Lowry, Rockets outlast Trail Blazers in OT

HOUSTON There was nothing left in reserve but fumes yet Rockets guards Kyle Lowry and Kevin Martin pushed on, stretching for a finishing tape that surely seemed like a lush oasis in the Mojave Desert. Courtney Lee missed his seventh consecutive game with a calf strain and Goran Dragic logged seven largely ineffective minutes. Lowry and Martin had represented the backcourt through 24 uninterrupted second-half minutes, and when Lowry missed his step-back jumper at the buzzer in the fourth quarter, five more were added to their ledgers. The Rockets survived Saturday night, outlasting the equally fatigued Trail Blazers 107-105 in overtime at Toyota Center. It was a win with a closing stretch that embodied the specter of the compressed schedule. "We just know what kind of season we're going to have with the lockout, and that's what Coach (Kevin McHale) tried to do during training camp. Just kill us every day," Martin said. "We're prepared for it so we feel like we can play seven in eight nights." That was a noble response but one that in no way reflected the ragged play of the fourth quarter and overtime. The Rockets (5-7) were playing their fourth game in five nights and, after shooting 49.2 percent through the third quarter, they missed 22 of 30 shots over the final 17 minutes. The Blazers (7-5) were also playing their fourth game in five nights, and when the Rockets showed visible signs of fatigue in the fourth the Blazers couldn't muster the energy to administer the knockout blow. Having erasing what had been a 10-point deficit as late as the 11:48 mark of the fourth quarter, the Blazers stalled after extending to a 93-90 lead on a Gerald Wallace driving layup with 5:34 remaining. Neither team scored over the ensuing two-plus minutes, with the Blazers making just four more shots over the final 10 minutes of game action. Lowry scored a season-high 33 points and made 11 of his first 13 shots. His 3-pointer with 30.8 seconds left gave the Rockets a 97-95 lead and was one of only two shots he made after the fourth quarter opened. He missed 11 of his final 13 attempts while logging 48 grueling minutes. "The last quarter I missed a lot of layups that I should've made and I think it was a little bit of fatigue," Lowry said. "But that happens. It's part of the game. You've got to do what you've got to do to win the game." That's the quandary facing McHale. After a 3-7 start and facing a manageable stretch of opponents over the coming week, McHale was compelled to do what was required to preserve this victory. That meant giving extended minutes to both Lowry, who added nine assists and eight rebounds, and Martin, who scored 28 points on 8-of-22 shooting. In the four games since returning from a two-game hiatus due to a foot injury, Lowry has averaged 43.5 minutes per contest. Martin has averaged the same 43.5 minutes during that stretch. Fatigue didn't prevent Martin from converting a runner off the glass with 31.9 seconds left that gave the Rockets a 103-100 lead, nor did it sap his energy at the free-throw line, where he sank all four of his attempts in overtime. McHale clearly operated in the moment. He later made clear his disdain for continuing this practice, even given the erratic play of his hamstrung bench. "It's not fair to play Kyle that many minutes, K-Mart either. Tonight we did it," McHale said. "We've got to be able to get that second unit a little bit tighter. I'm trying to get guys in earlier and I'm trying to get that so it's not so we've just got to get that tightened up. "They're playing too many minutes. We've got to get them more rest, there's no doubt. But while they're getting that rest we've got to be able to maintain leads and expand leads. Our second team is really good; we've just got to get them playing better, that's all." The schedule will not relent. The Rockets will travel to Washington D.C., on Sunday where they will play the Wizards on Monday afternoon. That will be the first of four games in six days. What unfolded late Saturday might become the norm as teams suffer from the wrath of the lockout. "It's going to be like this," Lowry said. "It's going to be a rough patch. "Everybody is pretty tired right now. I'm sure everyone is looking to try to get out as fast as they can, get a good start and get to the (All-Star) break. Once you get to the break things will slow down a little bit more." Follow me on Twitter at moisekapenda