Rockets News

Andersen to play team that drafted him
Comment
November 20
Houston Chronicle
 
"Rockets center David Andersen began following the Hawks several seasons ago, when they began their rise in the Eastern Conference. It seemed like a good idea to know about the team he would join, or he might have just been curious. Either way, he believed he was ready to make the jump to the NBA, and the Hawks held his draft rights. Andersen was the 37th player chosen in the 2002 draft. Andersen's arrival in Atlanta was delayed until tonight, when he arrives with the Rockets. But he had no complaints."
McGrady fidgets on sidelines awaiting OK to play
Comment
November 20
Houston Chronicle
 
"Unable or unwilling to wait any longer, Tracy McGrady finished his pregame workout and got ready to play, changing into his uniform for the first time since his surgery last February. Finally, he looked the part. But nothing had changed. He was all dressed up with no place to go. McGrady's Nov. 18 "target date" to return to the court came and went with McGrady, 30, on the inactive list. The occasion turned out to be more of a "Target Center" date, with the Rockets facing the Minnesota Timberwolves while McGrady waited in the locker room in street clothes. "I just wanted to see what it felt like," he said of getting dressed to play. "It's been so long." There is an open spot on the active ..."
Timberwolves' Kurt Rambis, Rockets' Trevor Ariza reconnect
Comment
November 19
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"After Houston's Trevor Ariza completed his pregame warm-ups Wednesday night at Target Center, he asked a Wolves official to escort him into the team's locker room. He wanted to say hellow to someone. "He was such a joy to work with," Wolves coach Kurt Rambis said of his relationship with Ariza during his three-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. "He's a unique individual and a terrific human being." Ariza, who signed with Houston as a free agent after last season, chatted for several minutes with Rambis, then led Houston to a 97-84 victory. Rambis and Ariza developed a close relationship while Rambis was a Lakers assistant. Since joining Houston, the 6-foot-8 Ariza has become a go-to ..."
McGrady dressed but not ready
Comment
November 19
Houston Chronicle
 
"Tracy McGrady marked the occasion of his "target date" to return to the court by getting in uniform after his customary pregame workout. That, however, was as close as he came to beginning his comeback from last February's microfracture surgery. Though the Rockets have only 11 active players, he remained on the team's inactive list in the locker room during the game. "We have no timetable," coach Rick Adelman said when asked about McGrady's return. With his first-half 3-pointer, Rockets forward Shane Battier has hit at least one trey in 24 consecutive games, the second-longest active streak in the NBA (behind Chicago's John Salmons). "Chase (Budinger) told me," Battier said, having ..."
Rockets bounce back against Timberwolves 97-84
Comment
November 19
Houston Chronicle
 
"If Wednesday is any indication, by Saturday night, Rick Adelman will be hoarse and worn out. With Rockets weary on the second half of a back-to-back, and struggling to put away the Timberwolves, Adelman was up and loud, pushing hard and taking no chances. Finally, Luis Scola looked over and said, "It's all right, it's all right," then made sure it was, as the Rockets brushed aside the Timberwolves in the fourth quarter, extending their winning streak against Minnesota to nine games with a 97-84 win, pushing the Minnesota losing streak since their opening-night win to 11 games. "I thought we were really sluggish in the first half especially," Adelman said of his more animated, high-volume ..."
Budinger falling in draft was blessing
Comment
November 18
Arizona Republic
 
"In his last two years at the University of Arizona, Chase Budinger would begin the season on NBA mock draft-lottery lists and tumble from there. They knew Budinger could shoot but wondered if he would want to take the big shot. They knew he could drive, but was he driven? They knew he could jump, but wondered if the NBA was too big of a leap. So Budinger fell. But the fall wound up being more like a bungee jump, because not being selected until the 44th overall pick put Budinger in position to rise. Houston bought Detroit's pick to acquire Budinger and gave him a contract similar to ones signed by first-round picks - a four-year deal, including two that are guaranteed - and a significant ..."
Suns edge Rockets, move to 10-2
Comment
November 18
Arizona Republic
 
"The Suns are the NBA's version of a yo-yo. Throw them down, and they just keep coming back. For the fifth time in 12 games this season, the Suns shook off a fourth-quarter deficit to win Tuesday night. Also for the fifth time in 12 games, the Suns rallied to win a game in which they trailed by double digits. In a 111-105 victory over Houston, Phoenix fell behind by 15 points in the second quarter and trailed with four minutes to go at Toyota Center. But they closed like a team befitting their NBA-best 10-2 mark. The Suns are playing fourth-quarter defense like they dreamed of doing the past five years. The Suns slowed Houston's speedsters to 9-of-28 shooting in the fourth, putting their ..."
Raptors claim Pops off waivers
Comment
November 18
Houston Chronicle
 
"The Toronto Raptors defended the Suns' prolific pick-and-roll by switching on screens, having relatively good success with the strategy. With small point guards, that was not an option for the Rockets, who would not want to force Aaron Brooks or Kyle Lowry to have to match up against Amar'e Stoudemire. The Rockets, however, have allowed center Chuck Hayes to switch defensively, including in games last season against the Suns. "We feel comfortable with Chuck on anybody," Shane Battier said. "Three-fourths of the world is covered by water. The rest is covered by Chuck Hayes." The Rockets don't switch on pick-and-rolls and usually "show" on screens, but don't trap. "Assistant coaches always ..."
When Hayes out, problems arise for Rockets
Comment
November 18
Houston Chronicle
 columnist Richard Justice
"The Rockets played with their usual heart, energy and unselfishness. Those things may be their trademark. They can beat almost any team when they're perfect. That is, when the perimeter shots are falling, everyone contributes and the lack of size isn't exposed. This was one of those nights that reminded the Rockets what they don't have and that there are going to be occasions when teamwork and passion can't overcome size and strength. The Rockets have known this fact since the first day of training camp. They held out hope Joey Dorsey would emerge as a contributor around the basket, but that hasn't happened. So Rockets general manager Daryl Morey spends a lot of time attempting to add a ..."
Rockets go down against Suns 111-105
Comment
November 18
Houston Chronicle
 
"As much as the Rockets have changed, the Phoenix Suns – with the exception of a few misguided months of relative slow ball – have not. For all the progress the Rockets have made, while they are learning to play this way, no team knows the style better than the Suns. With the game on the line, the Suns showed how it's done. Having needed no more than a few good minutes to chew up the Rockets early 15-point lead, the Suns took over late and coolly pulled away for a 111-105 win while the Rockets offense hit a wall four minutes to soon. "They executed better down the stretch than we did," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "Our guys will learn as the season goes on." On Tuesday, the most obvious ..."
Rockets notes: Bench part of team's early success
Comment
November 17
Houston Chronicle
 
"The Rockets' bench, a surprising part of the team's early success, went from its least effective game of the season to perhaps its best. Against the Kings on Friday, Rockets reserves Kyle Lowry, Chase Budinger, Carl Landry and David Andersen combined to score 12 points on 4-of-24 shooting. Against the Lakers, they scored 48 points (20-of-41). "After the game in Sacramento, I talked to Carl and Chase and told them we can't ever have a game like the one we had in Sacramento again," Lowry said. The bench outscored Lakers reserves 48-18 and outrebounded the Lakers 28-7. "Our guys did a great job off the bench — Kyle, Carl and everyone," Andersen said. "That's what we needed to do, and we came ..."
Rockets' rookie Andersen learning how to shove back
Comment
November 17
Houston Chronicle
 
"The rebound was up for grabs, but no one was in position to grab it. The Lakers' Lamar Odom got a hand on the ball. So did the Rockets' Shane Battier. Players converged toward the glass when the Rockets' David Andersen came in, going over the smaller bodies and through a hard foul by Derek Fisher to snare the rebound as far more traditional centers have for generations. Andersen scored 19 points, his top offensive night in the first 10 games of his rookie season, helping the Rockets stun the Lakers 101-91 in Los Angeles and inspiring L.A. coach Phil Jackson to lament, "We knew he's a shooter, but we didn't see him play at that level." In many ways, the breakthrough was not with Andersen's ..."
The Rockets, aware opponents score easily at times, vow to restore their trademark stinginess
Comment
November 16
Houston Chronicle
 
"There would be a new style to master, adjustments to make. There would be rough spots. But the Rockets believed that through the process, their defense, so loyal for so long, would never betray them. They might struggle to score, but the defense would get them through as they reshaped themselves on the other end without their two most-gifted scorers. The Rockets were among the top five defensive teams in the NBA for the past six seasons. But the offense has clicked, almost from the start of the season. The once unfailing defense has broken down badly, with the Rockets lamenting even their effort in the first half of their past three games. After the Rockets were torched by the Sacramento ..."
A ring for Ariza
Comment
November 16
Houston Chronicle
 
"Rockets guard Trevor Ariza received his Lakers championship ring, along with a duplicate for his 19-month old son Tajh, from Los Angeles stars Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher in a ceremony before Sunday night's tip-off at Staples Center. The crowd gave Ariza an extended standing ovation. Ariza's role has changed dramatically since he helped the Lakers win a championship last year. He has become a go-to scorer with the Rockets. "I have to do a little more scoring," Ariza said. "It's a lot of fun, but it's still a team game, so I'm still trying to do the things I did here." The key to Ariza's success in that role, Rockets coach Rick Adelman said, is consistency. "He's doing fine," Adelman said. ..."
Rockets show off all-around game
Comment
November 16
Houston Chronicle
 
"They don't show it in the championship highlight videos, but the Los Angeles Lakers have seen this act. They, more than any other team the Rockets will face, should have seen it coming. When things seem their worst, the odds longest, the Rockets are at their best. Coming off a loss in Sacramento and seemingly trapped in a game destined to duplicate last season's Game 7 and inspiring flashbacks like recurring nightmares, the Rockets stunned the Lakers 101-91 on Sunday night. It was an L.A. sequel to the Rockets' stunning, short-handed Game 4 and 6 wins over the Lakers last postseason at Toyota Center. "It reminded me of Game 7," said Aaron Brooks, who had a career-high 33 points in an ..."
Lakers have no shot in loss; Bryant nursing groin injury
Comment
November 16
L.A. Daily News
 
"It wasn't so much the sights that were so strangely unfamiliar Sunday night at Staples Center, but there also were the sounds. There were long stretches of uncomfortable silence, followed by audible grumbling and, finally, boos. Waves of discontent washed over the out of sync Lakers as they turned in a second consecutive clunker and fell with a thud to the opportunistic Houston Rockets 101-91 in front of a confused sellout crowd of 18,997. The normal rhythm of the Lakers' game was absent. They shot a miserable 38.1 percent (32 for 84). They were hammered on the boards by the shorter Rockets, 60-38. They couldn't stop speedy guard Aaron Brooks, who torched them for a career-high 33 points ..."
Former Lakers forward Ariza treated like homecoming king
Comment
November 16
L.A. Daily News
 
"Trevor Ariza put on new red basketball shoes Sunday for the first time this season. They were the same candy-apple red to match his Houston Rockets jersey. He didn't tap his toes together three times and say, "There's no place like home." But it sure felt like home at Staples Center with the warm reception Lakers fans gave him. Ariza, who grew up in Los Angeles and played college basketball at UCLA, walked to center court at Staples Center with his 19-month-old son, Tajh, in his arms and the adoration of seemingly an entire city. He received his championship ring he had won as a member of the Lakers in style, with Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher presenting it to him. He got hugs from both, ..."
Rockets still a thorn in Lakers' side
Comment
November 16
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Lakers gave Trevor Ariza his championship ring Sunday night, but their generosity didn't stop there. They handed the Houston Rockets just about everything else, including a victory while getting booed by their own fans in a surprisingly uninspired effort at Staples Center. The Lakers continued to look nothing like defending NBA champions, losing to the Rockets, 101-91, after a moribund effort two days earlier against the Denver Nuggets. This was supposed to be the start of a friendly eight-game stretch against a flurry of mediocre teams, seven of them coming into Staples Center. But it's hard to win while shooting poorly, getting killed on the boards and showing little to no continuity ..."
Ariza emotional as he joins inner circle
Comment
November 16
Los Angeles Times
 
"There was a video montage from Trevor Ariza's time with the Lakers, during which he helped them win the 2009 NBA championship. It finished with, "Thank You, Trevor." Then Ariza walked onto the Staples Center court Sunday night with his 19-month-old son Tajh in his arms and was greeted by former teammates Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, who presented Ariza with his championship ring. As Bryant and Fisher hugged and rubbed heads with Ariza, the Houston Rockets guard became emotional. "There's no crying in basketball," Ariza said. "But I almost gave it up a little bit." After the game, Ariza hugged Jordan Farmar, Fisher, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson and assistant Frank Hamblen. Ariza didn't have a ..."
Ragged Lakers are well off-pace
Comment
November 16
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Helene Elliott
"This is when the Lakers should be cleaning up, not scraping their egos up off the floor. During a stretch in which they will play 17 of their first 21 games at home, they should be resting Kobe Bryant in the fourth quarter because they have put the game out of reach, not because he aggravated a week-old groin strain during the first quarter and had no reason to risk making it worse. The Lakers' 101-91 loss to Houston on Sunday in front of an unhappy crowd at Staples Center was their second in a row and third this season. That, in itself, is not a problem. The problem is they followed a putrid, franchise-worst second half at Denver on Friday with a ragged first half Sunday -- and let that ..."
Evans says it's 'time for a change' after the game
Comment
November 14
Sacramento Bee
 
"Rick Adelman is no demon. Not by a long shot. But he is the former Kings coach, the man so long associated with the organization's only era of success and all that was once good about this product. And if the spirits are ever going to rise up again in the once-vibrant building known as Arco Arena, that means he eventually must be exorcised. This winning workout was a good start. The coach in his third season with Houston sat frustrated on the losing bench Friday night, his Rockets having fallen 109-100 to an upstart Kings bunch that won its fourth consecutive game and - no typo here - can actually boast a winning record for the first time since December 2006. And for the first time since ..."
Adelman disappointed by Scott's firing
Comment
November 14
Houston Chronicle
 
"Rockets coach Rick Adelman was disappointed with the Hornets' move to fire his former assistant Byron Scott but said the move was far from unique. "I'm always surprised if it happens that quickly," Adelman said. "I haven't talked to Byron, but it sounds like there were some things going on before this happened. They are 3-6. You can win three games in a row with that team and everything looks pretty good. "Somebody got an itchy trigger finger and pulled it. It's too bad because two years ago, they had the All-Star Game there and he was Coach of the Year. Now he doesn't know what to do or how to coach his team. It's always strange to me when it's this early. Let it ride a little bit. ..."
Club cuts pair, gains flexibility
Comment
November 14
Houston Chronicle
 
"With a pair of moves Friday made for very different reasons, one surprising and one expected, the undersized Rockets trimmed two big men from their roster, sending center Joey Dorsey to the NBA Development League and waiving forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu. With Dorsey unable to get playing time and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers beginning their first training camp since the Rockets took over basketball operations, the move with Dorsey was expected. Mensah-Bonsu, however, had played well enough in the preseason to move past Dorsey, and had played 13 minutes in four of the Rockets' eight games. The Rockets wanted the roster spot open should they need a fill-in, a concern that became more obvious ..."
Rockets outworked by Kings in defeat
Comment
November 14
Houston Chronicle
 
"The Rockets had enjoyed their little overachieving, early-season run, proudly coming up big while short-handed. But they had not patented the formula. The Kings, already without Francisco Garcia, lost Kevin Martin and then remade themselves as the Rockets had without Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. The Kings took their revival to a fourth consecutive win by smacking the Rockets 109-100 with an intensity-filled, house-rocking triumph Friday night in which they beat the Rockets with what had been the Rockets' way. "They beat us to every loose ball," center Chuck Hayes said. "They wanted it more. They cut harder. They committed themselves on the defensive end. I mean, every aspect."
Rejuvenated Rockets impress Westphal
Comment
November 13
Sacramento Bee
 
"In the relatively short time period known as the Kings' Paul Westphal era, the first-year coach has ended most practices with a satisfied feeling. The effort has been there among his players, as has the willingness to listen and learn and improve. But on the eve of a home game against Houston that offers his team an unexpected chance at a winning record, Westphal found himself in a rare state of mind: he wasn't happy after practice. "We've had better practices," Wespthal said. "I didn't think we were very focused today. I hope we're more focused tomorrow." Asked what the message to his 4-4 team would be after an off-session like the latest one, Westphal said, "Wake up. Houston's coming to ..."
International experience abounds
Comment
November 13
Houston Chronicle
 
"When Carl Landry saw Dikembe Mutombo walk into Toyota Center on Wednesday, something came over the reserve forward. So, when Memphis forward Rudy Gay decided to take it strong to the rim, Landry just, well, acted like Mutombo. "When he was going up for the dunk, I thought twice about getting the block, but Dikembe was in the house and I was like, 'Go for it,'?" he said. And if he'd stopped there, this wouldn't be newsworthy. Instead, Landry, who had swatted 43 in two-plus seasons entering Wednesday's game, wagged his finger, a la Mutombo, as well. Not once, but twice as Gay tried him again. Landry tried to downplay what he'd done — "I wouldn't say I'm a shot blocker just yet," he said — ..."
Rockets know club with injuries can compensate
Comment
November 13
Houston Chronicle
 
"The news that the Sacramento Kings, tonight's opponent, have won three consecutive games despite missing leading scorer Kevin Martin and key reserve Francisco Garcia didn't startle Rockets forward Shane Battier. He's seen this. "When you lose very good players, and they lost two of their best, a team can have two reactions," Battier said. "They can say, 'The stars are aligned against us, it's not our year' and they can give in, or they can say, 'You know what? We still have good players, we have to play more as a team, play harder, play smarter and raise our level collectively.' "That's what we've done the last couple of years, and that's what I sense the Kings have done." At various times ..."
Rockets rip Memphis Grizzlies, 104-79; seventh straight loss
Comment
November 12
Memphis Commercial Appeal
 
"A week ago, the Grizzlies' schedule seemed unyielding with a long West Coast road trip and a defense that easily buckled. The team's troubles now have spread to offense — one that suddenly is handcuffed by the quality of opponent, yes, but also with the Grizzlies' penchant for becoming unglued for long stretches. This time, the Houston Rockets took advantage of the Grizzlies' overall dysfunction and sent them away with a 104-79 loss Wednesday night in the Toyota Center. For the second time in as many nights, the Griz couldn't overcome mistakes, poor execution and the listlessness to ring up their seventh straight defeat. The Grizzlies' final point total matched their scoring output in ..."
Stretch of 8 games in 12 days begins
Comment
November 12
Houston Chronicle
 
"A few days of public conjecture about when Tracy McGrady would return did not seem to draw his teammates' notice. If anything, they seemed to find the notion that the topic could be a distraction to be amusing. "We haven't talked about it one bit," Shane Battier said. "The good thing about our team is we don't pay attention to external things. That's how we do it here." At least for the veteran Rockets, such issues have become the norm, making them conditioned not to overreact. "We don't really talk about those things," Battier said. "We've had so much adversity and so many guys going in and out of the lineup, it's as simple as whoever is in uniform that night and is activated, we expect ..."
Rockets learn from mistakes and roll
Comment
November 12
Houston Chronicle
 
"As much as the Rockets left Dallas determined not to make the mistakes that beat them Tuesday, by Wednesday they had a better idea. Rather than correct their own missteps, the Rockets copied the Mavericks' formula from the night before. They walked through a close first half, listened to their coach rip into them at halftime, then blew the game open after that. The difference was that the Rockets were playing the woeful Grizzlies, so they never had to climb out of a hole before demolishing Memphis 104-79 at Toyota Center. The Rockets' biggest rout of the season was the 865th win of Rick Adelman's NBA coaching career, moving him past Jack Ramsay into sole possession of 11th place on the ..."
Adelman uncertain about McGrady
Comment
November 11
Houston Chronicle
 
"With Tracy McGrady targeting Nov. 18 to return, a week earlier than the earliest the Rockets had in mind, Rockets coach Rick Adelman has no date in mind for McGrady's his season debut. "There is no timetable," Adelman said. "Though it looks like there's been a lot of timetables out there the last day or so, there hasn't been for me." Though McGrady said Tuesday he's in no rush to return, Adelman understands if McGrady is impatient. "The biggest thing in talking to him is he doesn't have the pain he had last year," Adelman said. "He still has a long ways to go as far as running the court, moving, defensively, those types of things. The biggest thing in his mind is last year he had a ..."
Rockets start fast, fade fast
Comment
November 11
Houston Chronicle
 
"The Rockets fell for it. They were seduced by success, tricked and, before long, beaten. After leading by 17 in the first half, they looked the other way when the Mavericks landed a sucker punch every bit as hard as the Rockets' haymaker that came too early to score a knockout. It took the Mavericks six minutes to wipe out the Rockets' 17-point edge. Dallas spent the rest of the second half blowing them out, topping the Rockets' largest lead on the way to a 121-103 rout Tuesday night at American Airlines Center. "It was fool's gold," said Shane Battier, who made just one of eight shots. "Aaron (Brooks) was scoring really easily in the first half, and we sort of thought, 'Well, all right, ..."
Rockets' McGrady now says Nov. 18 just 'a target date'
Comment
November 11
Houston Chronicle
 
"A day after he reportedly said he would be playing Nov. 18, Rockets guard Tracy McGrady said he was misunderstood. Rather, he merely hopes to be playing Nov. 18, a week before the Rockets said he could be back at the earliest. "It's a target date," McGrady said Tuesday. "I didn't say I was coming back; I said it was a target date, just like we have a date to have the MRI on the 23rd. Everybody is blowing it out of proportion like I'm guaranteed to come back. I want to play, so that's what we're targeting. " McGrady also said he would not rush his return and indicated he doesn't expect to play until the week of his MRI, which his scheduled for Nov. 23. "I'm not in a hurry to get back on the ..."
Mavericks' defense gets going after slow start to rout Houston
Comment
November 11
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"It would be nice to say that coach Rick Carlisle was peeved with the defense in the first quarter and a half Tuesday night. But for that to happen, there would have had to be some defense played by the Mavericks. If ever they needed a crystal-clear illustration of what defense means to this team, it was on display as the Mavericks pulled together late in the first half, then smothered the Houston Rockets in the second for a 121-103 victory at American Airlines Center. The Mavericks were invisible on the defensive end until a spirited finish to the first half. After that, they clamped down hard on the Rockets, who out-everythinged the Mavericks early, but were manhandled late. When Dirk ..."
Once kick-started, the Dallas Mavericks roll
Comment
November 11
Dallas Morning News
 
"Asked what Rick Carlisle did to get the Dallas Mavericks' attention after what the coach called an abysmal first half, Dirk Nowitzki said he "almost broke his toe." No, it wasn't because Carlisle was trying to kick some players in the pants. A laundry bin had taken the brunt of the boot Carlisle delivered while driving home how terrible his team had been on the defensive end while falling 17 points behind. The message got through loud and clear. The Mavericks smothered the Houston Rockets and speedy point guard Aaron Brooks, wiping out the visitors in the second half for a 121-103 victory Tuesday night at American Airlines Center. The defensive turnaround was nothing short of remarkable. ..."
Track meet
Comment
November 10
Houston Chronicle
 
"For the first time this season, the Rockets will play a team as determined to run as they are. But the Rockets said they will remain determined to be up-tempo. "That can't change the way we're going to play," coach Rick Adelman said. "We're not a team that can walk it up the court. Dallas can play both ways. We can't play any different, no matter who we play." Though the Mavericks are one of the NBA's top running teams, Shane Battier said, if anything, the Rockets have to be more determined to get up and down the floor quickly against the Dallas size. "We have to play quick," Battier said. "We have to play fast. They have so much size, if we try to slow it down, it works in their favor. ..."
Adelman emotional upon latest milestone
Comment
November 10
Houston Chronicle
 
"The milestones never inspired emotions. They are lifeless, no more than ink on pages. Rockets coach Rick Adelman greeted each round number the way many coaches do, attaching no more meaning to the one win that pushed his total to some milestone than the hundreds he had collected to get there. Then he hit win No. 864 on Friday, and it was different. That was Jack Ramsay's number, and with his next victory, Adelman will surpass the win total of the coach who gave him his first NBA coaching job. The number meant nothing. The individual who held it meant so much. "When you hit milestones like 500, 600 or 700 wins, that's something that indicates you've had good teams," Adelman said. "But if ..."
Adelman emotional upon latest milestone
Comment
November 10
Houston Chronicle
 
"The milestones never inspired emotions. They are lifeless, no more than ink on pages. Rockets coach Rick Adelman greeted each round number the way many coaches do, attaching no more meaning to the one win that pushed his total to some milestone than the hundreds he had collected to get there. Then he hit win No. 864 on Friday, and it was different. That was Jack Ramsay's number, and with his next victory, Adelman will surpass the win total of the coach who gave him his first NBA coaching job. The number meant nothing. The individual who held it meant so much. "When you hit milestones like 500, 600 or 700 wins, that's something that indicates you've had good teams," Adelman said. "But if ..."
McGrady, Rockets send mixed signals on return
Comment
November 10
Houston Chronicle
 
"Tracy McGrady said Monday that he would make his season debut Nov. 18. But the Rockets said neither they nor McGrady knows when he would go through a full practice, much less a game. McGrady's announcement was contrary to comments by Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who had said earlier Monday that there is no timetable for McGrady to play and that he would not play until he can be checked out in the Rockets' next full practice, Nov. 23. In an e-mail to Yahoo Sports, McGrady said he would play Nov. 18 against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis. In his blog later, he disputed Morey's contention that his participation in practice has been "off and on" but did not target a date for ..."
McGrady planning Nov. 18 return
Comment
November 9
Yahoo! Sports
 
"After eight months of rehabilitation on his surgically repaired left knee, Tracy McGrady has told Yahoo! Sports he plans to return to the Houston Rockets' lineup on Nov. 18. After several league sources informed Yahoo! Sports of McGrady's timetable, the seven-time All-Star forward confirmed he planned to make his season debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis next week. "Excited to get back and compete at a high level again," McGrady said in an email to Yahoo! Sports. "For a full year I had to play on one leg against the best and I couldn't compete with anybody the way I was feeling. "It's gonna be a relief to get out there and play knowing what I went [through] last season ..."
Forward tries to meet Rockets' high expectations
Comment
November 9
Houston Chronicle
 
"There have always been flashes, moments that seemed to herald more to come. There was the offensive board and slam that spiked the ball into Tim Duncan's face. There was the blocked shot and rebound that saved a playoff game in Utah. There were pick-and-roll cuts to the basket at Dallas, each ended with chin-ups on the rim. Carl Landry always did just enough to seem capable of more. Maybe it was the way he did things, with athleticism rare in the Rockets' frontcourt. Highlights tend to escalate expectations. But this was not just perception. Landry, too, began his third NBA season expecting more. "This is an opportunity for me to grow as a player," Landry, 26, said. "This is my third year ..."
Battier hopes team keeps intensity
Comment
November 9
Houston Chronicle
 
"Keep an even keel With the Rockets at 4-2 when they reconvened Sunday for their first extended practice since they were 1-1, forward Shane Battier said it would be vital that the team not lose any of the humility that marked its solid start. "You have to handle success and adversity with the same amount of determination," Battier said. "The tendency is, especially when you had success early on, to take it for granted and not play as hard. "I was telling some of the guys today we have to keep our edge of a team that is fighting for every scrap, every inch, every game. Here at practice, we can't afford to be fat cats and coast. We have to have that edge, and it's tougher to do when you win a ..."
Adelman, Rockets rely on bench
Comment
November 9
Houston Chronicle
 
"Of all that had been worthy of Rockets coach Rick Adelman's concern, the production of his bench seemed down the list. He worried about that, anyway. With his top three scorers from last season, Yao Ming, Ron Artest and Tracy McGrady, out or elsewhere, and his sixth man, Von Wafer, allowed to walk, depth did not seem likely to be a strength. It is not easy to be short-handed and deep at the same time. The play of the bench has gone from a presumed liability to a strength. The Rockets' second unit has outscored its opponents by an average of 36 to 26.8. In the three games last week, the bench outscored the Jazz, Lakers and Thunder by an average of 37 to 16.7. The Rockets have done that ..."
Houston Rockets too fast for Oklahoma City Thunder
Comment
November 7
The Oklahoman
 
"Russell Westbrook scored a season high 33 points. It's his second highest offensive outing behind a career-best 34-point outing last...That play epitomized the Rockets' 105-94 win over the Thunder on Friday at the Toyota Center.Switching to a faster, up-tempo offense with Yao Ming out for the season, the Rockets scored 22 fast-break points and 54 in-the-paint points. They led Oklahoma City by double digits most of the game.Houston's in-the-paint points, though, no longer are traditional, bang-inside baskets. The Rockets thrived on "beep, beep" flash-to-the-basket points and fast-break points when the Thunder failed to get back on defense."I think it would surprise people how fast they ..."
Durant impresses
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November 7
Houston Chronicle
 
"Rockets forward Shane Battier took turns with Trevor Ariza matching up with Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant on Friday night. It was his first game against Durant since the 2007-08 season, when Durant was a rookie, and Battier said he has improved. "I think he knows the game better," Battier said of Durant, who scored 27 points. "The shot quality is much better at this point. That's what's going to make him an elite, elite player, to be able to score without the volume of shots. I think he can do it. When you see his progression, it's scary.""
Durant no doubt has special talent
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November 7
Houston Chronicle
 
"If only basketball were as easy as Kevin Durant makes it look. Durant is so fluid with the basketball that you find yourself watching his every move on the floor. You could just follow him while imagining your favorite tune. (Well, you could if the Toyota Center DJ would ease up on the headache-inducing beats they play almost nonstop in the joint. Is this a basketball game or a rave?) In just his third NBA season, the 21-year-old former University of Texas star is already a starter on my mythical "most enjoyable to watch" team. Actually, he is almost impossible not to watch. Durant threw in a cool 27 points Friday night, but as you would expect, the Thunder were no match for the Rockets, ..."
Rockets can handle prosperity
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November 7
Houston Chronicle
 
"As much as had been made of the Rockets' encouraging start through the five-game test to open the season, they had not been asked to do what had to be done Friday night. For the first time this season, they were out in front, playing at home in a game they seemed to control and against a team they handle. The electricity in the building evident in the home opener and against the Lakers on Wednesday was long gone, as well as 3,000 or so fans. A young Oklahoma City team with talent, but little buzz, was sticking around. The Rockets could not play their usual underdog role. Instead, they hit themselves with a jolt of high-speed offense in the second quarter, then called upon it as needed to ..."
Budinger unlikely for Thunder
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November 6
Houston Chronicle
 
"Rockets forward Chase Budinger, out with a sprained left ankle, predicted he will be ready to play tonight against Oklahoma City. Coach Rick Adelman guessed he won't. Budinger missed Wednesday's game against the Lakers and was held out of practice Thursday but participated in shooting drills. "I felt great at shootaround today," Budinger said. "Hopefully, I'll keep getting better tomorrow and be ready to play. It was tough (to sit out), especially playing against the Lakers. I wanted to be out there. The last time I missed a game was in high school." Adelman was not so sure. "I actually don't expect him to play tomorrow after watching him today," Adelman said. "But he's young (21), so ..."
Rockets respond in kind
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November 6
Houston Chronicle
 
"Chuck Hayes did not quote Isaac Newton's Laws of Motion, but the point was made. Besides, Sir Isaac rarely delved into pick-and-roll defense. The Rockets knew that once their new style worked, any team with a working DVD player would adjust. The Rockets had won three consecutive games and took a solid fourth-quarter lead on the Lakers. That was enough for the Rockets to see and feel how teams likely will try to take away the strengths of their offense. Now comes their turn. "For every action, there's a reaction," Hayes said. "If they take away Aaron (Brooks') pick-and-roll, hey, we're going to do something else to give Aaron the ball. If they take away the pocket pass that I've gotten the ..."