a look at the past to see into the future

http://www.lubbockonline.com/news/051297/rockets.htm

Rockets, Barkley take commanding lead to Houston

SEATTLE (AP) - Unless they stumble in Houston, the Rockets are done playing in Seattle.

The Rockets put themselves in position to wrap up their Western Conference semifinal series at home with a 110-106 overtime victory over the SuperSonics on Sunday that gave them a 3-1 lead.

''We're looking forward to closing them out at home,'' Houston's Clyde Drexler said.

''We need to go home and take care of business,'' Charles Barkley of the Rockets said.

The Rockets didn't win the game in regulation because Barkley missed two free throws with 11 seconds left. In overtime, rookie Matt Maloney put them ahead in the final minute with his eighth 3-pointer of the game, one shy of the NBA playoff record set by Rex Chapman of Phoenix against the Sonics in the first round this year.

The Rockets can wrap up the series with a win in Game 5 in Houston on Tuesday night. Game 6, if necessary, would be in Seattle on Thursday night.

History says the Houston-Seattle series is probably over. Only five clubs have come back from 3-1 deficits. The Rockets were the last team to do that, rallying from that disadvantage to beat Phoenix two years ago.

If that's the case, it will be a disappointing ending to what the Sonics hoped would be a title season. Seattle lost in six games to the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals.

''We've been there before and come back,'' Houston's Hakeem Olajuwon said. ''So we know it's not over yet.''

''We just have to come out and play like the series is tied up and win the game Tuesday,'' said Gary Payton, who led Seattle on Sunday with 27 points and 11 assists.

''Game 5 is simple,'' Seattle coach George Karl said. ''It's pride, it's heart. If we play with tremendous intensity, we'll have an opportunity to win.''

In an emotional game that the Sonics knew they had to win to have a shot at winning the series, there were six technical fouls called, four on the Rockets.

Even in victory, the Rockets didn't have anything good to say about the officiating crew of Dick Bavetta, Bill Oakes and Don Vaden.

''I think they need to re-define the word foul,'' Drexler said. ''It's getting out of hand.''

Said Karl, who received one of Seattle's two technicals: ''We had three or four tough calls in overtime. One OK, two maybe, three or four? It's hard to overcome that.''

Maloney, who equaled his career playoff-high with 26 points, broke the Sonics' backs with his 3-pointer with 37 seconds left in overtime that gave Houston a 108-106 lead.

''I've been really satisfied with the way I've been able to knock it down,'' said the 25-year-old Maloney, who is 30 for 57 (53 percent) from behind the arc in playoff series against Seattle and Minnesota after making 154 3-pointers during the regular season.

With the Sonics focusing on defending Olajuwon, Barkley and Drexler, Maloney found himself wide open a lot of times.

''That's their defensive decision,'' Maloney said. ''They can double down and live with the shots I'm getting or guard three of the best players in the history of the league one on one.''

Seattle's David Wingate missed a 3-point attempt with five seconds left and Mario Elie of the Rockets made two free throws with 3.2 seconds to go. Hersey Hawkins missed a 3-pointer as time ran out.

Barkley acquitted himself of the missed free throws by scoring seven of his 26 points in overtime. He also led Houston with 15 rebounds as the Rockets finished with a 62-56 advantage on the boards.

The Sonics got only 11 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes from All-Star forward Shawn Kemp, who fouled out with 5:59 left in regulation.

Houston was 14 of 30 (47 percent) from 3-point range, while Seattle was five of 19 (26 percent). Maloney was eight of 13 from beyond the arc.

Detlef Schrempf of Seattle had 19 points.

Hawkins sent the game into overtime when he hit a 3-pointer from the left corner with 2.4 seconds left.

The Rockets led 98-95 after a 5-footer by Barkley with 1:47 left and a free throw by Olajuwon with 51 seconds to go. They could have wrapped up the game after Barkley was fouled by Sam Perkins with 11 seconds left, but Barkley missed both free-throw attempts. When Terry Cummings rebounded the second, Barkley put a finger to his head as if to shoot himself.

After the victory, Barkley felt a lot better.

''I try not to psychoanalyze it,'' he said. ''I shot them well. They just didn't go in.''

The Rockets scored 10 straight points, including 3-pointers by Clyde Drexler and Maloney, for a 91-84 lead with 5:38 to go.

The Sonics took a 77-74 lead into the fourth quarter after scoring the final five points of the third period, four by Schrempf. Schrempf made a layup with 1:17 left and made two free throws with 50 seconds to go after Olajuwon fouled him, his fourth. Perkins made a free throw after Olajuwon was called for a technical for arguing the call with Bavetta.

Kemp was called for his fourth foul with 7:31 to go after he fouled Kevin Willis on a layup.

http://www.canoe.com/NBAPlayoffs97/may13_hou_sea.html

Sonics jump on cold Rockets

HOUSTON (AP) -- The 3-point shooting that brought the Houston Rockets within one game of the conference finals failed them Tuesday night.
The Rockets shot just 5-for-27 on 3-pointers and missed an opportunity to close out the series as the Seattle SuperSonics got 23 points, including four 3-pointers, from Hersey Hawkins in a 100-94 victory.
Houston leads the series 3-2 and could wrap it up Thursday night at Seattle. The Sonics are seeking to become the sixth team in NBA history to successfully come back from a 3-1 deficit.
Gary Payton scored 21 points and Shawn Kemp added 20 for the Sonics.
Seattle outshot Houston 48 percent to 39 percent and withstood a 31-point, 16-rebound performance by Hakeem Olajuwon and a 26-point effort from Clyde Drexler.
Houston's best outside shooters, Mario Elie and Matt Maloney, were a combined 1-for-15 from the field. Maloney was 0-for-6 and Elie 0-for-5 on 3-pointers.
The Rockets missed their first 10 3-point attempts, then shot 4-of-5 in the second quarter to get back in the game
Seattle led 57-52 at halftime, and Hawkins had five points in a 14-4 spurt in the third quarter that gave Seattle a 76-62 lead with 4:39 left in the period. Houston was cold again in the third quarter, missing its first six 3-point shots.
When the Rockets tried to rally in the final four minutes of the game, Seattle answered almost all of Houston's baskets with one of its own.
A tip-in by Olajuwon with 3:58 left pulled Houston to 94-86, but Detlef Schrempf responded with a turnaround baseline jumper. A layup by Charles Barkley was followed by two foul shots by Payton, and a 3-pointer by Drexler with 2:17 left was answered by Kemp on a tip-in with 2:01 left to put Seattle ahead 100-91.
Schrempf missed shots on Seattle's next two possessions and Elie went to the line with 44 seconds left with a chance to pull Houston within five. But he missed the first before making the second, leaving the score 100-94.
After Kemp missed a jumper with 21 seconds left, Barkley missed two straight 3-point attempts from the corner as well as a 2-point attempt.
When the ball bounced to Barkley again with two seconds left, he slammed it to the ground rather than try another jumper.
Notes:Maloney is better on the road than in the Summit. In three road games, he's averaging 23.7 points and 4.0 assists and he's hitting 54.3 percent of his field goals on the road and 65.5 per cent of his 3-point attempts. ...Terry Cummings picked up three fouls in the first two minutes of the game and didn't return until late in the third quarter.

 

Teams have used the same defensive gameplan against the Rockets through the years. It's the Rockets who have changed their gameplan on how to defeat this defense. CD should know this. He was here through the good and bad times in the 90s.

 

Matt Maloney went down the tubes right after that year, but it goes to show how significant a deadly 3 point shooter can affect the fortunes of an inside-out team especially in the playoffs. If Matt Maloney was not on the roster that year, the Rockets don't get past the Sonics. Keep in mind that Matt Maloney wasn't drafted or anything. He came off the CBA scrap heap.

 

That was the final year in which Hakeem was near the top of his game. You go for broke in that situation. The Rockets almost beat the Jazz. I liken that trade for Barkley as similar to the Randy Johnson trade in 1998. Bagwell, Biggio, and Carl Everett were kicking ass, so the team needed to go for broke that year.

 

In one of the games in the Seattle series, Matt Maloney went 8 for 13 from 3 point range, and the Rockets still had to go into overtime to beat the Sonics. As much as the Rockets depended on Hakeem's dominance in the paint, the Rockets have always needed great 3 point shooting. That dependence on 3 point shot is further amplified by the zone defense which basically allows for defenders to flood the paint area. The Rockets lineup always consists of Steve/Mark Jackson and Weatherspoon/Cato/Maurice. This means that 2 out of the 5 players on the court have shooting ranges that go from a dunk/layup to 7 feet from the basket. That's not even close to the necessary range to space the half-court. This is why Maurice Taylor was offered to the Pacers for Austin Croshere. CD knows what's up.