Houston Rockets News

Nets outworked in loss in Houston
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March 14
Bergen Record
 
"The Nets worked hard to stay in games on this four-game trip, and Saturday they ran into one that just outworked them. The Rockets destroyed the Nets inside, led by Luis Scola's career-best 44-point performance. Scola and the Rockets sent the Nets home with a humbling 116-108 loss at Toyota Center in the finale of the winless trip. The Nets (7-59) had been in the previous three games down the stretch, but they didn't afford themselves that opportunity against the Rockets. Houston grabbed 12 more rebounds, held a 27-4 advantage on second-chance points and 23-9 in fast-break points. That was embarrassing enough, then add the Scola factor. The Argentine power forward humiliated the Nets' big ..."
For forward Jordan Hill, grass is greener at Houston Rockets than at New York Knicks
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March 14
New York Daily News
 
"Jordan Hill spent most of the first 3-1/2 months of his NBA career sitting on the Knicks' bench, including a 14-game stretch during January and early February in which he did not play at all. Admittedly, it was a "frustrating" start for the No. 8 pick in last year's draft. Yet Hill was still surprised when the Knicks shipped him to Houston as part of the three-way deal that brought Tracy McGrady to New York at the trade deadline last month. Drafted out of Arizona ahead of guards such as Brandon Jennings and Jrue Holiday, whom the Knicks had supposedly targeted, Hill figured his future was at Madison Square Garden. But he quickly learned that things don't always go as planned, especially ..."
New Jersey Nets can't hold off Houston Rockets as Luis Scola scores 44 points in latest debacle
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March 14
New York Daily News
 
"With their record what it is and some of the top-tier free agents seemingly more likely to stay with their current teams anyway, the Nets might have to pick off the scrap heap once they start rebuilding over the summer. If so, Luis Scola wouldn't be a bad option, at least based on what he did Saturday night. Though nothing compared to expected free agents LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, Scola put on a superstar performance against the Nets, pouring in a career-high 44 points in the Rockets' 116-108 win over the NBA's worst team. Scola hit 20 of 25 shots and also grabbed 12 rebounds, helping Houston win a lopsided battle of the boards 43-31. The Rockets had twice as many offensive ..."
Brooks ties franchise record
Comment
March 14
Houston Chronicle
 
"Trey chic With a 3-pointer late in the first half Saturday, Aaron Brooks had made at least one 3-pointer in 37 consecutive games, the NBA's longest active streak, to tie the franchise record held by Luther Head. "I don't know, it is an accomplishment," Brooks said. "The organization has such a rich history, to go in the record book for something, that would be good." Hill steps up Rockets forward Jordan Hill began playing when David Andersen was hurt. But that is not why he started playing. "Actually, he played pretty well in practice, did some things some of the other guys weren't doing," coach Rick Adelman said. "He's long and he's athletic. He's got to learn to play hard all the time ..."
Scola's 44 points animate Rockets
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March 14
Houston Chronicle
 
"Usually when Luis Scola scores like this a bunch of guys from Argentina drape medals around their necks. Instead, Scola gave the Rockets something that does come around more often than once every four years, but was five weeks in the making. With Scola scoring a career-high 44 points, the Rockets won a second consecutive game for the first time since Feb. 5, with the Rockets pulling away in the fourth quarter to knock off the New Jersey Nets 116-108 on Saturday night at Toyota Center. "Luis was awesome," Shane Battier said. "They are erecting statues in Buenos Aires, as we speak." Scola made 20 of 25 shots, the most shots a Rocket has made in a game in nearly 20 years, since Hakeem ..."
Houston's Andersen ready to return to court
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March 13
Houston Chronicle
 
"Andersen ready to go Rockets center David Andersen, who missed the Rockets' three-game road trip with a sore lower back, returned to practice Friday and said he was ready to return to the court tonight against the New Jersey Nets. "It's getting better, a lot better," Andersen said. "I did the full training (Friday). It's good to be out with the guys. It's part of the game. You have to overcome injuries and overcome adversity. It's a great feeling to be out there again. "I think I should be able to play (today). I'll speak with coach and see what he says. I should be able to get in there, do something to help the team. That's the plan." Time to experiment With Trevor Ariza and Kyle Lowry ..."
Rockets resume long-denied quest to build a streak
Comment
March 13
Houston Chronicle
 
"This time, the Rockets insisted, they will not fall into the trap. They have said that often before, whistling their way into the setup they saw awaiting them. This time, with another losing team — the NBA's losingest team — coming into Toyota Center tonight and bringing another chance for the Rockets to extend a winning streak to as many as two games, they said they will not assume anything. "We talked about it," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "We talked about it enough. It doesn't matter who we play." The Rockets, however, said that before they played the Sixers, Pacers and Kings. Yet for more than a month, the Rockets have been unable to compile even a two-game win streak, repeatedly ..."
Adelman discusses Hill's pros, cons
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March 12
Houston Chronicle
 
"Can't escape madness Chase Budinger got philosophical Thursday when asked about Arizona, his alma mater. Almost a year ago, Budinger and new teammate Jordan Hill snuck into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 12 seed and advanced to the Sweet 16. There, though, they ran into a Louisville team that was hitting its peak, and Arizona lost by nearly 40 points. He still keeps track of his Wildcats, adding that he went back to Tucson during a break to catch a game. With it being March, Budinger was asked if the "madness" translates to the NBA. "I think in college it's kind of do or die, but we're kind of in the same position with our season," he said. "If we don't start winning games or get a streak ..."
Lowry's ankle still recovering
Comment
March 11
Houston Chronicle
 
"When Kyle Lowry left Tuesday's game in the fourth quarter, he packed his left ankle in ice, then repeated the process in the locker room after the game. His return to the floor after missing 12 games with a sprained left ankle was difficult, but it was timed to give him three days to recover before the Rockets' game Saturday against the Nets. "I was a little sore," Lowry said. "I felt OK. I felt I got the rhythm back of the game. I stepped wrong a few times. I'm a little sore, but I'm fine."
Rockets' Hill shows promise in short time with team
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March 11
Houston Chronicle
 
"Rockets forward Luis Scola wrapped an arm around Jordan Hill's shoulders and walked the rookie back to the Rockets bench, delivering instructions throughout the trip. Before Hill could take a seat, Rockets assistant coach Jack Sikma stopped him for a few words. After he sat, Rockets director of player development Shawn Respert leaned in to offer more counsel. Hill listened and nodded, having quickly grown accustomed to the attention, knowing that at every time out — or even dead ball — he could be hearing from Shane Battier, Chuck Hayes or Scola, followed by Sikma or Rick Adelman."
Ariza shakes off rust, gets in rhythm
Comment
March 10
Houston Chronicle
 
"After a few rough early minutes, Trevor Ariza turning things around in his return from six games out with a severe hip pointer. He made just 1 of 7 shots in the first half, but 3 of 6 in the second, scoring 10 of his 13 points. "Early, I was a little shaky, little out of rhythm," said Ariza, who came off the bench for the first time with the Rockets. "Once one shot went in, I started to feel a little better." Asked if he would be all right if Rick Adelman continues to bring him off the bench, Ariza said, "If we're winning, I don't mind, but that's not up to me. "It's good to be at full strength," Ariza said. "Now we have to get in sync, get back to our roles and under-stand what we're ..."
Rockets back over .500, beat Wizards 96-88
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March 10
Houston Chronicle
 
"Finally, the Rockets had their bench back, and the struggles of the past few short-handed weeks in a downward spiral seemed over. They had been struggling and trailing, maybe even heading to another of those horrible losses to a team wishing the season would just end already. Then Rockets coach Rick Adelman called on a bench fortified by the return of Kyle Lowry and Trevor Ariza. The game was never the same. Luis Scola and the second unit turned the game around, and the Rockets went from a seven-point deficit to an 18-point lead that they rode long enough to handle the Washington Wizards, 96-88, Tuesday in the Verizon Center. The starters eventually returned to blow open and finish the ..."
Rockets GM pledges to retain Lowry
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March 9
Houston Chronicle
 
"It did not take long, not quite a half of basketball, for Kyle Lowry to be missed. If not from the moment Lowry was helped from the floor, by the time the night was over, beginning the downward spiral from which the Rockets have not escaped, it had been clear how valuable Lowry had become. Now that he is close to returning — he is questionable to play tonight against the Wizards with Trevor Ariza upgraded to probable — the Rockets know they do not want to have to do without Lowry again. With Lowry, 23, to be a restricted free agent this off-season, his value has been at least as conspicuous when he was out as when he played. Lowry sounded likely to be torn between his fondness for his ..."
Ends of halves prove problematic
Comment
March 8
Houston Chronicle
 
"The Rockets blew an eight-point lead in the final three minutes of Sunday's fourth quarter, but it might not have been their worst ending to a half of the night. At the end of the first half, the Pistons took an Aaron Brooks turnover to a Will Bynum layup with 6.7 seconds left. Luis Scola then threw away the inbounds pass, allowing Tayshaun Prince to end the half with two free throws that capped a 6-0 run in the final 31 seconds. "We've had struggles all year long ending quarters, ending halves, ending games," Shane Battier said. "Tonight was a very familiar feeling to a lot of our losses." After a 2 a.m. arrival Sunday for the second half of their back-to-back, the Rockets took the ..."
Rockets stage another collapse
Comment
March 8
Houston Chronicle
 
"The road trip that was supposed to remake the Rockets did something else. In the closing minutes, when games are won and lost and teams defined, shortcomings were revealed. Again. Facing a struggling and similarly short-handed Pistons team carrying a six-game losing streak, the Rockets had done enough through 45 minutes Sunday, leading by eight. But they fell apart in the next three minutes, then let the frustration over the offense and officiating debilitate them until Detroit had a 110-107 overtime win at The Palace of Auburn Hills. "We should have won this game," forward Luis Scola said. "We didn't know how to close the game." The Pistons rallied late in regulation by repeatedly turning ..."
Struggling Rockets get well at Timberwolves' expense
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March 7
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"Just when the Houston Rockets were getting really desperate, along came the Timberwolves. Luis Scola had 25 points and a career-high 21 rebounds and the struggling Rockets righted themselves with a 112-98 victory over the Timberwolves on Saturday night at Target Center. "We're at the point where we have to get wins where we can," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. Kevin Martin had 30 points and Aaron Brooks added 25 points and nine assists for the Rockets. The game against Minnesota couldn't have come at a better time for Houston, which had lost five of seven to fall to 10th place in the West since acquiring Martin in a trade with Sacramento. But the Rockets hit 11 three-pointers and ..."
Well-deserved ice bath for Scola
Comment
March 7
Houston Chronicle
 
"Luis Scola played 44 minutes on Saturday, matching the most of his career, and rewarded himself for his 25-point, 21 rebound night with a long and much-needed ice bath after the game. He did not, however, have any complaints. "I've got to be honest," he said of his playing time. "I love it." With three free throws, Scola has made his past 27 attempts from the line, the NBA's longest active streak. "I don't want to hear it," Scola said. "I don't want to jinx it." With his career-high seven blocked shots on Wednesday, Shane Battier is second in the Western Conference (behind Dallas' Brendan Haywood) for blocked shots since the All-Star break."
Rockets cut short dance with T-Wolves
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March 7
Houston Chronicle
 
"The Rockets did not seem as if they would need anything special. By now, however, they know better. The Timberwolves had chased them through three overtimes the previous time they met, and whenever the Rockets seemed to have safely tucked away a win on Saturday, even when they led by as much as 20 in the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves made another run at them. This time, however, the Rockets had plenty in reserve, from the easiest of Kevin Martin's three 30-point games to a career night from Luis Scola. Finally, for 46 glorious, restful seconds, the Rockets could put their feet up long enough to enjoy a 112-98 rout of the Timberwolves Saturday at Target Center. "We did a good job of ..."
McGrady puts Houston problems in past
Comment
March 6
Toronto Star
 columnist Doug Smith
"Tracy McGrady has no legitimate shot at breaking a personal streak of NBA playoff disappointment this season and there are serious questions about where he will play and at how significant a salary cut next season. He's playing a relatively new position on a going-nowhere franchise with new teammates he's still not familiar with. Listen to him talk, though, and there's no place he'd rather be given where he's been the last year or so. "I'm just finally clearing everything behind that I went through, with the surgery and the bull crap with the Rockets," McGrady said Friday morning before going through a shootaround with the New York Knicks prior to their 102-96 loss to the Raptors at the ..."
Brooks not dwelling on shooting slump
Comment
March 6
Houston Chronicle
 
"Rockets guard Aaron Brooks went from a strong stretch of games to a tough one against the Kings in which he made just two of 13 3s and missed a free throw and a 3-pointer that could have tied the game in the final 6 seconds. But he said he has not dwelled on his play over the two days since because his troubles were not with decision-making, but simply with missing shots. "You look at last game and the opportunities I had, it was on me," he said. "It wasn't something the defense was doing that stopped me. I missed shots. There is not much I can do about that but make shots. I don't really dwell on that." Big shoes to fill As much as Al Jefferson means to the Timberwolves, he has been ..."
Loss forces Rockets to look at little picture
Comment
March 6
Houston Chronicle
 
"When the week began, the Rockets spoke of the standings, opportunity and making a run to a playoff spot. Not anymore. They forfeited such grand goals, or at least the inclination to speak of them, with their ugly loss to the Kings on Wednesday. And no one said anything about putting together another 22-game winning streak with the time remaining in the regular season. Instead, they headed out on a three-game road trip on Friday seeking simply to play well, and then to play well for more than one game in a row. "That's what we have to do," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "I think it's really true. We're not playing at a level. We're very up and down. At this point, what you want to do is ..."
Alexander stands by Martin acquisition
Comment
March 5
Houston Chronicle
 
"For the record, Rockets owner Les Alexander loves the acquisition of Kevin Martin, and believes the team will have a defensive identity again. Until then, though, things are going to be rocky. "It's worse than frustrating," he said Thursday at the team's Tux and Tennies Gala at Toyota Center. The 15th installment of the event benefits the Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital. "Frustrating isn't the right word. It's really hard to take." He'd love nothing more than to reward the city with a championship, and he's working toward that. While he admitted it was difficult to part with Carl Landry, one of his favorites, it was necessary. "In order to win big, you have to do those things," ..."
Morey addresses sports' pressing issues
Comment
March 5
Houston Chronicle
 
"The think tank co-chaired by Rockets general manager Daryl Morey this weekend goes beyond mere X's and O's. A meeting of notable minds will convene in Boston on Saturday for the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. What began in 2004 as a class taught by Morey, who earned his MBA from MIT, has essentially evolved into a public sports think tank. More than 14 panels on the changing dynamics of sports will include league executives and industry insiders. Demand is at an all-time high for this year's sold-out conference. Tickets went for as much as $200. One group in New Hampshire was so eager to attend that it raised money through an old-fashioned car wash, according to Morey."
Rockets can't get out of rut
Comment
March 5
Houston Chronicle
 
"He'd seen it before. Really, they'd all seen it before. Nevertheless, the rest of the Rockets neglected to listen to heed Shane Battier's words during the first timeout in Wednesday's 84-81 loss to Sacramento . "I told our guys, 'Hey, we need to pick it up — it's not going to be good if we keep playing this way,'?" the veteran forward said. It was more of the same — sapped energy and a struggle to score — that has plagued the team, yet Wednesday was startling in a different way. The Rockets, at home against a club almost 20 games under .500, might have overlooked the visiting Kings, which Battier said is inexcusable. "That's how we played, and that's typical for a young team," he said. "We ..."
Parting not sweet, but also not sorrow
Comment
March 4
Houston Chronicle
 
"Aaron Brooks woke up Wednesday morning, realized what loomed ahead that evening and sought an outlet to channel his feelings. Naturally, he turned to Twitter. At 9:54 a.m., the Rockets point guard, aka Thirty2Zero, posted: "I'm looking forward to seeing my buddy. Not lookin forward to playing against him." Imagine how Carl Landry felt. Or allow him to explain for himself, beginning when he arrived Wednesday at Toyota Center, the only arena he'd called home for his entire career — until he was traded to Sacramento on Feb. 18. "It's weird walking into the visiting locker room. I had never been in the visiting locker room in three years," Landry said. "Walking in, seeing my name on a locker, ..."
Landry comes back to burn Rockets in Kings' win
Comment
March 4
Houston Chronicle
 
"Welcome back, Carl Landry. Have a nice time? The Rockets did all they could to make sure Landry enjoyed the homecoming of a conquering hero Wednesday night. He was greeted with an ovation and video tribute. Then the Rockets trudged through a dreadful, uninspired first half in which they were badly bullied on the boards before falling short with a horrible shooting fourth quarter that sent the Kings to an 84-81 win at Toyota Center. "We have a young group, and I think that because they won a game, they think they will win the next one," said Rockets coach Rick Adelman, referring to his team's rout of Toronto on Monday. "It doesn't work that way in this league. I don't care who you are ..."
Latest loss is just salt in Rockets' wounds
Comment
March 4
Houston Chronicle
 
"If Rockets general manager Daryl Morey were really smart, he'd figure a way to make his guys taller and stronger. Actually, that's exactly what he intends to do when this season ends. Speed is nice, but speed sometimes rests. Tall players are tall every single night. How's that for insight? That's one of the silly little lessons from the Rockets' very, very ugly 84-81 loss to Sacramento on Wednesday night. This was a game the Rockets probably couldn't lose if they wanted to remain in the playoff conversation. Then again, whom are we kidding? Do you think the Rockets are going to pass San Antonio in the standings? No, they're not. They're in a group of teams chasing Portland for the eighth ..."
Yao Ming's daughter's birthplace will stay private
Comment
March 4
Houston Chronicle
 
"With Yao Ming's return to the United States prompting speculation about where his daughter will be born and the baby's citizenship, Yao said Wednesday that the decision is a private matter. "It's just between me and my wife," Yao said. "We're excited about the new member of our family. We appreciate everyone's good wishes. Everyone, thanks for that. I think we just need some space.""
Trey bien
Comment
March 3
Houston Chronicle
 
"Aaron Brooks didn't know he had a 3-point shooting streak until it was 30 games long, the longest active streak in the NBA. He has since kept the streak going against the Jazz and Raptors and is five games from tying Luther Head's franchise record for consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer. "I think that's about the coach giving me minutes, my teammates giving me good looks and my dead-eye accuracy," Brooks said. Brooks leads the NBA with 149 3s and is making 39.4 percent of his attempts. Rockets guard/forward Trevor Ariza, who has missed the last four games and will be out tonight against the Kings with a severe hip pointer, took part in the Rockets' non-contact drills Tuesday ..."
Rockets' trade looks better with each game
Comment
March 3
Houston Chronicle
 
"Kevin Martin got off to such a bad start that Rockets general manager Daryl Morey went back and double-checked his scouting reports. Had he missed something in the fine print? That would have required some awkward telephone call to Leslie Alexander. "Mr. Alexander, uh, this is the guy who drafted Chase Budinger, Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry and traded for Luis Scola and Kyle Lowry. Anyway, I know you're wondering about Kevin Martin. That's why I'm calling. Actually, it's kind of funny. I hope you think it's as funny as we do up here in basketball operations. "By the way, that was a great-looking sweater you had on the other night. Anyway, as we were preparing for these trades, I asked one ..."
Not a good time for sentimentality
Comment
March 3
Houston Chronicle
 
"Kevin Martin feigned ignorance. Asked who the Rockets would be facing tonight at Toyota Center, Martin played along. "I don't know," he said. "I forget." He knew. And in another time or another city (Sacramento), his first game against the Kings since he was traded from Sacramento to Houston would be more meaningful because of the opponent. Martin, however, said he did not quickly check the schedule after the trade to see when he would face his former team, did not expect any different emotions and was looking forward to the game only for its opportunity to make up ground in the pursuit of a playoff spot. "What we're trying to accomplish here is much more than Kevin and Sacramento," Martin ..."
Ariza still suffering from severe hip pointer, not playing tonight against the Kings
Comment
March 3
Houston Chronicle
 
"Rockets guard/forward Trevor Ariza, who has missed the last four games and will be out tonight against the Kings with a severe hip pointer, took part in the Rockets' non-contact drills Tuesday before sitting out portions of the practice specific to preparing for Sacramento."
Favorable schedule
Comment
March 2
Houston Chronicle
 
"With the Rockets on the edge of playoff contention, they looked at the upcoming schedule and knew if they did not make a move now, it might be too late. The next five opponents all have losing records, including games against three last-place teams (Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington). "It's a good schedule from now on," forward Luis Scola said. "We have to start building from now. I think we have one last shot to make a big push for the playoffs."
Rockets tear apart Toronto
Comment
March 2
Houston Chronicle
 
"The Rockets could not get even. But they could do the next best thing. They did it to someone else. A game after the Utah Jazz ripped their defense, the Rockets tore through the Toronto Raptors as easily. They whipped the Raptors from the first minute until they cleared the bench with the fourth quarter still to play to take a 116-92 feel-good win Monday night at Toyota Center. "We shot it well, moved it well, and after the first quarter … I thought we defended pretty well," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "We did what we needed to do." They did just about anything they wanted to do. A game after the Rockets allowed 133 points and the second-best shooting night any opponent had against ..."
Adelman calls on reserves early, often
Comment
February 28
Houston Chronicle
 
"With Shane Battier out with flu-like symptoms, and Trevor Ariza (hip pointer) and Kyle Lowry (left ankle sprain) still unavailable, the Rockets might have preferred to shorten their rotation Saturday night. Instead, Rockets coach Rick Adelman said he would not only use much of his bench a day after Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin rarely left the court, he would call on his reserves early. "We'll get them into the game early so they can get a feel for what's going on, especially Garrett (Temple) and JT (Jermaine Taylor). You have to get them in the game and let them get their feet wet. "It compounds it a little bit because Kevin and Aaron played so much (Friday) night (in a win over the Spurs ..."
Rockets' defense caves in to Jazz
Comment
February 28
Houston Chronicle
 
"The body shots to the Rockets' defense started early. There were passes through the paint to layups, crossovers to jumpers, drives that set up open looks on the perimeter. The Jazz hit early and often, with the Rockets' defense doubled over, as if to protect its midsection. Then Utah went for the 3-pointers that served as knockout punches. When they were through, the Jazz had the best shooting performance against the Rockets in nearly 25 years, pounding them 133-110 at EnergySolutions Arena on Saturday night. "Just a very poor defensive effort," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "They just took it to us. We weren't playing people. We knew exactly what they were going to do, and we weren't ..."
Battier misses Rockets game with flu-like symptoms
Comment
February 28
Houston Chronicle
 (scroll down)
"With Shane Battier in the hotel battling flu-like symptoms, Trevor Ariza in Houston and Kyle Lowry in the locker room, the Rockets' defense was reduced to the faint hope the Jazz would miss. They rarely did. When Utah began the fourth quarter with three consecutive 3s, it led by 24, and Adelman began clearing his bench, knowing there was no chance."
Adelman adjusting late-game rotation
Comment
February 27
Houston Chronicle
 
"Though the Rockets have stuck with their starting five, other than moving Kevin Martin in to replace the injured Trevor Ariza at guard, coach Rick Adelman said he likely will base much of his rotation at the end of games on how games have progressed. Chase Budinger has finished several recent games, with Jared Jeffries also picking up fourth-quarter playing time. "The guys that have a good chance of being on the floor are going to be Aaron (Brooks), Kevin and Shane (Battier) probably because that's our most experienced," Adelman said. "Everybody else, I just don't know. How is the game going to go? "I pretty much know who I'm going to go with with the guards.""
30+30+30 equals rare kind of win for Rockets
Comment
February 27
Houston Chronicle
 
"For all their Hall of Famers, all their assorted high scorers and "Big Threes," none had done what the Rockets pulled off Friday night. But none of their predecessors might have more desperately wanted and needed a win. In 43 seasons, the Rockets never had three players reach at least 30 points in the same game. And even doing that was not enough, or the only line rewritten in the Rockets' record book Friday. Desperate for a win any way they could get it, the Rockets rode Kevin Martin, Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola to a combined 94 points and a 23-point lead, then held on down the stretch to snap their four-game home losing streak with a 109-104 win over the San Antonio Spurs. But even that ..."
Rockets' offensive trifecta tramples Spurs out of gate
Comment
February 27
San Antonio Express-News
 
"The disappointing finish to the Spurs' rodeo road trip seemed a distant memory after a big victory over Oklahoma City on Wednesday night, but when the team checked into its hotel on Thursday afternoon, the bellman wore a Stetson. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo had come to town, straight from San Antonio, for an 18-day run at the Reliant Center, and the spirit of everything equine and bovine continued to cast a gloomy spell over the Spurs. An injury-riddled Rockets team still adjusting to a big trade deadline deal had lost six of its previous seven games to fall to .500 on the season, but that didn't matter in a 109-104 Rockets victory Friday night at the Toyota Center. The Rockets ..."
Martin finding comfort zone
Comment
February 26
Houston Chronicle
 
"Though the decision to bench starting center Chuck Hayes for the second half was largely about dealing with Orlando's Dwight Howard, Rockets coach Rick Adelman said the team could try similar lineups again. On Wednesday, David Andersen started the second half with Jared Jeffries also playing center. Because the Rockets double-teamed Howard in the second half, negating Hayes' strength as a man-to-man defender, Adelman opted for Andersen's shooting. "We were just struggling to score so much, we were going to double Dwight, I put David out there to see if we could get some shots for him," Adelman said. "I knew we were going to double on the catch. We weren't going to wait. I changed up to see ..."
Rockets see confidence wane while losses grow
Comment
February 26
Houston Chronicle
 
"On some level — likely the ground floor of Toyota Center where the practice court is – the Rockets know what must be done to win games. When Rockets coach Rick Adelman lately has said the Rockets must "find out how we're going to win" he was not speaking of a strategy or system. That much has been obvious. Adelman was speaking of something more difficult to find. On that level — one floor down on the Toyota Center arena court — the Rockets have run into the conundrum of a losing streak. They must experience success to have the confidence it takes to win, but cannot have that confidence until they succeed. "For us right now, it's more of a confidence, attitude thing, and being consistent in ..."
Taylor happy in Valley
Comment
February 25
Houston Chronicle
 
"Jermaine Taylor returned to the Rockets after a two-game stint in the NBA Development League, his second brief stop in the Rio Grande Valley this month, because of injuries to Trevor Ariza and Kyle Lowry. He would have been fine with remaining with the Vipers. "I just want to play," Taylor said. "I went down there, played two good games, got called right back up. Hopefully, I'll get to play here. That's what it's all about. "Don't get me wrong. I love Houston. This is like my second home. … When it comes down to it, I would like to be there because I was playing, staying fresh." Taylor has played just 103 minutes with the Rockets, most late in games already decided."
Rockets can't dig out of huge hole in loss to Magic
Comment
February 25
Houston Chronicle
 
"With the Rockets' slump worsening, Kevin Martin heard his first smattering of boos. He had missed his first seven shots. The Magic had taken their lead to as much as 27. The first hints of discontent began to slip from the Toyota Center crowd. Then Martin hit a jumper and began getting to the paint. He began scoring. The Rockets started defending. The blowout loss that had seemed certain was replaced by a comeback and a chance. On the court, however, the Rockets did not accomplish much more than getting Orlando's attention, as the Magic took over down the stretch to send the Rockets to a fourth consecutive home loss, 110-92. Dwight Howard not only set an Orlando franchise record with his ..."
Rockets anything but clutch in recent cold stretch
Comment
February 24
Houston Chronicle
 
"The games are tight, filled with the usual mix of highs and lows along the way, with their fate to be decided in those crucial final minutes. Defenses tighten. Timeouts are hoarded. Every basket and every stop become vital. That's when that chilling thought hits. The Rockets have been there far too often to fight it. "You get to the end of the game, it's like, 'Here we go again,'?" Aaron Brooks said. "We're missing shots. It kind of plays with you." As much as NBA games are said to routinely come down to the final minutes, for the Rockets, so has their February slide to five losses in six games. They have not won a close game since Jan. 29. They are 2-7 at home since beginning their ..."
Trevor Ariza to miss the next three games with a severe left hip pointer
Comment
February 24
Houston Chronicle
 
"Rockets guard Trevor Ariza will be out for the remainder of the week, missing games against the Magic, Spurs and Jazz, with a severe left hip pointer. He underwent an MRI on Monday and will be re-evaluated next week. Guard Kevin Martin will move into the starting lineup, coach Rick Adelman said. Ariza has been battling the injury since Feb. 6 and missed the Rockets' next game against Miami. He left Saturday's game after re-aggravating the injury but returned and played Sunday in New Orleans."
Kyle Lowry's ankle improves
Comment
February 23
Houston Chronicle
 
"Kyle Lowry's sprained left ankle has begun to improve, but he is expected to be out the rest of the week. Lowry has been out since Feb. 6 against Philadelphia. Including that game, the Rockets have gone 1-5 since he was injured. "He's doing OK," trainer Keith Jones said. "The swelling went down. He's doing better and then we kind of hit that low spot where it stalls out for a couple days. He was getting a little frustrated. (Sunday) was better so we're back on course. I'm going to say at least another week, but he is doing better.""
Rockets focus on adjustments
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February 23
Houston Chronicle
 
"The challenge might seem daunting, and has looked it in two losses since the trade-deadline deal that altered the Rockets' roster and a chunk of their rotation. Trevor Ariza does not see it that way. "That's what we got to do," Ariza said, breaking down the adjustments needed to the simplest terms. "This is a basketball game. This is a basketball team. We get paid to play basketball. We got to do it." If it were that simple, the Rockets would not have reconvened at Toyota Center on Monday. Instead, they took the unusual step of practicing the day after back-to-back games largely to begin getting their additions acclimated, going through two hours, often in five-on-five scrimmages. "It's ..."
Ex-Hornet Armstrong on bench
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February 22
New Orleans Times-Picayune
 
"In his first game against his former teammates, Houston Rockets backup center Hilton Armstrong never left the bench in Sunday night's 102-94 loss to the Hornets at the New Orleans Arena. The Rockets acquired Armstrong, 6 feet 11, 235 pounds, just before last Thursday's trade deadline in a deal that included shooting guard Kevin Martin from the Sacramento Kings. They also acquired Jordan Hill and Jared Jeffries from the New York Knicks. In exchange, the Rockets sent Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey to the Sacramento Kings and Tracy McGrady went to the Knicks. "If I get an opportunity here, I'll be happy," Armstrong said. "In Sacramento, I didn't get too much of an opportunity. But it felt good ..."
Adelman reassures struggling Martin
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February 22
Houston Chronicle
 
"With a timeout late in the first half, Rockets coach Rick Adelman stopped to give Kevin Martin a few words and many pats on the back. Martin had followed his 3-of-16 first game with the Rockets with a 1-of-6 first half. Adelman wanted one adjustment. "He just needs to relax," Adelman said. "I feel he's really rushing everything. In the first half, when he made his move, everything was in a hurry. When he got his shot, it wasn't a natural shot. And I thought he could have gotten about three or four calls in the game. "He just has to play through it. I thought he relaxed as the game went on. He's going to be OK. When you come into a new team, two games over the weekend, I think the nerves ..."