http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/3714008.html Headed in the wrong direction for much of the season, the reserves have turned into the cavalry the last two games By MOISEKAPENDA BOWER Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle On the night before the one-month anniversary of his acquisition, Rockets guard/forward Keith Bogans straddled a Toyota Center foul line with 3.5 seconds remaining and an opportunity to seal a hard-fought, borderline-miraculous win over the Indiana Pacers. Bogans had to push through the mental anguish of having already missed four free throws on Wednesday, and the physical fatigue of having played 22 of 24 second-half minutes — including the entire, grueling fourth quarter. But Bogans had company in his exhaustion. Luther Head, like Bogans, played the full fourth quarter. Stromile Swift logged nine intense minutes off the bench before exiting with 58.2 seconds left. The reserves had put the Rockets in position to win, so Bogans toed the line and finished what they had started. "Coach (Jeff Van Gundy) made some changes and put some guys in, and the guys he put in brought energy," Bogans said. "We made a run that was the run we needed to make, and then we just sustained the intensity that we had and just pushed on from there." It was the bench that keyed an 11-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters that sliced a 16-point deficit to 88-83. And it was the bench that, for the second consecutive night, buoyed the Rockets as they closed a game without Tracy McGrady, who limped off the court two minutes into the second half and headed to the locker room at the start of the fourth. Maligned for erratic play With the Rockets ravaged by injuries the first half of the season, the bench was maligned for its erratic play. But after teaming for 24 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and three steals in a 93-87 victory over Minnesota on Tuesday, the reserves combined for 25 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and five steals in beating the Pacers 103-99. "We've been up-and-down off the bench all year," Van Gundy said. "Inconsistent play, yet they all have their attributes that they can bring. "Luther didn't play in the first half and has not been playing well, and I think coming up with a tough rebound (that preceded Bogans' free throws) gives me confidence that he will compete at a high level. "I thought Stromile made a couple of shots and had a block that was critical, and Keith obviously took it hard on the (fast) break to get the go-ahead basket. I thought his defense on Stephen Jackson was much improved in the second half." The elevated level of play from the reserves is a product of improved health and role familiarity. With the Rockets' earlier injuries, defined roles were askew. Without McGrady, Rafer Alston and Yao Ming in the lineup, Head, Swift and Dikembe Mutombo earned spot starts. And with Derek Anderson and Jon Barry missing huge chunks of the season before they were traded and waived, the other reserves were forced to absorb their minutes. Constant adjustments Adjustments were necessary for reserves to deal with injuries and the additions of Bogans, Chuck Hayes and Rick Brunson. With the Rockets apparently finished tinkering with their roster, the bench has finally settled into redefined roles all over again. "It just took us some time," Swift said. "We had a lot of new guys still fairly new at playing together. We've got a little more chemistry from playing together. Once we got Yao and Tracy back and got used to playing with those guys again, it helped us out." Said Bogans: "Everybody is healthy now. Everybody knows what coach expects. We've just got to try to do it each and every night." mk.bower@chron.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upon closer examination So much attention was given to the Rockets' 0-16 record in games Tracy McGrady did not finish, that as much hoopla should be raised over their 4-0 mark in similar situations since a 91-88 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 24 broke the streak. McGrady, the Rockets' leading scorer, did not play against the Warriors or at Minnesota against the Timberwolves on Tuesday night. The Rockets came from behind to beat Minnesota 93-87, and they defeated both Portland (102-84) and Indiana (103-99) this week after McGrady left those games when his bothersome back pains resurfaced. Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy explained that the Rockets' record without McGrady required deeper examination. "The stat without the explanation — it's not misleading," Van Gundy said. "The stat is what it is, but a few of those games were without Yao ( Ming), a large majority of those games were without Rafer ( Alston) and Derek Anderson and Jon Barry. So when you go to Charlotte and lose in double overtime, you could say we weren't very good without Rafer and Tracy, too, but it wouldn't give it as much context, so we repeat the same thing." When McGrady missed five games in late November, Alston was out. When McGrady missed five in mid-January, Yao, Anderson, Barry and Stromile Swift were sidelined. The Rockets are better with McGrady, but the same could be said of Alston and Yao. Quite a comeback In what was as spirited a game as any at Toyota Center this season, the Rockets overcame a 17-point deficit, their largest in a win in beating Indiana 103-99 on Wednesday. The previous high was 14 points in a 106-95 victory at Sacramento on Dec. 8. "That was a fantastic game the last quarter and a half," Rockets guard David Wesley said. "That was gut-check, some turnover, some mixed emotions, up (and) down, and to come out with that win is good stuff." The win was the Rockets' ninth in which they trailed by 10 or more points, but only their second at home. They rallied from a 13-point first-half deficit in beating Milwaukee 86-84 on Feb. 1. They trailed by 17 points, 86-69, late in the third quarter against Indiana. "Coach ( Jeff Van Gundy) told us to keep fighting and don't give in, and that's what we did," Rockets guard/forward Keith Bogans said. "We made a run, and we just built off of that momentum." MOISEKAPENDA BOWER
Good read. The bench really has been up and down all season long but they have come through big time that last 2 games. They play hard and bring energy. Luther has played some really good D IMO in the 4th. Bogans is doing a lot of things well, he'll hit his shots, rebound, and can D up pretty nice, also runs the break a lot. The biggest attribute: Swift!! He has played great the last couple games, he hit 2 HUGE shots vs. Minni, and I thought his block vs. Indy is what saved the game for us.
