Francis-Led Rockets Deliver

Steve Francis found a way to make up for missing every shot in the first half. He simply didn’t miss with the game on the line.

Francis led a game-ending 14-1 run with eight straight points and an assist to lead the Houston Rockets to an 86-75 victory Tuesday night over the New Jersey Nets at East Rutherford, N.J.

“I was frustrated,” said Francis, who finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists after missing all eight of his shots in the first half.

“When you’re not making shots, you’re going to be upset about it,” Francis said. “Coach calmed me down. He told me he wouldn’t play me the rest of the game if I kept acting like a fool. He told me winners forget the first half and come back in the second half.”

The coach Francis was talking about was Jeff Van Gundy. The Rockets’ new head coach is 3-1.

The Rockets came into the game leading the NBA in scoring defense, and they were tenacious in the fourth quarter, limiting New Jersey to four-for-18 shooting from the field.

“The Nets are a tough team, but I figured if we could at least try to stop their fastbreak, you’ve got a better chance,” said Cuttino Mobley, who led Houston with 20 points.

New Jersey, which played without injured forwards Kenyon Martin and Rodney Rogers and injured shooting guard Lucious Harris, shot 33.8%.

Richard Jefferson had 21 points to lead the Nets.

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San Antonio 80, Miami 73 -- Malik Rose had 14 points and 11 rebounds to lead the patchwork Spurs past the winless Heat at San Antonio.

A driving basket by Lamar Odom with 2:13 remaining cut the Spurs’ lead to 74-73. But Manu Ginobili found Rasho Nesterovic for a dunk with 1:13 left, and Jason Hart and Ginobili made two free throws apiece in the final 16 seconds to clinch the win.

The Spurs were without injured Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, and suspended Coach Gregg Popovich.

Ginobili led San Antonio with 15 points.

Eddie Jones led Miami with 26 points, all but four in the first half.

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Indiana 71, Denver 60 -- Jermaine O’Neal had 25 points and 20 rebounds, and the Pacers withstood a 17-2 fourth-quarter run to defeat the Nuggets at Indianapolis.

Ron Artest and Al Harrington bottled up Denver rookie Carmelo Anthony, who scored two points on one-of-13 shooting.