[Orlando Sentinel] T-Mac big reason for Houston Rockets' rise

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T-Mac big reason for Houston Rockets' rise
The former Magic man has Houston on a historic run, but his focus is the playoffs.

Dave Curtis | Sentinel Staff Writer
March 13, 2008

ATLANTA - As Coach Rick Adelman talked Wednesday about his Houston Rockets' amazing recent run, superstar guard Tracy McGrady walked within earshot.

"He's the key," Adelman said. "He's the key to our team."

"Whatever, Rick," McGrady shouted over his shoulder.

Said Adelman, "I just wish he'd do it every night."

McGrady heard the last comment, too, and broke into laughter as he ducked into the Rockets' locker room, the happiest place in the NBA.

Led by McGrady, the men working out of that room have moved in the last six weeks from middling team to model for the league. An 83-75 triumph over the Hawks here Wednesday gave Houston a 20-game winning streak, longest since 1972 and tied for second-longest in NBA history. The 10 victories before Wednesday's each came by double digits, which matched an association record.

The Rockets' winning ways -- they haven't lost since Jan. 27 -- have further muddled a crowded Western Conference standings. Houston, which lost six in a row in November, leaped from 10th place in late January to as high as third this month and sits as a surprise candidate to host a first-round playoff series.

"Twenty in a row is pretty remarkable," McGrady said. "It's got to be up there among the most gratifying things I've ever been a part of."

This year, McGrady hopes he can say similar things come playoff time. The all-star guard has gone 0-for-6 in the playoffs, never winning a series, and never playing in the second round. And though the Rockets are drawing raves around the league, they won't prove themselves, and McGrady won't become an elite player, until he succeeds in the spring.

Still, his recent numbers eclipse even the sensational regular seasons he enjoyed over four seasons with the Magic and four more in Houston.

Since returning from a left knee injury in mid-January, the Rockets are 24-1. And for the season entering Tuesday, McGrady shares the team lead in scoring (22.0 points per game) and assists (5.7 apg).

"He draws so much attention," teammate Chuck Hayes said. "All you have to do is get open, and he finds you. He's made the game easier for a lot of us."

Hayes ranks as part of Houston's supporting cast, a group low on popularity and high on effectiveness. With 7-foot-6 all-star center Yao Ming done for the season with a left foot stress fracture, the Rockets could play road arenas as McGrady and the misfits.

Adelman's starting five Wednesday featured McGrady in the backcourt with point guard Rafer Alston, a former headliner on the AND1 Mixtape Tour. The frontcourt featured a 27-year-old Argentine rookie (Luis Scola), a religion major at Duke ( Shane Battier) and a 16-year veteran from the Republic of Congo ( Dikembe Mutombo).

That group has started the last eight games and stretched this winning streak to historic proportions. And each of the other four players, Adelman said, has benefited from running with McGrady.

"The thing about him that makes him unique," the coach said, "is that he's a very good passer. He's always looking to get other guys involved."

No doubt, though, McGrady still looks for his own shot first. His scoring numbers have looked impressive since his prep days at Mt. Zion Academy, his last stop before leaping over college and to the NBA draft. He has led the Rockets in scoring 25 times this season and owns all four of the team's 40-plus point games.

One of those came Saturday night in Houston against fellow Western Conference contender New Orleans.

His 41 points, to go along with six rebounds and nine assists, lifted the Rockets to consecutive win No. 18.


Dave Curtis can be reached at dcurtis@orlandosentinel.com.