The Rockets (17-53) blew a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter as the visiting Indiana Pacers (24-47) rallied to a 121-118 victory (box score) on Friday night at Toyota Center. For Houston, it was a fourth straight loss, and it maintains their spot with the NBA’s worst record.
Christian Wood led the way with a game-high 32 points on 11-of-14 shooting (78.6%), including 4-of-6 on 3-pointers (66.7%). Houston’s big man also collected a team-high 13 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in his 34 minutes. Nonetheless, the Rockets were outscored in the fourth quarter, 38-23, as Indiana sent Houston to a dispiriting home loss.
Veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon led the Pacers with 25 points on 11-of-19 shooting (57.9%), while starting center Goga Bitadze had 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals on perfect 9-of-9 shooting.
