HOUSTON -- Houston is starting to make a habit of 40-point first quarters. After not scoring 40 points in the opening quarter in the last five seasons, the Rockets have done it five times this season and twice in the last three games. Terrence Jones had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and the Rockets opened a big early lead and beat the Detroit Pistons 118-110 on Saturday night for their third win in four games. Jones finished 10 of 15 from the floor as Houston shot 50 per cent for the game, including 61 per cent in the first half. Houston scored 41 points in the first quarter and finished 11 of 33 from behind the arc. "We got a big halftime lead and didnt play well in the second half," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "We came out and really moved the ball. We had it going up and down and just did a nice job of doing what weve been talking about doing, which is attacking early, getting inside to Dwight (Howard) and making some nice passes." James Harden added 20 points and 12 assists, Patrick Beverley had 19 points and Howard chipped in 17 points and eight rebounds. Reserve Omri Casspi scored 16 points and Jordan Hamilton had 13. While saying it was an important win before the Rockets begin a stretch against some of the top teams in the NBA on Tuesday against Miami, Howard did not like the way Houston came out in the second half. "I thought we should have really put the foot on the gas," Howard said. "We didnt. We allowed them to get back into the game, and that is not what we need to do if we want to be a championship team." Rodney Stuckey had 23 points on 10 of 17 shooting off the bench, and Josh Smith added 21 points for the Pistons, who dropped their fourth straight and seventh in eight games. Andre Drummond had 16 points and 17 rebounds, Greg Monroe had 10 points and 14 rebounds, and Brandon Jennings chipped in 11 points and eight assists for Detroit, which shot 45 per cent from the field. "In the first half, we didnt play with the energy, enthusiasm or desire you have to play at to play against any NBA team, let alone a high-level team like Houston," Detroit interim coach John Loyer said. "We came in here, and I told our guys we played harder in practice than the first 24 minutes. We had more juice, energy running a three-man weave than we did in the first half. There are two halves to a game, and fortunately, we played a much better second half." Detroit fell four games out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Drummond said the Pistons have enough time to make the playoffs. "We have enough time to do anything, and were four games out, so it comes to what we do as a team," Drummond said. "It cant be one or two people. We have to be as a collective group to want to buckle down and try to win games." Trailing 102-84 with 10:33 remaining, Detroit outscored the Rockets 13-5 over the next 4:22 to cut the lead to 10 on Smiths free throws, but Beverley nailed back-to-back 3-pointers to push the lead back to 16 with four minutes remaining. The Pistons closed within seven once more with a 10-1 run, capped by consecutive layups by Stuckey, but got no closer. "I think guys stopped playing a little bit because of the lead," Jones said. "We just tried to make sure that we got back to it on the defensive end to make sure we got the win. I think we did that late in the fourth." The Rockets, who never trailed, moved to 40-19. Only the 1993-94 team that started 40-15 got to 40 wins faster. Houston used a 16-2 run over a three-minute stretch of the first quarter to open a 23-6 lead on Howards two free throws 5 minutes into the game. "We did a good job of coming out with some aggression and getting some defensive stops and getting out in transition," Harden said. Houston expanded its lead to 58-33 on Howards free throw with 4:58 remaining in the first half. The Rockets led 69-46 at the break. NOTES: Houston forward Chandler Parsons missed the game with an illness. . Rockets centre Greg Smith underwent an exploratory arthroscopic knee surgery Wednesday to repair a medial meniscus tear and to examine changes to ligament structures in his right knee. Smith, who has missed 36 games this season, is out indefinitely. . Drummond leads the Eastern Conference with 43 double-doubles this season Nike Roshe Run Homme Bleu. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a trooper responded to a report of a stalled vehicle in the lane on Interstate Highway 394 heading west out of downtown Minneapolis. As Simpson got out of a red Dodge Charger, the trooper observed him with watery eyes and slightly slurred speech. Nike Roshe Run Canada. It was one of the few pitches the Giants slugger guessed wrong on, and the last one from Nolasco he let get by. Morse hit a bases-loaded double on Nolascos next offering -- one of three doubles by San Franciscos first baseman -- helping the Giants to an 8-1 win over the Twins on Sunday that completed a three-game sweep. http://www.airmax-2016.ca/nike-air-max-2016-release-date/air-max-2016-flyknit.html. -- Former major league outfielder Chad Curtis was sentenced Thursday to seven to 15 years in prison for inappropriately touching teenage girls. Air Max Zero Pas Cher. "It was one of the best shows ever," said the Raptors guard, disagreeing with the critics. "Its really what people wanted to see. You couldnt see those dunks without three players on the court so it worked out for the best I think. Air Max Zero Noir. The rookie is rewarding their faith with a stellar first season. MacKinnon had a goal and two assists, Jamie McGinn had two goals and an assist, and Colorado beat the Buffalo Sabres 7-1 on Saturday.ATLANTA - For Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, it was a rare chance to celebrate.They didnt pass it up.Bryant scored 28 points and the Lakers held on for just their second win, beating the Atlanta Hawks 114-109 on Tuesday night.A locker room that has been solemn most of the season was a lot more raucous this time.Man, oh man, thats a lot better, Jeremy Lin said. Its been a rough start to the season.Bryants biggest shot came with 1:11 remaining, when he backed in against Thabo Sefolosha and made a fadeaway jumper despite being fouled. Bryant slapped hands with a fan on the front row and completed the three-point play, giving the Lakers a 108-102 lead.Its been tough, Bryant said. But you find beauty in the process.The Hawks had a chance to force overtime after the Lakers (2-9) failed to put it away at the line. But Los Angeles smothered long-range threat Kyle Korver, leaving Pero Antic to take an open 3-pointer. It clanked off the rim and the Lakers gobbled up the loose ball to seal the victory.Paul Millsap led Atlanta with 29 points.Carlos Boozer added 20 points for the Lakers. Nick Young, coming back from a thumb injury, had 17 in his first game of the season.Jeff Teague scored 23 for the Hawks, who lost for the first time at home.In the first half, the Lakers hardly looked like a team that had lost nine of its first 10 games, putting up a season high for points in a half while racing to a 67-52 lead. Bryant scored 19 points and Boozer chipped in with 18 as Los Angeles shot 61 per cent (27 of 44) and outrebounded the Hawks 22-15.Games are not won in the first quarter, Korver said. But they can be lost in the first quarter. Weve got to do better at the start of the game. Weve got to bring more energy, bring more juice.The Hawks started the second half with a 13-0 run but never made it all the way back from the eaarly deficit.dddddddddddd. Down the stretch, the Lakers made enough plays to snap a four-game losing streak.Even after Bryant missed a wild one from the corner, Jordan Hill snatched away the offensive rebound and laid it back in to put Los Angeles ahead 111-106 with 17.7 seconds remaining.The only thing that gave Atlanta hope was the Lakers woes at the foul line. They missed three of five at one point in the closing seconds.But Antic, left all alone outside the arc, couldnt make the tying 3.Its basically an easy shot, he said. I usually make that shot.___SWAGGER RETURNSAfter missing the first 10 games while recovering from a torn ligament in his left thumb, Young provided the spark the Lakers so desperately needed. Its just like the swagger factor, Young quipped. It just rubs off on everybody.NO BOUNCEBACKAfter falling behind by 43 points in their last game, a 127-94 blowout at Cleveland, the Hawks got off to another sluggish start. I thought we would come out with more energy, Millsap said. But that was not the case. We dug ourselves a hole and paid for it.TIP-INSLakers: Bryant now had 32,001 points. Hes fourth in the career standings, with Michael Jordan (32,292) next in his sights. Its a lot of work over 19 years, Bryant said. ... The Lakers biggest lead was 17 points. ... Wayne Ellington missed his fifth straight game since the death of his father, who was fatally shot on Nov. 9. He could rejoin the team for its game Friday at Dallas, coach Byron Scott said.Hawks: Atlanta dropped to 4-1 at Philips Arena. ... DeMarre Carroll missed his fourth straight game with a strained groin. ... Antic finished 2 of 9 from the field, while another backup, Mike Scott, was 3 of 11.UP NEXTLakers: At Houston on Wednesday.Hawks: Host Detroit on Friday.___Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 cheap nfl jerseys? cheap jerseys?cheap jerseys?cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '