The Philippine Online Chronicles

This NBA playdate featured three action-packed games. The biggest one happened between the Houston Rockets and the Boston Celtics. The Rockets showed toughness at the end of the game, to pull off an upset against the Eastern conference powerhouse.

The Chicago Bulls, meanwhile, continued their meteoric rise in the standings, trumping the hapless Detroit Pistons squad to claim another victory.

Rockets 108, Celtics 102

Point guard Aaron Brooks showed nerves of steel at the end of the game to seal the Houston Rockets’ victory against the Boston Celtics, 108-102.

With less than three minutes remaining, the Celtics rallied to cut a 12-point Rockets lead down to four. Brooks took over from then on, nailing two crucial free throws to put an end to the Celtics’ run.

The Rockets were able to win even without leading scorer Kevin Martin.

The Rockets had several other players who played exceptionally well. Shooting guard Kyle Lowry tallied 17 points and nine assists. Luis Scola on the other hand, scored 12 points and grabbed rebounds, while center Jordan Hill added 12 points and eight boards.

For the Celtics, Ray Allen led the team with 19 markers, while Marquis Daniels played his best game of the season by scoring 19 points and seven rebounds. Point guard Rajon Rondo meanwhile dished out 12 assists.

The win snapped the Rockets’ five-losing streak, putting their record at 17-21. The Celtics on the other hand, conceded the East’s top spot to the Miami Heat by falling to 28-9.

Chicago 95, Detroit 82

The Chicago Bulls’ deadly combo of Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer continues to make their team one of the best in the East.

Earlier, Rose scored 29 points while Boozer added 27 points and 11 boards to help the Bulls dispatch the Detroit Pistons, 95-82.

Aside from Rose and Boozer, Luol Deng also had a solid game, tallying 17 points and eight rebounds for the Bulls.

Down by 12 points at halftime, the Bulls relied on Boozer to get back into the game. The 6’9" power forward scored nine straight points to finally tie the game at 61, with less than five minutes left in the third canto.

After Deng’s jumper that gave the Bulls a one-point lead, Rose took over by scoring the last five points of the quarter.

In the final period, there was no stopping the Bulls’ juggernaut Boozer, who made another jumper. Ronnie Brewer followed with a three-pointer to finally seal the deal for the Bulls.

The Bulls now have a 25-12 win-loss slate, putting them in third place in the East. The Pistons on the other hand, occupy the 12^th spot by having a 12-25 record.

Charlotte 96, Memphis 82

Ever since Paul Silas replaced Larry Brown as coach, the Charlotte Bobcats have been having a swimmingly good time. The Bobcats hammered the Memphis Grizzlies, 96-82, to claim their fifth victory in seven games.

Led by Stephen Jackson’s 27 points, D.J. Augustin 18 points and nine assists, and Matt Carroll’s 12 markers, the Bobcats easily beat the overmatched Grizzlies.

Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph came up with a double-double performance by scoring 15 points and 15 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to propel the team to victory.

With the win, the Bobcats have now won three straight, improving their record to 14-21. The Grizzlies on the other hand, have lost two straight games, their record slipping to 17-21.