Chron: Herskowitz: 3-pointers about as rare now as then

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/2999257

3-pointers about as rare now as then
By MICKEY HERSKOWITZ
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

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They brought back the '70s Tuesday night — you didn't know they were missing, did you? — but they forgot to erase the 3-point line.

The 3-point shot didn't exist in the NBA in 1971-72, the first season of the Rockets in Houston and the particular year that was celebrated on Retro Night. And in that respect, there was little difference between the Rockets of yesteryear and today.

The 3 wasn't there on this night, either, as the Rockets were horrid from the arc, sinking to a season-low 1-for-13 and shooting themselves out of a game the Indiana Pacers won in a closing breeze, 87-74.

So coach Jeff Van Gundy's team made almost the same number of triples as the Rockets did when they made their Houston debut 33 years ago. Or to borrow a phrase from the late Abe Lemons, they made one more than a dead man.


Not true to form
In honor of that pioneer season, the players wore the franchise's original uniforms, red and gold. But they didn't stay true to the spirit of those costumes, which were part of a decade of short shorts.

Compared to the baggy, knee-length version they wore Tuesday, the old Rockets garb had the fashion look of Jockey underwear.

But beyond the style show, the music, and the icons that flashed on the big screen, these Rockets were not really true to the spirit of that team from the past.

The 1971-72 Rockets were a collection of pure shooters, including such names as Rudy Tomajanovich, Calvin Murphy, Mike Newlin, Stu Lantz and Elvin Hayes. The Big E was not famous for his form, but on many nights his turnaround jumper was unstoppable.

But in the '70s, the whole league could shoot. If Van Gundy thinks this team is struggling, he should check out the history of this franchise.


Good for the game?
Having moved from San Diego, the Rockets made their initial effort to win the hearts and minds of Houston fans by losing 22 of their first 28 games. Yet in 20 of those games they scored over 100 points, including a 125-120 shootout with the Lakers.

That initial season was hardly fair to the players, who arrived on the city's doorstep in a wicker basket just weeks before the opening of camp.

But the contrast adds fuel to a debate that continues to be heard around the league — is the 3-point shot good for the game? The old Rockets didn't need it to rack up the numbers, but they didn't camp out most of the night 24 feet from the basket, either.

When Van Gundy was asked about the horrid night his gunners suffered, he answered glumly: "Some were probably misses; some were ill-advised."

This is not a formula designed for winning. Yet if the 3-pointer is a curse, you couldn't prove it by the Pacers, who were 8-of-12, with Jamaal Tinsley going 5-of-6. On the night, the 6-3 guard scored 28 points on 10-of-15 target practice.

Tinsley actually overshadowed the performance of Indiana's franchise player, Jermaine O'Neal, who had one of his routine nights with 27 points.

The game did not turn into a scoring duel between O'Neal and the Rockets' Tracy McGrady, as many expected. T-Mac pumped in 28 points. But between them, the two artists put the ball up 53 times.

Tinsley stepped in and kept the Pacers together after they lost Ron Artest for the season and O'Neal for 15 games, suspensions related to the infamous brawl with Detroit and its crowd.

You could make the case that if not for the game, Retro Night was a wild success. The Pacers took their throwback only as far as 1987, Reggie Miller's rookie year.

The big screen entertained the crowd with quizzes related to the '70s, and during one break put up the images of Starsky and Hutch, Saturday Night Fever, and we forget the third.

But it could have been any of the icons from that era: the Fonz, Rocky, Roots, disco, art deco, Idi Amin, racing stripes, Henry Aaron or the birth of the Big Mac.

The latter should have been an omen for McGrady and the Rockets, but they failed to take advantage. T-Mac missed all seven of his attempts from 3-point range.

Yao Ming was the only Rocket to knock down half his shots. He finished with 21 points.

So you are left to ponder the continuing puny output from a team that doesn't lack dead-eye shooters and started the season with such high hopes.

For the second straight night, the Rockets lost to a team that lit them up by shooting better than 50 percent; this after that uplifting four-game winning streak.

The Rockets scored a meager 13 points in the first quarter, but this figure no longer makes news. You don't want to argue that the '70s were better, and more fun, simply because the players knew how to shoot straight.

But to be sure, these are vastly different times. Hayes, at 6-9, was Houston's center during the '71-72 season. There were no 7-6 centers from China back then.

mickey.herskowitz@chron.com