get-go, outshooting the Canadiens 14-4 in the first period and

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Dwight Howard vs. Andre Drummond was a mismatch from the start -- so it didnt really matter how many key players were missing for the Houston Rockets. Howard had 35 points and 19 rebounds, leading the short-handed Rockets to a 114-97 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night. Howard dominated Drummond, Detroits promising 20-year-old big man, and helped Houston control the game despite the absence of star guard James Harden, who was out with a sprained right ankle. "I love Andre -- the way hes been playing this year," Howard said. "Hes 20 years old, and he doesnt back down from any challenge, and I love that about him. Hes going to continue to get better." But Drummond looked overmatched against Howard, who ended up with his highest-scoring game since joining the Rockets in the off-season. Howard went 13 of 18 from the field, while Drummond managed only nine points at the other end. "At the end I thanked him for the lesson," Drummond said. "He said, Any time." The Rockets also were without Jeremy Lin, who has been bothered by back spasms, and they lost guard Patrick Beverley to a fractured right hand. Josh Smith scored 19 points for the Pistons. Detroit blew a 20-point lead and allowed 72 points in the second half of Fridays loss to Charlotte. The Pistons again struggled defensively against Houston, especially against Howard. "Dwight was unbelievable tonight. He completely dominated the game," Houstons Chandler Parsons said. "Im a big fan of Andre Drummond. I think hes got a lot of potential, and hes a really good player, but I mean, Dwight just dominated tonight." Howard scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the first half. Houston led 61-53 at the half and 86-71 after three quarters. Drummonds tip-in made it 92-82, but Howard responded by simply backing Drummond down again for two more points. Francisco Garcias 3-pointer put the Rockets up 97-84. The Pistons shot 1 of 12 from 3-point range, and they also missed a number of shots inside from point-blank range. Houston lost Friday at Indiana in a 114-81 rout, but the Rockets overcame all their injury problems against Detroit. "We just have to go out there and play," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "It does not matter how many guys we have. It does not matter who is playing or who is not playing. We just have to go there and play together and play with some toughness. Toughness and togetherness overcomes a lot of stuff." Parsons scored 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting for Houston, and Garcia added 16 points starting in place of Harden. Omri Casspi and Aaron Brooks had seven assists each off the bench. "I thought Aaron had a good game tonight," McHale said. "I thought Patrick really started off well. We are not going to have Patrick for a while, which means that Jeremy is due to come back." Brandon Jennings had eight points and 10 assists for Detroit before being ejected with 2:10 to go. After a foul call, a clearly frustrated Jennings tossed the ball away for one technical foul, then earned another for arguing. "We are still trying to get better, night in and night out," Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks said. "As I said to our players, there will be some nights when we will have good nights, there will be some nights when we have bad nights. Last night and tonight was not our best for sure." NOTES: Detroit was averaging an NBA-best 51.5 points in the paint coming into the game, while Houston was third at 49.2. The teams finished tied at 62 in that department Saturday. ... The Rockets began the fourth quarter by going 8 of 9 from the field. ... Howard scored 33 points in a Nov. 20 loss at Dallas. ... Beverley scored 10 points in the first half but didnt play in the second. Alex Cappa Buccaneers Jersey . Tokarski, a somewhat controversial choice -- with his 10 games of NHL experience and all -- to replace an injured Carey Price in Game Two had a night to remember, turning back a Rangers team that was dominating play from the get-go, outshooting the Canadiens 14-4 in the first period and 37-25 overall. M.J. Stewart Buccaneers Jersey . Sami Vatanen had a goal and an assist and Anaheim used a four-goal first period to extend their winning streak to six games with a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night. http://www.thebuccaneersfansclub.com/Black-Friday-Ryan-Jensen-Jersey/ . Today, he looks at the offensive line. 1. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (OT, McGill) You Should Know: Over the course of his university career, Duvernay-Tardifs commitments to medical school and the family business frequently limited him to one practice per week, yet he was still the Metras Trophy winner as the Top Lineman in CIS football in 2013. Vinny Curry Buccaneers Jersey . -- Canadian ski cross star Marielle Thompson accomplished two goals in one race Saturday. Jordan Whitehead Jersey .com) - Markus Granlund scored the game-winning goal as the Calgary Flames used an early offensive flurry to defeat the Los Angeles Kings, 2-1, on Monday.The Los Angeles Lakers hope to start the month of February on a good note when they open a three-game road trip tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Lakers will also visit Cleveland and Philadelphia, have lost four in a row on the road and are 8-18 as the guest this season. They are 3-12 on the road against Western Conference opponents. Los Angeles is mired in a six-game slide overall and dropped a 110-100 decision to the Charlotte Bobcats the last time out on Friday, when Pau Gasol finished with 24 points and nine rebounds. Nick Young added 21 off the bench and Jodie Meeks scored 19 points for the Lakers, who are only 3-18 in the last 21 games and shot 38.7 percent from the floor. "They just werent ready to play for whatever reason," said Los Angeles head coach Mike DAntoni. "Whether its the end of January, who knows, but its inexcusable." As has been the case almost all season, injuries are the main story for the Lakers. Kobe Bryant (knee) wont travel with the team on this trip and it was announced Gasol (groin) would also stay in LA for rehab. However, there is some good news as all three injured point guards, Steve Nash, Steve Blake and Jordan Farmar, appear ready to return to the lineup. "Theyre all good," DAntoni said. "I think theyre all ready to go. Theres a possibility all three could play (at Minnesota)." Lakers center Chris&nbssp;Kaman is probable Tuesday because of a sore knee and he has missed the previous seven games.dddddddddddd He might get the starting call with Gasol shelved, although Kaman has basically fallen out of the rotation. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves have dropped two in a row and three of five games, including Saturdays 120-113 setback at Atlanta. Kevin Love pumped in 43 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, while Kevin Martin and J.J. Barea added 17 and 12 points, respectively, for the Timberwolves, who finished shooting 44 percent from the field. Barea was ejected with 6:43 left in the fourth quarter after receiving his second technical foul. "I didnt even know I had it (43 points) until I think Martin told me after the game. I was just trying to get us back in the game by any means," Love said. "Teammates set me up with a lot of good shots. A loss, especially right now, is tough." Love has posted three straight double-doubles and nine in the last 10 games, posting an average of 25.3 points and 13.3 rebounds in that time. Minnesota has dropped 11 straight in Atlanta and will visit Oklahoma City and New Orleans after hosting the Lakers. The TWolves, who are 13-9 in the Twin Cities, have split two meetings with Los Angeles this season and will host the Lakers on March 28. The Lakers have won 26 of the last 28 matchups with Minnesota and are unbeaten in 11 straight and 12 of 13 contests at the Target Center. 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