38-23 Jazz

Second-chance points are killing em’.  It’s like the bucket is magnetized for Utah as the ball just goes in easy whereas Houston’s shots rim out, bounce out like an evil force is working in Salt Lake.  Luis Scola continues to impress me,  making tough shots look easy.  He’s so composed and plays like an animal.  I still think Durant and he made it the closest Rookie of the Year contest.  Kudo’s to Durant for winning it, but I don’t think the NBA would have been second-guessed if they have given it to Scola.

Another bad TMAC pass.  There were plenty of those all series long.  Bad passes, missed free throws, yet he was still - there’s another easy bucket on an interception (dammit!) - the best player for the team in the series.  A couple games he flirted with a triple double.  Damn, these guys can’t miss.  I hate Utah with such a freakin’ passion.   

46-27 Jazz now. 

It’s just about over.  I’ve never seen so much successful penetration since the stag film at my bachelor party.  How they play inside and just rip through Houston’s defense - now Okur just forearmed Deke Mutumbo (2 early fouls, thanks refs) - is impressive.  TMAC has 17 now and surely on pace for 30+.  He just can’t do it himself.  His numbers are going to be indicative of a Rocket win, but Utah has slammed the door shut on the rest of the team, it seems. 

50-34 with five minutes left in the half. 

Not insurmountable.  I suppose even Britney Spears could also reliven her singing career with similar odds.  Whoa..     TMAC just went off.   He just hit a series of shots, trying to take the game over and now Houston is down…

50-40.  

He will need to score 50+ tonight at this pace, I think, but he seems insistent on doing just that.  He’s not looking at his teammates to end the first half.  He’s on a mission.  I can bet the though of listening to every interviewer asking him what Round 2 team he thinks is going to make it to the Western Conference finals..    He scored 22 ppg during the season and he’s hitting an average of 28 points per game in the playoffs.  Three minutes left and down by 10.

A scoring machine.  We have a brand new game in Salt Lake, Ladies and Gentlemen..     55-50 as TMAC is taking over!

55-54, are you kidding me ??????????    that’s a 18-pt turnaround, folks…  in the 2nd quarter.  McGrady is on the bench to finish the half with 29 points already.  Damn.. Darren Williams get a 3 pointer to end the half..    

There’s a fight going on in Salt Lake…………….      more to come after the half.. 

The news out of the locker room isn’t good, as Rafer Alston is now out of the game with a sprained ankle.  So, keeping score for you, no Yao, no Alston and TMAC with a knee that is kept numb with injections because of the pain.  The Jazz?  Only their feelings are hurt.  Injuries are a part of the game, unless you’re a Rocket opponent. 

63-56 Utah, after some early scoring.    65, after Okur (looks like a ferret) hits his 2 free throws.

Jackson misses a jumper and Battier missed a 3, but Mutumbo got both rebounds and passed off to a teammate for two points.  He’s going to be huge if the Rockets are going to have a chance.  Got to stay out of foul trouble.   Jackson misses again and the Jazz hit a 3..     sigh..

71-59.  here we go again..      I dare not hope for another Houston hot streak.   

Dikembe Mutombo is just ruling the boards.  TMAC draws another foul.  A miss.  Boozer misses.  Jackson and TMAC both miss their 3’s - argh this is getting so frustrating.  Then, as expected, Utah hits a trey by Williams.  It’s just maddening.

74-59

Another close miss and Okur rebound.  Williams hits another - en fuego.  If they don’t man up on him, he’s going to win this for Utah himself.  Amazing kid.  Houston rookie Aaron Brooks is now the Rockets hope at the point.  That just perfectly illustrates their season for them this year..   

Man, how does Boston allow Atlanta to make them go back for a Game 7????

Utah now back up by 18 points..  this has to be it.  Here’s where winning teams put the proverbial foot on the neck of their prey.     78-59 and well on their way to going to Los Angeles.   Three minutes left in the fourth quarter with a 19 point lead..      Here’s where Houston succumbs after a season mixed with excitment and frustration.    I just hope that the Lakers take Utah out quickly.

80-63    

Shots are again spinning out for the Rockets..  they can’t buy a bucket.  TMAC gets his 10th board, his double double.  Landry finally ends the scoring drought.  Foul…..  Utah shoots..   Ball bounces six times before it goes in..  of course.  Second shot drops and it’s..

82-65

Utah is doing a good job keeping the ball out of TMAC’s hands.. the wrong guys are shooting for Houston, hence the lack of scoring.  It’s going to take a rehashing of the second quarter to even get close.  TMAC will have to get 15-20 just on his own.  Now it’s a 20-point game..   the fat lady is warming up…   End of the 3rd quarter and Utah has its biggest lead..       I hate this team.

Rockets were outscored 27-11 in that last quarter and TMAC held to nothing.  They are just locked up on him and wearing him out.  Missed his free throw…………….. again.

89-65   10:47 left in the season….

Novak hits a 3 as he’s now in for Houston in what might indicate a new offensive scheme for coach Adelman.  Just give it to the tall white guy and see if he can shoot you back into the game from downtown. 

McGrady hits for his 34th point.  He’s done what he’s supposed to do..    I can hear the echoing sound of sportswriters from all over furiously working over their keyboards to get their story out about his continued failure to get out of the first round.  The post-game player interviews are going to be horrible tonight.    

95-74  -  the Utah players are already celebrating on the bench.   Only 8:00 left…

TMAC has 37 points:  half of his team’s points.  Scola is the only other Rocket that has more than two FG’s on the team.  That, Ladies and Gentlemen… is the story behind the story.  This is a team sport.

99-82

Yup.. miss another free throw guys.. why not.  We can’t get enough of those.  Okur draws the foul inside and he’ll shoot.  I got ten bucks before he shoots that he doesn’t miss.  Boom.  Easy money.

Under five minutes and we’re still missing layups.  McGrady’s shots are hitting the front of the rim..  He’s tired. 

106-85

In and out for Houston.  3:00 left..     Boozer hits.  It’s been a decade since Houston has gotten out of the first round and they will start the next decade still trying.  Kobe, here cometh the Jazz.  I don’t like you much either, but you’re the lesser of two evils.

OK, so you Jazz fans..   you got this one..  again..   yes, you have beaten us in more series than we have beaten you, but……………………..   you’ve never gone on to win any titles..  Both times we beat you, we hoisted up the Larry O’Brien trophy.  Sit on that for awhile..     come back and talk to me when you have banners up in the rafters.

Williams is just playing with them with that three point shot.  The bench now comes out and the starters come off the floor, high fiving their way to Los Angeles.  The last two minutes is just mop-up time.

Well, that’s it..     definitely not a satisfying year, despite the long 22-game streak.  Fun while it lasted, but it was still accomplished without the team intact and the early playoff exit once again attributed to the inability to stay healthy. 

113-88

Final minute….    TMAC finished with 40 points and nothing to show for it. 

As I sign off, I remember how the season begun.. with Utah - and a win..   I told about how I couldn’t stand this team and now this final stake in the heart just makes that much more so.   113-91 is the final score and now.. let the bashing begin..  

Go Lakers.. 

-kn

Well, they say be careful what you ask for.  You just might get it.  I asked for the Jazz in round one of the playoffs…………. and well……………   I got it…..and in spades.

In what could quite possibly be the worst case scenario for Houston, they are up against the Jazz, down 0-2 after losing both home games, and having to win in Utah twice to have even a chance to get into round two.  Utah is virtually indestructible at home, but did lose to Houston at the beginning of the season behind T-MAC’s 47 pts that night.  Unfortunately, unlike the first game of the season, Houston is down both their starting center and point guard in Yao and Alston.  When 40% of your team can’t suit up, you are most certainly at a disadvantage.  Still, both games were winnable, despite the poor shooting from the Rockets.  When you miss 20 layups and 10+ free throws and lose by only 11 pts in Game one, then lose by only six in Game two, you were at least still in it - despite being outmanned and outsized.  Just poor execution and a permissive interior defense killed the Rockets - both times.  TMAC was stellar for 3 quarters in both games, but could not nary but a single point on 0-4 shooting in the fourth quarter of Game 1 and not much better in Game 2’s final period.   The Utah strategy of limiting his ability to move, duck and shoot throughout the game was enough to make sure he was too tired at closing time.  It worked.  The physical game got to the Rockets, and they even knew it was coming.  I honestly don’t see any chance of taking one in Utah, so the Rockets will probably have just played their last game in the Toyota Center before it’s time to reload, rebuild, and remember how much first-round exits can hurt.  They have just GOT to find a way to keep their talent on the floor and not on the trainers table.  I said it time and time and time again all year that injuries would be the key - and we see it again this year with Yao going out for the season.   It’s going to be another year of this team not making it past the first round and T-MAC will unjustly be shouldering the blame for it, yet again.  His numbers speak for themselves.  He’s done his part from a stats standpoint.  He’s just not got the surrounding staff to pick up the load when he gets double and triple teamed.  Each of the players in Scola, Battier, Hayes, Mutumbo and a slew of pickups have certainly had their shining moments and gave-saving heroics.  That 22-game streak certainly showed what this team is capable of.  But, at the end of the day, it’s the playoffs that matter.  The Rockets just couldn’t hold serve at home when they needed to most.

Now, it’s going to take something more impressive than the 22-game streak to make a date with the Lakers a reality.  I have to give Utah credit.  There’s just something about playing the Rockets that just elevates their play a few notches.  It’s been that way for years.  I’m sure I will have many more to suffer through.  That being said?  I am hoping for another first round matchup with the Jazz again next year. 

All you can do is dust yourself off and get back into the mix.

Well, I was close.  With tonight’s Rockets win over the LA Clip 93-75 in the home and season ender, Houston finishes the ‘08 campaign at 55-27, third best in franchise history, and just one win fewer than my preseason prognostication.   More important than ANYTHING else, Houston will face up with the hated..   HATED.  (did I say hated?) Utah Jazz.  I’ve been commenting on this all year - that I wanted this matchup, and now it appears my prayers have been answered.  Better yet?  Utah will have to win on the road, where they are a freakin’ train wreck compared to how they play at home.  At the time of this writing, the Spurs were kicking them up and down the court and it appears Utah is raising the white flag early.  Poetic justice would be this series going 7, and Houston, this time, actually winning that final home game and avenging last year’s huge disappointment.  TMAC needs this to get that first round and out monkey off his back.  Houston needs it to feel like they’ve finally turned it around after over a decade of futility.  I NEED it because I’ve been stressed out like a mother quitting my job and joining another company over the last two weeks and not getting much time to write. 

I’m ready.   I hear Saturday night is the first game for this series.

Bring on the Jazz!

Currently, now that Houston put the Sonics out tonight pretty handily 103-80 with TMAC sitting out and resting his shoulder, the Rockets sit in the standings at 53-25, just two games out behind New Orleans for the Western Conference lead.  Currently seeded 5th behind Utah at 4, the dream matchup between these two teams have me Pavlovian dogging it for the first round.  There’s five teams at 52 and 53 wins right now, so that can, and will, change quite a bit hour to hour.  Four more games remain on the schedule, including a matchup with the Jazz in Utah on 4/14.  But before that game can happen, Houston must take on the Suns at home, then travel to Denver for a scramble against the Nuggets before hitting Utah on the 2nd night of a back-to-back.    The Rockets will then end the season at home against the Clippers.   So all you haters out there that said the Rockets won’t make the playoffs???    I’m awaiting your profound apologies.  You’re now just going to have to admit that they are another pretty good team in an awesome conference race.

Interestingly enough, Houston had lost 12 of their last 13 when both big time All Stars were both off the floor at the same time (Yao and TMAC).  Tonight was an exception to that rule.  Rafer Alston scored 18 and Luis Scola joined in with 13 points and 12 boards to offset the absences in the lineup and easily took care of Seattle/(OKC?) in the Toyota Center.  Luther Head had 16 and Steve Novak had 17 points to round out the even scoring around the bench.  Houston shot 53 percent to Seattle’s 36 on their way to winning their 20th of the last 22 games in the Bayou City.   For those of you still looking at the streak, that’s 33 of the last 39 games.  Not too shabby.

To make 56 wins, Houston will have to beat the Clippers, then take two games from the three other teams - Phoenix, Denver, Utah - in order to nail my prediction.  That’s going to be at least one road win, Utah being the most difficult to hope for. 

MY COLORS FROM STARDOCK

Hey, quick product plug here.  I just downloaded and applied my new Rockets desktop theme on my laptop using MY COLORS from Stardock.  Quick and easy download, it personalized my desktop with a Houston Rockets logo on a court; my icons were changed to basketball themes (Basketball START button, net for the Recycle Bin, the Rockets logo on all folders - just some really cool stuff!).  You get a weather gadget and media player completely personalized with your team colors and graphics.  Great product - I really like it.   The whole NBA is represented, so go check out their NBA site  and get yours today.  You can look at screenshots of what your desktop would look like. 

***Kudos out to the MVN web-admin guys - love the new format.

The Rockets really looked good Friday night against a quality opponent on the road, upending Golden State 109-106 to break the two-game losing streak that followed the sick 22-game stretch we’ve enjoyed recently. TMAC’s production was back where it should be with 26 points, eight boards and rebounds, and the team welcomed back Carl Landry (17 of his own) from his time off due to injury. Dude is still listed as 7th in the Rook of the Year standings behind leader Luis Scola. Nice for H-town to have two guys listed in that category still. Looking at the box score for them:

Carluis Scolandry: 27 pts 18 reb 10/18 shooting. Nice pickup at the 4, Mr. Morey.

Is it just me or are all the games feeling like the playoffs are already here? Well, essentially, they are. Losses here can cut you out of the post-season altogether if you’re not careful, and every win not only keeps you alive, but positions you for a potentially better matchup. I can’t remember a year where the last two months were so crucial - certainly makes it much more interesting.

I see that Loren Wood got some PT in tonight’s game. Don’t know much about the guy yet, but you can’t teach height. The fifth-year player out of AZ stands 7-2, so that should help provide the beef up front the team is lacking against those teams expected to give them trouble in the paint. The Celtics demonstrated that rather rudely, and Phoenix showed it again tonight as Shaq (23 points) and Stoudamire (38 points) had their way with them in the Suns 122-113 victory, although it took Phoenix til a few minutes left in the game to put it away. Those pesky Rockets kept it close, refusing to give up. Two of the three losses this week were on the back end of a back to back schedule against playoff teams. They get a break, then it’s back to Houston for some home cooking against Sacramento and Minnesota, before hitting the road again to face the Spurs in the I-10 rivalry.

Marking my calendar for Monday, April 14th for the game @ Utah…. oh, precious moments these are.. precious moments..

“In my 11 years in the NBA, that’s the best defense I’ve ever seen,” Tracy McGrady said afterward.

Kevin Garnett, when told of that comment, was truly moved by TMAC’s statment and acknowledged it when asked by a locker room reporter..   “That’s a hell of a statement. Thank you.”

Since then, Houston dropped another to a number one team; this time to New Orleans who then found themselves best in the Wild, Wild West.  Tonight, it’s Golden State - another potential clash with a playoff hopeful that could spell trouble for Houston.  The first loss seems to have taken some swell from their sails, and the team doesn’t look as fierce as they used to.  TMAC isn’t scoring as well as he probably should for $20 mill a year.  What was working isn’t working anymore and something needs to change to put this team back on the winning front.  Help is on their side in that other West teams are also losing games and it’s just a mess in the Western standings. 

Los Angeles (as of this writing) is back in first, but that could change 2-3 times this weekend.  Hey, just as long as Utah stays below Houston in the standings and MAKES the playoffs.  I just want the opportunity at payback with both them and Dallas.  There’s that 40-pt game 7 craw still sticking in me that needs a little tending to and anytime Utah is in it, I’m a huge fan.  I just can’t wait for the seedings to finalize so I can begin predicting when that matchup might take place.  There will be nothing on my mind other than beating the Jazz.  Nothing.  Sorry bout that, Wife, but you  knew that when you married me.

Good for the Lakers to stop that Utah home winning streak, too. 

Carl Landry is hoping to return this week, after being out since March 8th with a bruised knee.  Man, they need him.

I mean, after all.  With him, they could win out, right?  

Right?  There’s only 14 games left.  Piece of cake.  Houston’s already done 22 in a row this year.  This should be simple.

Great run, guys.   We’ll remember this for a long time and it will be the barometer by which modern-day basketball teams are measured from here on out.  Last note to you “fans” that don’t give Houston the credit for what they just accomplished and provided to their fans for 22 consecutive games, and most of those were blowout wins.

Michael Jordan never won more than 12 games in a row (I heard on ESPN).

They might not win the championship this year, but they provided one of the best stories of the year for the NBA.

In what will go down as one of the more important and exciting regular season games in perhaps franchise history, the Houston Rockets made a statement game count as they battled the Los Angeles Lakers in a pivotal head-to-head for top position in the Western Conference and came out victorious 104-92.  The Rockets now take over as the Best in the West and get ready to do battle with the Beast from the East - the Boston Celtics Tuesday night.

There were many heroes in Sunday’s big win, none the more apparent in Rafer Alston’s career best 31 points and eight three-pointers.  Shane Battier didn’t go unnoticed either for his absolutely smothering defense on Kobe Bryant, limiting the Lakers go-to guy to shooting just 11 for 33 and scoring just 24 points.   There is no doubt now about Houston’s credibility atop the standings after this unbelievable run.  Tracy McGrady summed it up:

“This was really all about how good the Rockets are,” Rockets guard Tracy McGrady said. “This is what this game was about — the Lakers coming in here at the top of the Western Conference. This game determined where we are. We answered those questions, we took on that challenge and we’re standing alone.”

“We’re a confident bunch right now, confident but not cocky,” said Alston, who could not remember the last time he scored 30, guessing it was probably in a summer league game of some sort. “We understand there’s still work to be done.”

McGrady, held scoreless in the first half, did everything else to get his teammates into positions to contribute.  If you had told me that a late-season game against the Lakers and Yao/McGrady would be held to zero points combined and Houston would still lead at the half by fifteen points, I would have asked you what you were drinking and can a brother have a clean glass. 

I had my boy Matty Matt over for the game at the new hacienda and this already had playoff feel about it.  Houston is gearing up for a postseason hype not seen since the championship seasons of 94-95.  You see more red shirts on the streets and in the office buildings.  Everywhere you go, Rocket fever is everywhere.  And it should be.  No other NBA team might see something like this happen for another 30 or more years.  This is truly a special run  –  and by a team without a single All Star?   Are you kidding me?   You have TMAC - who didn’t make it - and a bunch of role players content to play what the coaches tell them to play.  Great, crisp passing, sharing, speed, defense, defense, defense - it’s awesome to watch.   Thirty-one wins in their last thirty-four games.   At courtside, even Hakeem Olajuwon was enjoying the historic march to the record books and noticed the intangibles this team has similar to his own Clutch City teams.

“It’s not by accident,” Olajuwon said. “They have quality players, they work hard, and you can see the chemistry.”

It doesn’t get any easier

Out of the frying pan and into the fire go the red-hot Rockets.  First comes Kevin Garnett and his East-leading Celtics into the Toyota Center Tuesday night.  A three game road trip then begins with stops in Phoenix, New Orleans and Golden State as part of an ten game stretch where eight of those games will be on the road.  Can Houston keep the streak alive and try to threaten the Lakers record?  Probably not.  But who’s going to bet against them after yesterday’s showing?  I fully expect Boston to try to smother TMAC and take him out, but it’s always been one of many spectacular role players that have stepped up each night and shoulder the offensive output.  The team is just built that way.  The shooting is better and the ball movement, especially during the Laker game, was just insanely good. 

“We have guys willing to make it work,” Alston said. “What’s good is we’re getting four or five people in double figures every night so we’re not relying on just Tracy trying to get 41 points. That says a lot about us and our team and how everyone has turned their games up.”

Today is St. Patrick’s Day.  How appropos is it that we have the green team in town for a showdown tomorrow.

Pinch me.  I’m dreaming.

Houston is now the proud owner of the 2nd longest winning streak in league history, after taking care of business at home in the Toyota Center with an 89-80 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.  The streak is now at 21 and, with the losses by LA to the Hornets and San Antonio to Detroit tonight, Houston finds themselves standing alone at the top of the Midwestern Conference, declaring their independence, and tied with the Lakers for the Conference’s best record.  In under 48 hours, these two 45-20 teams will face off in Houston for the overall number one seed.  There will not be an empty seat in the house and the expected fan noise level should rival that of a Brittney Spears’ paparazzi interview and photo shoot in her rehab room. 

For the 2nd game in a row, Houston struggled at the onset, fell behind by double digits, but found a way to regroup and push to a double digit lead of their own.  T-MAC, putting the team on his back yet again, played all 48 minutes and ended up with 30 points on the night.  Free throws were just not dropping for the home team - a huge problem come playoff time when they will end up having to defend teams with superior frontcourt personnel. 

Mutumbo got to wag his famous finger again tonight on multiple occasions, including two huge ones in the last minute as Houston tried to slam the door shut.  Man, the fans love that..   I’ve heard that tickets are incredibly hard to come by now for Sunday’s game.   For those who are counting, that’s now 14 in a row at home.

Focus turns to Kobe

Breaking news:  Paul Gasol sprained his ankle and didn’t return to tonight’s game in New Orleans.

Who knows how that will affect Sunday’s game, but it’s like the basketball gods are doing everything they can to help pave the way for the Rockets to get to 22. 

33 straight
• 1971-72 L.A. Lakers
21 straight
• 2007-08 Houston Rockets
20 straight
• 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks
19 straight
• 1999-2000 L.A. Lakers
18 straight
• 1969-70 N.Y. Knicks
• 1981-82 Boston Celtics
• 1995-96 Chicago Bulls
17 straight
• 1946-47 Washington Capitols
• 1959-60 Boston Celtics
• 1995-96 San Antonio Spurs
• 2006-07 Phoenix Suns
• 2006-07 Dallas Mavericks

Note: The 1971-72 Lakers, 1970-71 Bucks and 1999-2000 Lakers won championships.

Sunday night’s headline:   Double Deuce ??

Not since 1971 has an NBA basketball team won twenty straight games.   The Lakers and Bucks are the only other two teams that share this distinction.  Houston plays Kobe and the Lakers on Sunday for, quite possibly, the number one seed position.

Yet, there’s still so many detractors.  So many people who call into the radio shows, email the editor, or simply write to yours truly, with questionable use at best of the Queen’s English (see comments below from previous post), and continue to berate the Rockets as a soft, talent-less team that can’t win when it counts.  Well, sure, the playoffs aren’t here yet, and TMAC has that stigma forever attached to his jersey until he gets his team to the second round, but what idiot uses that to separate himself from being able to enjoy a sporting feat not seen since..   well..   the Nixon era?     Is this Tracy-Gate?

Time out.  Folks, enjoy what you’re watching here, because I can tell you this.  Despite the absolutely unintelligent argument that Houston has played a “soft” schedule during this run, the fact remains - since every team in the NBA plays relatively the same schedule each year, why hasn’t anyone else been able to accomplish what we’re seeing happen here today?  Let’s see:  Dallas, San Antonio, LA and Phoenix - they all play Western Conference teams; the same teams Houston has during this stretch.  THEY don’t have a streak nearly this long, although San Antonio put on a pretty good stretch before finally falling recently.  Did anyone call the Spurs soft for that successful run?   Methinks some sour grapes are making their way around the country.  C’mon, this is exciting.  Had this been the Celtics on a streak like this, were you also going to say that Kevin Garnett is a chump and will eventually hack up a hair ball in the playoffs?  I think there are just some folks that can’t quite understand the big picture here. 

This is good basketball, folks.  The boys are having a lot of fun with it and even at each other’s expense.  Deke is being given the business here in this video on YouTube.   (Thanks, Dave A.)

The coming together of all the parts that Coach Adelman has massaged into a cohesive unit is nothing short of amazing; team chemistry I haven’t seen since the championship years of 94-95 with Dream and Clyde.  Luis Scola has more than earned his paycheck for his rookie year and discussions of him surpassing Kevin Durant of the Sonics for Rookie of the Year is already out on the internet. 

They say you have to have a lot of things go right for you to make it all come together for a championship season.  In recent years, it’s always been the things that have gone wrong that have kept Houston from being a contender with a rash of injuries to the star players every single year.  In 2007, you have a new coach, new system, new players.  Who would have thought you could put all that newness into a package that would produce this type of success the first year……  and without your 7′ 6″ center, to boot?

Credit to the coach and GM..     Credit to the players for stepping up.  

Someone asked me the other day if I was enjoying the ride.   Are you kidding?  I’m driving the bus, man.  I’m driving the bus and I ain’t stopping for anything or anybody. 

Oh, well, maybe for XXI.

Nets held to just 28 first half points and 47 by the end of the 3rd quarter.  Season lows.

7-0 sans Yao.  Who would have thunk it?  …and hot rook Carl Landry sat out his 2nd game in a row with a knee injury.

10 straight double-digit victories.  Longest in NBA history.

13 straight wins at on the home court.  Longest franchise home winning streak at Toyota Center since the 85-86 team won 20 in a row at the Summit

Nineteen straight wins.   Best in franchise history and fourth longest winning streak in NBA history.

One win away from the 2nd longest streak in NBA history held by the 70-71 Bucks.

One game behind the Lakers and Spurs for the number one seed in the Western Conference.

Rockets are now ranked number one in many major online Power Rankings.

Out of the last six teams to win 18 straight in a season, five won the whole thing and brought a championship to their city.

One Charles Barkley is getting drilled in post game interviews as he consistently bad-mouths the Rockets chances to do much of anything since Yao is out.  Is he?  The rest of the team doesn’t appear to believe in the hype that without Yao, they aren’t going to win.  Instead, it appears that they have forgotten how to LOSE.

The rookies are incredible.  Luis Scola just received the Western Conf’s Rookie of the Month award for February, finally knocking off Kevin Durant.  Not far behind him is fellow freshie Carl Landry.  Rockets GM was recently quoted as saying:

“He’s got no rookie in him right now. He’s playing like he’s been in the league for five years.  Anybody who tells you they knew he was going to be this good isn’t being straight with you. … We’re still waiting for him to play like a rookie.”

Atlanta and Charlotte are next.  Conventional wisdom would put a 21 up there before the big showdown on Sunday afternoon with the Lakers.  If this plays out as expected, Los Angeles would get first crack in helping keep Houston from challenging it’s ownership of the league’s present win-streak record of 33 held by the 1971-72 team. 

Jeff van Who?

Adelman’s improved offense certainly has risen to the equation as everyone kind of expected at the beginning of the season.  Took awhile for the players to adapt and take hold of it, but it’s there.  Look at Rafer Alston - are you kidding me?  Talk about your player that rose from the ashes and took advantage of a situation.  He was basically mince-meat after the summertime’s encounters with bad luck / decision making.   It’s the JVG defense that also found a way to stick around and keep foes at ridiculously low levels of output.   Can we just clone Shane Battier and put 3 of him on the floor at any given point in time?  That should hold the opponents to football scores on a nightly basis.  Mutombo has done so well, they’re practically begging him to come back for another year.  We’ll see.

The strategy for success?   One game at a time, right? 

Well, hell.  The Rockets have been saying that since January.