Rockets survive Pistons in wild ending to snap losing streak

Photo courtesy of Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

The Rockets needed a win in a bad way on Friday night, but it's likely they would have preferred to win without the late-game dramatics.

In a wild finish, Houston managed to outlast the Detroit Pistons by a score of 103-102, in large part due to a just-good-enough defensive effort and a bit of good fortune.

It wasn't that superb of a night for Houston--which was a bit expected, given the injuries the team was suffering through. Without primary playmakers John Wall and Christian Wood, it fell upon the shoulders of Victor Oladipo, Eric Gordon and others to carry the load. The result was a below-average 38.9% shooting percentage from the field.

Still, the Rockets got it done when they needed to. Eric Gordon willed his way to a respectable 20 points on the evening, overcoming a lackluster shooting performance by getting himself to the line frequently (7-9 FT).

P.J. Tucker, surprisingly, managed to notch the second most points on the team with 15 points, going 5-8 from the field.

Sterling Brown got in on the action too, making a team-high four threes in the contest. Brown has been ramping up his minutes and productivity since returning from a lower leg injury that sidelined him for two games.

In light of Houston's sup-par offensive effort, it would have to be their defense that would win them the game, and the squad delivered. The Rockets forced 19 Detroit turnovers, blocked 11 shots, and held Detroit to a paltry 37.8% shooting from the floor.

Though, the biggest defensive highlight came at the end of the game. With a few seconds remaining, Detroit had a chance to win the game with a made basket. Detroit's Jerami Grant received the inbounds pass, set up for a hand-off, and bolted to the basket after realizing how little time was left to execute a play.

What followed was a bizarre series of events--Grant went up for a shot, followed by a trailing P.J. Tucker, and seemed to get the shot off at exactly the same time he was fouled by P.J., while the buzzer sounded. The call on the floor was a foul on a made basket, and the play immediately went to review.

After a few tense minutes of debate, the officials ruled that the foul--and the subsequent made basket--occurred after the buzzer sounded, giving Houston the win by mere milliseconds.

A little lucky? Perhaps, but the Rockets would certainly take it.

Escaping Detroit with a win, the Rockets improved their record to 5-9 and snapped a three-game losing streak in the process. A quick turnaround is soon to follow, as Houston will travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks. John Wall is expected to return in the game.

Tip-off is slated for 8 PM CT.