Rockets Jump Out To Early Lead, Beat Cavaliers

Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Aaron Brooks tallied 27 points and six assists and Trevor Ariza added 26 points, as Houston handled the Cavaliers, 95-85, at Toyota Center.

Carl Landry and Shane Battier chipped in 14 points apiece for the Rockets, who have won four of their last five. Houston converted 20 Cleveland turnovers into 22 points to come away victorious.

LeBron James ended with 27 points on 8-of-21 shooting, adding seven assists and six boards for the Cavs, who were coming off a 111-109 overtime loss at Memphis on Tuesday. Delonte West ended with 14 points in defeat.

Houston blew open a three-point lead late in the first quarter during a seemingly innocuous four-possession stretch. Brooks’ three-point play sparked the 12-0 run, Ariza hit two from downtown, and Landry cleaned up an Ariza miss with a layup while being fouled.

Landry’s free throw made it 29-14 with under two minutes remaining in the stanza, and Houston led 33-19 going to the second.

Houston continued to lead by double digits throughout the second and took a 52-39 edge to the locker room. It was the same story in the third, but the Cavs trailed just 68-58 with a quarter to play.

Cleveland pulled as close as five, 71-66, after two James free throws 2 1/2 minutes into the fourth, but Houston’s subsequent 10-2 run, which Ariza started with a jumper, pushed the margin back to double-digits.

The Cavs never pulled within two possessions the rest of the way.

Houston has won four of the last five meetings with Cleveland, which is winless in its last four visits to Toyota Center...Luis Scola grabbed 10 rebounds for Houston...Anderson Varejao logged 10 points for the Cavs, who received a seven-point, 10-rebound effort from Shaquille O’Neal.