Nets win consecutive games for 1st time since November with 110-98 victory over Rockets

HOUSTON (AP) — Ziaire Williams had 21 points, D’Angelo Russell added 18 and the Brooklyn Nets won consecutive games for the first time since November with a 110-98 victory over the short-handed Houston Rockets on Saturday night.

The Nets, who beat Charlotte on Wednesday night, won two games in a row for the first time since a three-game winning streak from Nov. 24-27.

The Rockets were playing without Alperen Sengun, who missed a second straight game with a bruised calf, and lost Fred VanVleet to an ankle injury in the second quarter.

Brooklyn led by double digits for most of the night and used a big run early in the third quarter to push its advantage to 18 and cruise to the win.

Jalen Green had 29 to lead the Rockets, who lost a second straight after winning their previous four games.

Takeaways

Nets: Brooklyn used a balanced scoring attack to get the win with all five starters scoring at least 13 points.

Rockets: Houston’s offense struggled without Sengun and VanVleet, who are second and third on the team by averaging 19.1 and 14.9 points a game. VanVleet had three points before leaving with the injury.

Key moment

The Nets were up by nine early in the third quarter before using a 11-2 run, with 3-pointers from Williams and Keon Johnson, to make it 66-48 with 7 1/2 minutes left in the quarter.

Key stat

Houston’s Amen Thompson and Dillon Brooks combined to make just 11 of 30 shots.

Up next

Houston begins a four-game road trip against the New York Knicks on Monday night before playing the Nets again Tuesday night in Brooklyn's next game.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba