[Sports Network] Houston is on the move

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Houston is on the move
By Warren Blatt, NBA Editor

(Sports Network) - The Houston Rockets are finally starting to get their act together. After starting the 2004-05 campaign with a surprisingly bad 6-11 record, the Rockets have won 10 of their last 14 games to improve to 16-15 on the season.

Houston improved to a game over .500 with a 99-80 victory over the Utah Jazz at the Toyota Center. The Rockets got strong performances from their All- Stars, as Tracy McGrady scored 25 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out six assists, while Yao Ming netted 15 points on 5-of-8 from the field in just 23 minutes of action.

"Defense," said McGrady after the win over the Jazz. "Intensity. We stayed within our game plan and not giving those guys confidence. I think we were confident enough to come out and just take care of this game. We gave a better effort in the 2nd half and executed our game plan."

Guard Bob Sura, who signed with Houston as a free agent last offseason, tied a season-high with 24 points against the Jazz. He also grabbed 10 rebounds, handed out four assists and recorded five steals.

"He's (Sura) got a two-guard mentality," said Houston head coach Jeff Van Gundy. "He's an aggressive player by nature. We can use the points, as long as they come within context, and I thought tonight, in particular the second half, he got some opportunities, but he also created some opportunities for others. It's welcomed and needed."

Sura, who also grabbed 10 rebounds against on December 28th in a loss at Milwaukee, missed Houston's first 14 games of the season because he was recovering from back surgery.

"He (Sura) played a terrific game," said Utah head coach Jerry Sloan. Ten rebounds for a guard is really something. He played a real nice game and it is probably the best he has played in awhile."

Forward Juwan Howard also had a solid showing against Utah. The 11-year veteran collected 14 points and 12 boards in 35 minutes of action for Houston in the victory.

"Juwan (Howard) is capable of doing that (12 rebounds)," said McGrady of Howard's strong rebounding performance. "He's underrated a little bit, but he works hard day in and day out. I think a lot of that started with Bobby (Sura) being so active and that carried over to everybody else. Once we see a guy like that playing hard on both ends, it just carries over to everybody else."

Houston finally seems to be jelling as a team. The Rockets made some major changes in the offseason, with the most significant being the acquisition of McGrady.

The Rockets have also shuffled their roster recently, as they acquired guard Jon Barry from the Atlanta Hawks for guard Tyronn Lue on December 23. Just four days later, Houston traded guard/forward Jim Jackson and forward Bostjan Nachbar to the New Orleans Hornets for veteran guard David Wesley.

Wesley, who has averaged just 6.7 points and five assists in his first three game with the Rockets, played 38 minutes and scored nine points and dished out six assists in the win over the Jazz.

With the win over the Jazz, the Rockets have won three straight games for the third time this season. Houston will be put to the test in its next contest, as it hosts the surprising Phoenix Suns.

After the game against Phoenix, the Rockets go on a three-game road trip. Houston is scheduled to visit the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and the Dallas Mavericks on the swing.

Even though the Rockets have Yao and McGrady, they still need consistent contributions from the rest of the team. With the two All-Stars in the mix, Howard, Sura and Wesley are solid role players who could help Houston compete with the elite in the Western Conference.

Houston's success will depend mostly on the performances of Yao and McGrady, but these All-Stars are still getting used to playing together. Even Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant didn't win championships immediately when they were together with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Rockets are finally starting to play like a team that is supposed to be battling for positioning in the postseason.




01/04 09:48:07 ET