Rockets Give Fans A Reason To Cheer, Despite Tough News

It was like getting the wind knocked out of you, a ‘gut punch’. Yesterday was a dark day if you were a Houston Rockets fan when you learned that All-Star Center Yao Ming was out for the remainder of the season. But after the Rockets defeated the Washington Wizards last night 94-69 there was a bright spot in the darkness.

The Rockets started out on a 7-0 run and 41 year old Dikembe Mutombo set the defensive tone early with 2 blocks in the first 5 minutes. One of which earned him a technical foul for his famous ‘finger wag’ (Not in my house!!) which is ridiculous. Regardless the Rockets held the Wizards to a total of 23 points in the first half… yes half, not first quarter. The Wizards would never recover from these quicker Rockets. T-Mac was a disappointing 4-15 from the field although he ended up with 11 points and 6 boards as well as the #3 spot on Sports Center for a monster dunk in the 4th quarter. The Rockets bench was right on target pouring in 43 points. Luther Head lead all scorers with 18 points (5 rebs, 4 ast) while rookie Carl Landry added 12 points and 8 rebounds of his own. The newest Rocket (not counting Bobby Jones who was signed to a 10 day contract) Bobby Jackson was ice cold going 0-7 however he did contribute 7 dimes. Houston native Gerald Green made his debut as a Rocket and played just 3:34 but added 6 quick points as well as a baseline jam late in the 4th quarter.

In the end the Rockets did exactly what they were supposed to do and beat the struggling (and injured) Washington Wizards. With Yao Ming out however Tracy McGrady must have more impact and be more consistent and Bobby Jackson must do what he was brought here to do, provide points off the bench. Despite missing ‘The Great Wall’ the Rockets still managed to out rebound the other team 55 to 37. Another key factor is the Rockets are assisting each other well putting up 25 total assists. I believe assists will be crucial to the Rockets success because when teams start focusing solely on McGrady his teammates will need to hit the open shots. Mount Mutombo has his work cut out for him but I think the Rockets can continue to make waves in the West.

Yao Ming Is Back On The Shelf

This will be a short post because I’m almost at a loss for words. The Rockets were just beginning to get recognition as a legitimate threat in the Western Conference and it only took a 12 game winning streak for that to happen. Now it appears Yao Ming will be out for the entire season. The reason is a stress fracture on his left foot. The Rockets are awaiting a second opinion as far as treatment options go but Yao is expected to undergo surgery soon and recovery time is about 4 months. The other treatment option would be non-surgical but would still take about the same time to heal.

According to Rockets GM Daryl Morey the team was notified and practice went on as scheduled. He also said Rick Adelman and the rest of the coaching staff in Houston are putting in extra time to figure out something for tonights game. The Rockets face the Washington Wizards tonight at home starting at 7:30pm.

Wells Out, BoJax In… Rockets Win 12th Straight!

The Houston Rockets continue the hot streak and hold off the ‘new look’ Chicago Bulls. You might not be able to guess that this was a game that saw 16 players (of 22) hit double digit scoring by looking at the final score 110-97. Both teams had 8 players in double digits but it was the Rockets that sealed the deal with their high shooting percentages, the Rockets were above 50% in all 3 stats. T-Mac lead all scorers with 24 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds. Shane Battier played almost the entire game (41 mins total) and earned the games only double-double with 11 points and 10 boards.

The story for most Rockets fans though was watching new addition Bobby Jackson. There were talks about his age (35) and concerns that he might not fit into Adelman’s style offense despite having played for him in the past. I found this over at the PSD forums:

Enough said! Now if the Rockets can only snag Brent Barry!

ESPN, Can The Rockets Get Some Credit Now?

ESPN, Charles Barkley, Stephen A. Smith… can the Houston Rockes get some credit now? Like most sports fans I tune into Sports Center at least daily. The Rockets are the hottest team in the NBA right now and from what I can tell aren’t getting very much credit from the “main stream media”. I understand the excitement that the Gasol and O’Neal trades had around it, I really do. But for the life of me I can’t figure out why no one really mentions the Houston Rockets when listing contenders in the Western Conference. All I hear is how ‘tough’ the West is and how ‘crazy it is that teams with 50+ wins might not make the playoffs’. With a win tonight the Rockets are 7th in the West but are only 3 games back from the New Orleans Hornets. So again I ask, now that the Rockets dismantled the Western leaders can they get some credit?

Of course I write this before Sports Center has aired and may end up with my foot in my mouth, but I doubt it. I would love to be proved wrong however because these guys deserve some serious credit. Many said that the Rockets hadn’t faced many powerhouse teams over this current 11 game winning streak. Oh yeah, the Rockets also set a franchise record with 10 road game victories in a row. Now for some stats!

Recently the Rockets have been doing a good job of spreading the scoring throughout the team and all five starters have often finished with 10+ points. Well tonight the two-headed monster gave the supporting cast a little rest and shouldered most of the scoring load. Yao Ming (28 pts) and Tracy McGrady (34 pts) combined for 62 of Houston’s 100 points. Yao also posted 14 boards, Alston added a lovely ‘point guard-ish’ 11 assists, and Scola (8 pts, 9 rebs) who fell into early foul trouble allowed Carl Landry to come off the bench with 11 boards and 7 points.

The Rockets next 3 opponents are Chicago, Washington, and Memphis all of which are below the 50% mark on the season thus far. However the Bulls just beat the Nuggets tonight and scored 30+ points every quarter. The Wizards too are proving to be tough opponents as they lost tonight by one against the Cavaliers. Basically this is the NBA and all players on the floor are talented. So don’t look for the Rockets to loose focus or intensity over these next few games, despite their opponents losing records.

Rockets Hop On The Western Trade Bandwagon

Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey along with the rest of the Houston Rockets front office decided to make a move in the multi-player action going on right now in the Western Conference. With a current 9 game winning streak going right now the Rockets are the NBAs hottest team so it’s unclear at this time why the Rockets made this trade. The Rockets traded G/F Bonzi Wells and G Mike James to the New Orleans Hornets for G Bobby Jackson. There are a few more minor details associated with the trade that aren’t finalized yet and the trade overall is awaiting league approval.

The big question with most Rockets fans is why? Why now with Bonzi turning things around from last season with JVG? I understand the time frame with the trade deadline soon over however this trade, on the outset, looks like a trade just for the sake of trading when you look at the talent being exchanged. The Hornets have struggled with help off the bench this season and it seems they are right on target getting Wells, and James too for that matter. Mike James hasn’t been what the Rockets were expecting but in his defense he didn’t get a chance to really prove himself. IMO James didn’t work with the Rockets because he is a ’shoot first’ guard and on a team with 2 superstars that just doesn’t fit. Now when you look at this from a financial point the Rockets made a great move. It gives them some room with the luxury tax which some are saying could prove useful in making a more significant trade in the future.

As a fan though my concern is disrupting the team chemistry the Rockets have right now. Mike James is less of a factor on the court but I’m not sure what kind of team mate James was in the locker room. This rotation should allow more playing time for Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry which I am not opposed to at all. We know the Rockets are a quality defensive team but with Bonzi shipped out of town goes Houstons 4th top scorer, averaging (9.2) almost 10 points a game. Bobby Jackson in comparison is averaging 7.1 points a game, has seen less playing time, and then there is the rebounds that Wells pulled in from time to time. The Rockets are showing some interest in Ron Artest as well.

The Rockets look to extend their winning streak to 10 tonight as the face off against Dwayne Wade and new team mate Shawn Marion. The Heat are currently on a 9 game loosing streak however the last time these teams met Miami came out on top. Of course that was with 26 points and 14 rebounds from Shaq who is now with the Suns.

Update: Looks like the Houston Rockets aren’t done yet. Houston native Gerald Green might be making his way back to Houston in a deal for Kirk Snyder and a second round draft pick. More to come.

Lebron’s Triple-Double Not Enough To Stop Rockets

Let me start by saying that the Houston Rockets won their last two games and finished off with 8 wins in a row before the All-Star break. Steve Novak hit a game winning 3 pointer to finish strong despite a horrible fourth quarter where the Rockets scored only 10 points. The West continues to add talent as the Jason Kidd deal finally goes down bringing him back to where he started his NBA career. Devean George shocked some folks by exercised his rare contract condition that blocked the first Kidd-To-Dallas trade. I understand where he was coming from, he was just looking out for his own future in my opinion. If you don’t take care of yourself, who will? Moving on…

Yao Ming and Luis Scola represented the Houston Rockets during All-Star weekend in New Orleans. Both saw little playing time but afterwards said they enjoyed the events.

With the All-Star break behind them and with 4 days of rest (minus Yao and Scola) the Houston Rockets faced off against All-Star MVP Lebron James and the Cleavland Cavaliers. Although King James would continue his performance from the weekend it would not be enough to stop the NBA’s hottest team right now (Detroit Lost to Orlando ending their 10 game winning streak). Rafer Alston led all Rockets with 22 points that can from a red hot 6-10 from behind the 3 point line. The rest of the Rockets provided solid stats and if ESPN.com would stop being a bunch of HATERS and show a few Rockets highlights you might see them on the top 10 tomorrow on Sports Center. (I’m looking at you Carl Landry!!!)

Rockets Assist Yao To Crush The Hawks

With only two (2) games remaining until the All-Star break the Rockets are firing on all cylinders. The Houston Rockets have won 10 of their last 11 games and are on a seasons best winning streak of 6 games. The defense of the Rockets held the reigns of this game from start to finish as the Rockets won 108-98. After pouring in 31 points in the first quarter Houston then put the choke hold on the Hawks only allowing 10 second quarter points setting a seasons record with both fewest points in a quarter (10) and fewest points allowed in a half (31).

When the dust settled in Toyota Center Saturday night it revealed the Rockets with yet another seasons best record, 32 assists! Once again Yao Ming led the way with 28 points 9 rebounds 2 blocked shots and 3 assists. Tracy McGrady had 15 points and a team high 8 assists. Luis Scola added 14 points and 9 boards. 4 out of 5 starters scored in the double digits and were a few stats short of 3 double doubles (T-Mac 2 Ast, Scola 1 Reb, Yao 1 Reb). Bonzi Wells provided the most spark from the bench earning 11 points and 6 assists. Contributions came from all players on the bench in one form or another.

So overall the game against the Hawks last night was a productive one. It showed what the Rockets are capable of when they work together and showed the depth this team now has. The Rockets are the hottest team in the Western Conference right now with 6 wins in a row. Despite that fact the Rockets were unable to advance in the standings and are currently still tied with the Golden State Warriors for the 8th spot. The good news is that the Rockets are proving to all the haters out there that they do belong in playoff contention despite really being given any credit in the main stream media. The West is a beast right now and the running is close. With all the recent trades (Gasol to Lakers, Shaq to Suns, Webber (back) to Warriors, D.Stoudamire to Spurs) the West has only gotten stronger. The Dallas Mavericks are believed to be interested in Jason Kidd as well.

Because the West is such a close race right now the next to games for the Rockets are key. They face the Portland Trailblazers on Monday and then face the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday to head into the All-Star break. With the Rockets (30-20) being tied for 8th place the Blazers are 9th and the Kings are 10th. I think the Rockets can extend this win streak to 8 and finish off strong before the break.

Supporting Cast Steps Up!

Yao Ming was solid as a rock contributing his usual 20+ points and 10+ rebounds (22pts,12reb) leading the way for the Rockets 92-77 victory over Lebron James and the Cleavland Cavaliers. It didn’t look good going into last nights game for the Rockets. Tracy McGrady was hospitalized earlier in the day for a severe upper respiratory infection and strep throat. T-Mac would ended up playing about 32 minutes however you could tell early on that his body was weary. McGrady didn’t make a shot in the first half however came out in the 3rd quarter to make consecutive baskets (one a 3 pointer) to push the Cavs down 6 early in the second half. Tracy would only make one other shot the entire night and ended with 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists.

While T-Mac was able to play a few Cavaliers weren’t so lucky. Gooden, Pavlovic, and Varejao didn’t play, all 3 starters. Fortunately for the Rockets King James couldn’t do it all himself, although not for lack of trying. James ended with 32 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists.

The key for the Rockets victory was well rounded play and Bonzi Wells off the bench. Given T-Mac’s weakened condition the Rockets knew they had their work cut out for them tonight. It’s such an impressive set of stats I think I’ll just list them for you:

Rafer Alston: 19 pts 9 ast 5 reb
Luis Scola: 10 pts 7 reb 4 ast
Shane Battier: 15 pts 8 reb
Yao Ming: 22 pts 12 rebs 4 ast 2 blk
Bonzi Wells: 13 pts 10 reb 4 ast

Another decisive stat was the Rockets Assist to turnover ratio. 29 assists to 9 turnovers compared to the Cavaliers 14 assists to 8 turnovers. The Rockets get the day off (rest up T-Mac!!) and then face the Atlanta Hawks.

With the victory last night the Rockets made an important move to tie for the 8th spot (and final spot come playoffs) in the Western Conference. They are tied with the Golden State Warriors who, despite adding Chris Webber back to their roster, lost to the Chicago Bulls last night.

Long Absence

Boy did the holiday season take me by storm. Early December was my last post and quite a bit has changed. Where to start. The Houston Rockets are now 8 games above .500 with 28 wins and 20 losses. Despite the fact that the Yao and company have won 8 of their last 9 games AND tied the franchise record for consecutive road game victories with 8 set back in 1994 the Rockets were stuck at 10th in the Western Conference. The Portland Trailblazers were on an unexpected hot streak but have recently cooled off a little and now the Rockets have managed to move up one spot and are currently tied for 9th with said Trailblazers. Our rookies have been on point as of late. ‘AfterBurner’ Aaron Brooks, Luis Scola, and Carl Landry have all played tremendous.

The Rockets (28-20) get one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference tonight at home as they face off against Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers(27-20). This is an important game tonight and Shane Battier will have his hands full trying to keep a lid on the NBA’s leading scorer. Here’s an interesting stat (I think) Lebron James is #1 in the league in scoring however Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming sit at the #13 and #14 spots respectively. However as of this writing (5:58pm CST) Tracy McGrady’s availability for tonights game remains up in the air due to a severe upper respiratory infection. He did not make the shoot around with the team early this morning. If he doesn’t play the Rockets will get a true test of how the team has improved over the last month.