Saints stay perfect with 35-7 win, start with 8-0 season
NEW ORLEANS — The Saints are still perfect, despite an imperfect performance, and now need one more win to set the record for best start in franchise history.
Drew Brees had 308 yards passing, Pierre Thomas scored two touchdowns and Jabari Greer returned an interception for a score to help the Saints improve to 7-0 with a 35-27 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night. Only the 1991 Saints began a season with as many wins and no Saints team has started 8-0.
“We did a lot of things well and yet we did a lot of things that made it close at the end,” Saints coach Sean Payton said.
“I’m excited to win though. I’m excited to win this game and get to 7-0. It was an important game against a division team and I’m proud of our players. They fought.”
Budinger leads Rockets over Jazz 113-96, scores career high
SALT LAKE CITY — Rookie Chase Budinger scored a career-high 17 points and was one of eight Houston players to score in double figures as the Rockets beat the Utah Jazz 113-96 on Monday night.
The Rockets pulled away with a 13-0 run early in the fourth quarter and won in Salt Lake City for the first time since spoiling the Jazz’s home opener two years ago.
Aaron Brooks had 19 points and nine assists and Luis Scola added 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Rockets (3-1), who made eight of their first 12 shots in the fourth quarter to blow open a three-point game.
Deron Williams had 18 points and eight assists and Andrei Kirilenko added 18 points and seven rebounds for the Jazz (1-2). Mehmet Okur scored 21 and Ronnie Brewer had 19 points for the Jazz.
Utah was just 13 for 35 in the second half, going more than 7 minutes without a field goal late in the third quarter. Carlos Boozer went 1 for 6 while scoring seven and Williams was just 6 for 20 from the floor for Utah, which went 13 for 35 in the second half.
