"The Rockets did not buy into the idea that the season's longest road trip, which began Saturday with a loss in Minnesota and ends Feb. 14 in Memphis, could have make-or-break potential.

They did believe the six-game trip could indicate their progress this season.

"It's just six games," Rockets forward Luis Scola said. "It's not like if we don't do good it's over, or if we do good then it's going to be OK. We have a lot of way to go after that. But it's going to be very important for us.

"We're going to play some good teams. We're going to play on the road. We're going to have a good, long trip. If we're able to succeed, it will be a good indication.""