Houston routs New Orleans
HOUSTON — Kevin Martin had 17 points to help the Houston Rockets beat the New Orleans Hornets 95-75 in a preseason game Friday night.
Omer Asik had 15 rebounds for the Rockets (2-0) and Donatas Montiejunas added 13 points, Toney Douglas scored 11, Chandler Parsons and Patrick Patterson each had 10 points.
Al-Farouq Aminu led the Hornets (3-1) with 15 points and Robin Lopez added 11 points and eight rebounds. Greivis Vasquez and Darius Miller each had 10 points and Austin Rivers added seven points. First overall pick Anthony Davis did not dress.
Jeremy Lin put the Rockets up 15 at 64-49 with two free throws with 4:32 left in the third after being fouled hard by Lopez on a drive to the basket. The foul was initially ruled a flagrant but turned to a regular foul after the officials reviewed the play.
Lin was subbed out of the game shortly thereafter with nine points on 2 of 6 shooting and seven assists in 23 minutes.
Houston used a 9-2 run before the half to take a 48-41 lead at halftime capped by Parsons’ dunk. The Rockets outscored the Hornets 22-10 in the third quarter to up the lead to 70-51. Martin led the Rockets with eight points in the quarter, including two three-pointers.
Pacers 96, Timberwolves 91: In Indianapolis, Paul George scored 19 points to help the Pacers to a win over Minnesota.
Derrick Williams led the Timberwolves (1-1) with 25 points and six rebounds. Kevin Love added six points in 12 first-half minutes. Brandon Roy had six points in 8:15.
Pacers forward Gerald Green scored 18 while Ben Hansbrough chipped in 10 points and seven assists.
Raptors 82, Pistons 75: In Toronto, DeMar DeRozan scored 14 points and Ed Davis had 12 points to lead Toronto to a victory over Detroit.
Raptors rookie Jonas Valanciunas had 11 points and eight rebounds, and scored on a key possession with less than a minute to play.
Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons with 14 points.
Nowitzki has knee drained
DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki went through a full practice with the Dallas Mavericks on Friday after having his swollen right knee drained for the second time in a month.
Nowitzki said he doesn’t know why the swelling keeps coming back and that arthroscopic surgery remains an option if it keeps happening. He says he won’t play on a swollen knee all season.
It is the same knee and same issue Nowitzki dealt with early last season.
The Mavericks will scrimmage as part of a fan day Saturday. Nowitzki, who is going into his 15th NBA season, plans to see how his knee responds over the weekend and is hopeful that it will be all right.
The perennial All-Star forward didn’t play in the Mavericks’ loss Tuesday at FC Barcelona Regal in Spain.