gugliotta said.
"When he's got the ball in his hands, you've got to be ready. In
the first half, I wasn't paying attention and he hit me in the
chest with it."
Kidd said he saw Francis slip on the play, and decided that
would mean Gugliotta was open.
"It was a good shot, regardless of whether I fell or not,"
Francis said. "He made it. That's it. Case closed. Slam the
hammer."
Maurice Taylor scored 20 for Houston, 16 in the first half. He
played just 11 minutes in the second half because of foul trouble.
Cliff Robinson added 17 points for Phoenix. Delk added 13,
including 11 in the first half.
Mobley agreed with his coach's assessment of the officiating.
"Personally, I didn't think we got a fair shake, but we tried
to play through that,"' Mobley said. "... I know people are
human, but there was a lot of grudge-taking out there."
The defeat dropped Houston three games behind the Suns and 2½ behind Minnesota in the race for the seventh and eighth playoff
berths in the West.
"This is huge," said Gugliotta, whose team had blown a
28-point lead against Sacramento in its last home appearance. "At
home, against a team that's right in back of us in the standings.
We had to have this one."
A 10-2 run gave the Rockets a 63-47 lead with 9:33 left in the
third, and they were up 70-54 with 5:33 to go in the quarter.
Marion, just 4-for-13 from the field at that point, scored twice
and Gugliotta sank two jumpers in a 10-0 surge that cut the lead to
70-64 with 1:46 left in the third. Houston led 74-66 entering the
fourth.
Phoenix fell behind 76-66 early in the fourth, but finally
caught the Rockets at 78-78 with a 12-2 run, capped by Robinson's
12-footer.
Game notes
The Rockets were without Hakeem Olajuwon for the third
consecutive game. He has a left calf strain. ... Francis played the
entire first half and had nine points and eight assists. He
finished with 46 minutes after playing 43 the previous night
against the Los Angeles Clippers. ... Phoenix reserve forwards
Gugliotta and Rodney Rogers were a combined 0-for-10 in the first
half. ... Phoenix leads the season series 2-1. .. Skiles and Vinny
Del Negro drew technicals for the Suns, Tomjanovich and Williams
each got one for Houston.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Houston Clubhouse
Phoenix Clubhouse
RECAPS
New York 86
Miami 83
Philadelphia 97
Boston 91
Toronto 101
Vancouver 84
Sacramento 105
Utah 90
Detroit 95
Indiana 78
Cleveland 124
Milwaukee 110
Phoenix 94
Houston 92
Dallas 111
LA Clippers 93
Seattle 109
LA Lakers 97
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