Rockets at Suns
THE STORY: The Houston Rockets have pulled off impressive back-to-back road wins, but the latest may have come at a prohibitive cost. Point guard Kyle Lowry suffered an undisclosed injury to his right arm in Wednesday's victory at Portland. Lowry sprinted off the court and to the locker room clutching his right arm. The Rockets continue a six-game road trip at Phoenix on Thursday night. The Suns have won three straight since an 18-point loss at Houston last week.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSH, FSAZ
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (15-11): The injury to Lowry puts the onus on backup Goran Dragic. He showed he was up to the task Wednesday, scoring all 10 of his points in the fourth quarter to stave off a Portland comeback. A former backup to Suns point guard Steve Nash, Dragic has made two starts this season and had a combined 30 points and 19 assists. Houston’s bench erupted for 66 points Wednesday, led by Chase Budinger’s 22.
ABOUT THE SUNS (11-14): Phoenix extended its winning streak to three with victories in Atlanta and Milwaukee. Nash turned 38 in the win over the Bucks and celebrated by recording his third straight double-double (18 points, 11 rebounds) and fourth in five games. During the five-game span, Nash is averaging 17.8 points and 10.2 assists while shooting a blistering 66.7 percent (36 of 54) from the field. Reserve G Michael Redd is averaging 13.9 points in his last three.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Houston’s 99-81 win over Phoenix last week was its second straight in the series. The Suns won the previous seven meetings, scoring at least 111 points in each.
2. Rockets leading scorer Kevin Martin has a total of 14 points on 4-of-24 shooting in the least three.
3. The Rockets and Suns rank 29th and 30th in free throws attempted.