It was announced just 30 minutes before tonight's game that Carmelo Anthony (sick) would not play, but his teammates were up for the challenge. They moved the ball for high-quality shots and shot 58 percent from the floor through three quarters, taking a 77-69 lead into the fourth.
That's when Houston came to life, led not by one of its own All-Stars, but veteran Marcus Thornton, who had logged less than five minutes to that point. Thornton would play all 12 minutes in the final frame, scoring 11 points to help lead the Rockets back and force overtime, where he'd add seven more to his total.