Rockets find cold blast refreshing Defense puts clamps on 76ers as streak hits four By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle PHILADELPHIA - One way or another, the Rockets are going to slap a lid on somebody's basket. There are times, they do admit, that they shrink their rim to the size of the cuffs on Allen Iverson's NBA-approved slacks and clang the rims like church bells. But the method that is increasingly becoming effective — and that shut down the Philadelphia 76ers' usually prolific offense on Monday — is to defend the opposition into desperation and frustration. The Rockets were hardly rolling past the 76ers, but they held them without a field goal for 15 1/2 minutes (and forced 19 consecutive missed shots) during the second half to surge to an 87-81 win at Wachovia Center. It was the Rockets' fourth consecutive win and seventh in a row against Philadelphia. "It was great team defense," said guard Rafer Alston, who had 19 points, eight assists, five rebounds and a Rockets season-high five steals. "Everybody's alert, aware and ready. We're starting to pick up our intensity defensively." Yao Ming had eight of his 27 points and half of his 12 rebounds in the fourth quarter. And in a game in which Sixers center Samuel Dalembert had his headband slide over his eyes during a rebound, the Rockets took command when the 76ers all shot as if they were blindfolded. Down 10, then up eight The 76ers, the third-best scoring team in the NBA, had just nine points in the second quarter as the Rockets went from a 10-point deficit to an eight-point lead. That breakdown was just a prelude to the collapse that began with 4:41 left in the third quarter and lasted the rest of the night. The 76ers made just 33.3 percent (24-of-72) of their shots in the worst shooting game against the Rockets this season. Philadelphia, the third most accurate 3-point shooting team in the league, was 1-of-12 from beyond the arc. The 76ers were 3-of-19 in the fourth quarter, getting the baskets in the last 1:05 when the Rockets' primary defensive goal was avoiding fouls. "After awhile, after we started missing the easy shots, I think we started pressing a little bit and trying to make up for the easy shots that we missed, and we just continued to miss," 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks said. "At one point, I remember looking at the clock when we had 33 points (in the second quarter), and I don't remember the next time we scored (other than a technical free throw, a six-minute drought.)" The 76ers had more problems than shooting. The Rockets had 16 steals, their most this season, while the 76ers had 24 turnovers, their most and the most against the Rockets this season. By the fourth quarter, the 76ers' offense had almost been reduced to sending Iverson in mad dashes inside in the safe assumption the Rockets would be called for a foul. "I think Rafer Alston is an underrated defensive player," David Wesley said of Iverson's relative struggles. "The guy has shut down many a guard, slowed them down. He's wonderful, absolutely wonderful. He's a pleasure to play with. "Sometimes you just don't look at that guy doing his job each and every night, getting into guys, slowing them down. He had five steals tonight. He's sneaky quick." Going to the line Unable to move without groups of Rockets defenders coming at him, Iverson instead drew fouls and made 20 of 24 free throws toward his 32 points, often going to the line when the Rockets were happy to just get out of the way as if ducking a bullet. "Some of those they couldn't even see," Wesley said. "I know he's good at it, but there were a few he was even saying 'Uh, that wasn't a foul.' There were a couple you could see everybody open up like the Red Sea. He's good at what he does, but it shouldn't be automatic." Still, one player drawing fouls is not generally a substitute for an entire team's offense. Ugly as it might be, the Rockets have learned that when it happens to someone else, it can be beautiful. jonathan.feigen@chron.com
I guarantee you t-mac didn't find it personally refreshing. the cold weather is killer on a bad back.
shortly after the game, the 76'ers marveled at their 4th quarter accomplishment... original props go to tinman though last year during the juwan howard hating.
