[Chron] Rockets nudge closer to Jazz by beating Kings

Rockets find victory at free-throw stripe
Parade to line reverses after half of fouling Kings

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — All those times Jeff Van Gundy has said the Rockets had to be willing to hit back, it sounded good. Tough. Determined. Feisty.

Then Sunday, the Rockets proved him wrong.

He probably meant it figuratively, likely referring to something about competing. But the Rockets came back to beat the Sacramento Kings 112-106 on Sunday precisely because they finally stopped hitting — along with grabbing, shoving and slapping.

After a first half in which the Kings lived at the line, heading toward franchise records for free throws, the Rockets finally defended them without sending them to the free-throw line. Then at the point at which they have failed to close out games lately, the Rockets began their parade to the free-throw line, making their last 15, including eight in the final minute.

With that, and Tracy McGrady's 40 points, to go with 10 assists and eight rebounds, the Rockets snapped their three-game losing streak and moved within a half-game of the idle Utah Jazz in their race for home-court advantage in the playoffs. With McGrady and Yao Ming back from back problems and a 62-point second half in the books, the Rockets' first April win was enough to give them reason to look forward to the postseason.

"It was good taking those games off," said McGrady, who missed the Rockets' previous two games with a stiff back. "I felt fresh and looking forward to this big dance we're going to in a few weeks."

For most of the first half, the Rockets shot well, the Kings shot poorly. And none of that mattered.

Waiting for the whistle

The Kings needed only to lower their heads, head toward the basket and walk to the free-throw line after the whistle.

The Rockets committed 15 personal fouls in the first half, so that while the Kings made just 36.6 percent of their shots, they made 21 of 25 free throws in the first half.

Their 41 free throws against the Rockets in their previous meeting were the most against the Rockets this season, and well more than their NBA-leading 30 free throws.

So that even while the Rockets made 21 of 40 (52.5 percent) of their shots in the first half, the Kings still led 57-50 at halftime.

"It's tough," Rockets forward Chuck Hayes said. "Everybody from (Mike) Bibby, to (Brad) Miller to Kevin Martin and Ron Artest, they want contact.

"All it takes is to brush up against them a little bit and they throw their head back. That's how they got into us in the first half.

"In the second half, we just started moving our feet, getting there early to help and beating them to the spot."

Yao limited

Yao was limited to just eight second-half minutes because of foul trouble. He did not take a shot, with two free throws giving him 18 points after a 6-of-8 first half.

With the game tied at 89, McGrady went out for a rest, and three seconds later, Yao picked up his fifth foul, returning to the bench.

With their leading scorers out, the Rockets finally found something else. Yao had carried the Rockets in the first quarter and McGrady since. But Luther Head, who had 18 points and made all four of his 3s, quickly drilled consecutive 3s, one to narrowly beat the shot clock, and then passed to Rafer Alston for a third 3-pointer and a 98-91 Rockets lead.

The Rockets went ahead 100-91 on a Shane Battier drive. When McGrady returned to the floor with less than four minutes left, the lead was at nine.

It was not an entirely tidy finish, with two of McGrady's six turnovers and a botched possession. But this time, the Rockets closed it out, by making every free throw.

"It's very important, considering its coming down to the last few games before we step forward to these playoffs," McGrady said. "We want to be an executing team going into the playoffs.

"We don't want to wait until it's too late. It's good for us to get a game like this under our belts. Hopefully, we can play this way."

ROCKETS NOTES

McGrady, Yao return vs. Kings
Head still feeling occasional pain; Rockets seek momentum

Rockets guard Tracy McGrady and center Yao Ming returned after both missed Friday's game with sore backs. Grappling with back injuries is nothing new to McGrady; Yao has not had back problems.

But because the back injury isn't from a chronic condition, Yao said he wasn't concerned.

"Sometimes when you have a new injury you never had, you don't really worry about it, because it's an accident or something," Yao said. "What I worry about is something like my toe last year, something that happens time and time again. I don't worry about something like the back.

"I can't say it's totally fine. You will play with some pain and soreness. It's a long season. Actually, I did not play long this season. I missed 33 (games) already this season. I will live with it."

Building momentum

With five games remaining in the regular season, the Rockets believe there is still time to build playoff momentum.

Even though they snapped a three-game losing streak Sunday at Sacramento, it might be too late to hit the postseason with the sort of run they had in their previous trip to the playoffs in 2005.

"If you look to the last playoffs we had, we had a seven-game winning streak before the playoffs," Rockets center Yao Ming said. "We started 2-0 against Dallas, which was a great start. That tells you how important (the end of a season) really is. Unfortunately, we lost that series, but I would like to have that same start again."

Beyond building momentum, the remaining games could determine who plays in the postseason. before it can influence how the Rockets play

"It's as important to get our minds back to where we're willing to pay the price to win and get back on track, play solid basketball and figure out if we're going to go eight guys, 8 1/2 , nine," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "It's (determined by) how it all fits together, obviously."That's more of a feel. It's not any one specific thing.


Intermittent pain

Rockets guard Luther Head is still dealing with occasional pain from the strained right shoulder that forced him to miss two games last week.

"Sometimes I hit it and it hurts for a minute or so," Head said. "I keep going figuring it will go away. It does, too, until I hit it again. It's not a permanent thing. It hurts for a second, and then it stops."

Hearing this, guard Rafer Alston quoted Mark Jackson during the ABC telecast on Sunday when Lamar Odom, who is playing with a torn labrum, went to the line.

"It's like Mark said, 'it doesn't hurt,' " Alston said, "when you shoot."

Inside the numbers

22 — Minutes logged by Bonzi Wells, his first playing time since Feb. 28. Wells finished with four points on 1-of-7 shooting.

14-of-21 — 3-pointers made by Luther Head in the three games since coming back from his strained right shoulder.

22.3 — Points averaged by Luther Head against the Kings this season.

3 — Wins by the Rockets in three games against the Kings, their first season sweep of Sacramento since 1998-99.

461 — free throws by Kings guard Kevin Martin, breaking Otis Thorpe's single-season record since the move to Sacramento in 1985.

1-11 — The Rockets' record in games played without both Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady.

14 — The Rockets' first-quarter point total, a season low.

Last word

The Rockets had made 39 percent of their shots in the four previous games, before making 38-of-76 (50 percent), their first game making at least half their shots in 10 games.

SuperSonics update

The Rockets' opponent on Monday helped the Rockets out by coming back from a 22-point deficit to win at Utah on Saturday. The win ended a three-game losing streak. Ray Allen, who averaged 34 points in the first two games against the Rockets, is out for the season, and guard Luke Ridnour also is out with a sprained ankle.


Rockets update

They have won each of the first two meetings with Seattle this season and eight of their past 10. Tracy McGrady has averaged 33.5 points against the Sonics, with Yao Ming missing both games against Seattle. ... Heading into the second half of their final back-to-back of the season, the Rockets are 8-9 in the last legs of back-to-backs; they are 5-1 when both games are on the road.


Check out

Watch the play of Rashard Lewis, who can opt to be a free agent and has been a force since Ray Allen's injury.

Statistically speaking

The SuperSonics will be the third-consecutive Rockets opponent playing the Rockets after beating the Jazz.

jonathan.feigen@chron.com

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