Houston Rockets vs. Indiana Pacers Recap and post game quotes

http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/Rockets_Out_Pace_Indiana_with_-171266-822.html

Carmine Pirone-Rockets.com

Tuesday’s win was good, Wednesday’s was better. The Houston Rockets trailed the Indiana Pacers by as much as 17 points late in the third quarter Wednesday, but pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback for the second straight night and defeated the Pacers 103-99 at Toyota Center. The Rockets improve to 29-33 with the win, while the Pacers fall to 30-28 with the loss.

Tracy McGrady started the game Wednesday, but left the game with soreness in his back with a little over 10 minutes to go in the third quarter. He scored 15 points before his departure.

Once again with McGrady out, the Rockets leaned on Yao Ming and once again he delivered. Yao recored a double-double Wednesday-he’s done that in eight of nine games now so that’s nothing new-scoring a season high 38 points, while pulling 10 rebounds. He also swatted five shots Wednesday and gave fits to Indiana’s Scot Pollard, Jeff Foster and David Harrison all night in the post hitting on turnaround, hook shots and moves to the basket.

Keith Bogans, McGrady’s understudy, scored 14 points, none more important than a lay-up with less than 30 seconds left that that put Houston on top for good Bogans also added eight boards in 33 minutes of action.

Peja Stojakovic led the Pacers with 29 points and collected nine rebounds and five assists in 40 minutes of action, but even he couldn’t turn the tide of a Houston comeback that began late in the third.

Following a 13-2 run by Indiana late in the third quarter, the Rockets trailed 86-69. With McGrady out and Yao resting on the bench, the situation looked bleak to say the least. The Pacers, who lost to the New York Knicks at home Tuesday before traveling to Houston, looked to be in a position for a big win. But in game that started to resemble a street fight for the final 15 minutes of play, they flinched.

Even with Yao out, the Rockets closed the third quarter on a 10-2 run to get within nine points 88-79, Indiana. Houston took the ball to the net and collected four of the 10 points from the foul line. The only reason the Rockets were even as close as 17 points before their late run was because of Yao.

The big man scored Houston’s first 10 points of the third quarter in the first three minutes of action to draw the Rockets within three at 62-59, Indiana. With McGrady out the Pacers slowly built back their lead culminating with the 13-2 run that put the Rockets on their heels. After the Rockets responded they broke the huddle in the fourth, trailing by single digits and eagerly took the floor for the decisive period.

The Pacers were another story. Foster, who was a monster on the glass collecting 16 rebounds; left the huddle first, plopped down on the scorers table and was visibly annoyed. Harrison followed and as the two consoled each other, the rest of the Pacers took the floor looking like a team that was pushed onto the court, not like a team that wanted a win.

Still another fourth-quarter comeback seemed unlikely a day after expending so much energy in Minnesota to steal a win. Insert your superfluous adjective here because somehow the Rockets managed to pull it off.

It started slowly, but surely. Two jumpers by Howard got the Rockets within six points. Following an Indiana timeout and three points by Steven Jackson, the Rockets scored six straight to get within two at 91-89, Indiana. Stromile Swift entered the game following the timeout and supplied two of the points on a baseline jumper which has become more reliable over recent weeks.

An Indiana timeout followed the Rockets scoring spurt and the Pacers responded with an Anthony Johnson jumper to put them back up by four points at 93-89.

Bogans drove the lane twice, converted on three of four free throws and when Swift flushed a two-handed dunk with less than four minutes to play, Houston had its first lead since the first quarter at 94-93.

Stojakovic answered with a jumper and the Rockets went into Yao. He easily scored over Pollard to put Houston back on top.

Stojakovic and Yao traded perfect trips at the foul line and Houston clung to a one point lead with less than three minutes left.
Stojakovic and Yao traded perfect trips at the foul line and Houston clung to a one point lead with less than three minutes left. After a stop, the Rockets went back to Yao, who was quickly surrounded by three Pacers and was stripped.

As Yao hit the floor Pollard raced down the floor and put up what looked like an easy conversion under the hoop on the fast break. As quickly as Pollard put up the shot, Swift erased it bringing the crowd to its feet.

The Rockets failed to convert offensively and after a Stojakovic lay-up on an inbounds play under the Indiana basket, Houston found itself trailing again.

The Rockets turned the ball over again, but Indiana couldn’t convert and a scrum for the ball produced a fast break lay-up for Bogans to put Houston in the lead 100-99, with 25 seconds to play in the game.

After Steven Jackson launched a three for Indiana and Luther Head found the rebound in the paint, the game was essentially over with Indiana getting one last shot. Houston controlled the rebound and Bogans iced the game with two makes from the charity stripe to close out scoring, giving Houston its 14th win in the last 18 games.

The Rockets return to action Sunday against the Spurs in San Antonio. Game time is 2:30 p.m. and the game can be seen coast-to-coast on ABC.

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Houston recorded its best shooting night athome this season, going 38-of-72 (.528) from the field. The previous high at home was .494 (40-81 FG) vs. Utah (2/11).

The Rockets are now 7-1 at home this seasonwhen scoring 100 or more points. Houston also upped its record to 28-2 in home games when they reach 100 points under Jeff Van Gundy.

Yao Ming notched a season-high 38 points(10-10 FT) and 10 rebounds tonight, which surpassed his previous high of 32 points scored vs. Portland (3/5). Tonight also marks Yao's third straight game with 30 points. The streak is the first time in Yao's career to record 30-point performances in consecutive games.

Rafer Alston dished out a season-high 14 assists against the Pacers. He has now recorded all 10 of his double-digit assist games since Jan. 1. Houston is now 8-2 when Alston has a 10-plus assists game this season.

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ROCKETS HEAD COACH JEFF VAN GUNDY
(on the game) "I thought both teams played with a high level of offensive energy. I'm sure both teams would rather have defended a little bit better, but both teams played well on offense. In the 4th quarter, I thought things were done a little bit better--transition, one-on-one post, pick-and-roll, catch-and-shoot. The only thing we didn't do well was we couldn't grab a rebound. Their bigs are very physical, and they dominated us on the offensive boards."

(on if he feels the Rockets have turned the corner) "We're looking at the end result to say we turned the corner, and you never turn the corner. People that always think that you turn the corner are always ripe for a let-down. You've never turned a corner in any professional sport. Your just in a constant state of trying to get better, and staying on edge and realizing how far you have to go. You can be proud of your 4th quarter and the win, certainly, but this game is too close and teams are too close to think that your team has turned the corner."

(on the play of the bench) "We were up and down all year with our bench. There's been inconsistent play, but again they all have their attributes that they can bring. Luther (Head) didn't play the first half, and I think has not been playing well, and I think coming up with a tough rebound (late in the 4th) gives me confidence that he will compete at a high level. I thought Stromile (Swift) made a couple of shots and had a block that was critical. Keith (Bogans), obviously, drove it hard (to the basket) to get a go-ahead basket and I thought his defense on Stephen Jackson was much improved by all of us in the second half."

TRACY McGRADY

(on his back injury) "It's frustrating. I've been dealing with it all season. It's the same old issue I've been dealing with.

(on his playing status) "I couldn't tell you, but as of right now, I won't be playing."


DAVID WESLEY

(on the Rockets getting the victory despite Tracy McGrady's absence) "We do need him (McGrady). He doesn't look very good. His spirits seem to be down.
He just needs to do whatever it takes to get his back back to workable because we do need him down the stretch."

(on the Rockets' being able to win after close, competitive game) "That was a fantastic game the last quarter and a half. That was gut check, some turnover, some mixed emotions, up (and) down, and to come out with that win is good stuff."

(on the importance of the win) "We know that our backs are against the wall. We know that we don't have time to be losing games. We have a tough schedule coming up, and it's still a long way to go but we've just got to find the way (to overcome it). Tracy's in, Tracy's out, Yao's in, Yao's out. Right now we don't have time for excuses. We have to do what we did (tonight)."

KEITH BOGANS

(on how he's fitting in with the team) "I know my role on this team. I try to play hard defense and take the shots when they come. Coach (Van Gundy) told me my role when I got here. I'm trying to bring energy every night. I want to do anything I can to help this team win. I think everybody is comfortable, and everyone knows what Coach expects. We just have to keep doing it each and every night."

(on the physical play of the game tonight) "Playing against guys like Scot Pollard, you're going to get whacked. You've got to be ready for it."

(on the Rockets being able to comeback in the second
half) "Coach told us to keep fighting and don't give in, and that's what we did. We made a run and we just built off of that momentum."

YAO MING

(on how the team has improved and is able to win
tonight) "We started playing mentally tough. Even when things aren't going well, we keep playing and we know that somebody will step up. Everybody wants to step up and help the team."

(on his knee) "Actually, my knee hit knee-to-knee a couple of games ago, and tonight it was in a little bit of pain."

(on if he was trying to lead the Rockets in the last two minutes of the game) "I know my job and I know what the team needs me to do. I need to score, I need to rebound, I need to block people. I know who I am.
In the last two minutes (of the game) you have to make big plays, but it's not just the last couple of minutes that are important, but the whole 48 minutes as well."

PACERS HEAD COACH RICK CARLISLE

(on the game) "Their guys off the bench did a good job. We missed a lot of good looks. We were undermanned somewhat tonight and that hurt us, but there is no excuses in this league. They made the plays down the stretch and we didn't. We had lots of opportunities. It is disappointing to work that hard to get the lead and then lose it. It's a tough deal."

(on the last possession) "We ran the play we wanted.
We let Anthony (Johnson) create and we got help. The possession before that play set up a wide open three that we missed. On the last possession he got a turnaround shot off and it was a clean look. We just couldn't get a shot to go down. We missed two or three other layups down the stretch."

(on Yao Ming) "Yao played great for a long stretch since he came back from the injury. Our guys battled him but they did a good job of getting him the ball."

PEJA STOJAKOVIC

(on losing the lead) "I don't know what happened. We can't allow us to lose a lead like that. It's the second time it's happened in a week. It happened against Boston and we blew a 14 point lead in the third quarter. We've got to play 48 minutes not 30-something minutes."

(on Yao Ming) "Since he's come back he's been an unbelievable player. He's so much better this year.
He's unstoppable right now. He reminds me of when Shaquille (O'Neal) was winning championships in Los Angeles."

(on scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter) "We got a lot of good looks to only score 11 points. Some nights they go in and some nights hey don't. Near the end we got four defensive stops in a row but we were unable to execute on offense."

ANTHONY JOHNSON

(on the last possession) "The play before I found Peja (Stojakovic) for an open shot that didn't go down. The last possession I took it upon myself to take the shot and I just overshot it. We played well in the third but in the fourth they overwhelmed us and they pulled out a win. We've got to find a way to make shots in the clutch."

STEPHEN JACKSON

(on the difference in the game) "We couldn't hit a shot. It all boiled down to that. We got the stops defensively but we couldn't hit a shot in the clutch.
It's frustrating because the shots we took at the end were all shots that we wanted."

(on Yao Ming) "Yao played well. He had a great game.He stepped up for them when they lost Tracy (McGrady).