Rockets' big goal requires handling small fry By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle Update · Tuesday: Rockets 103, Bucks 80. · Record: 17-13. · Today: Golden State at Rockets, 7:30 p.m. ·TV/radio: Ch. 39; KILT (610 AM) and in Spanish on KYST (920 AM) Having played 30 games, it became time for the Rockets to talk playoffs. With Golden State in town tonight, the Rockets naturally could think of nothing else. Thursday's discourse might have seemed a tad off the topic of playing the seemingly lottery-locked Warriors, but it came from Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich specifically because the Rockets were facing the Warriors. The Rockets have blamed themselves for losses to teams with a better chance to draft LeBron James than make the playoffs. With another wait-until-next-year opponent due at Compaq Center, Tomjanovich raised the stakes. "There are 10 teams right now in the thick of it, with other teams threatening," Tomjanovich said. "Two pretty good teams are not going to make the playoffs. We talked about that today, about us finding a way that it ain't going to be us." The way, the Rockets decided, would be to be as moved to face the Warriors as they have been to take on the league's best teams. The Rockets have beaten three teams -- the 76ers, Kings and Pacers -- that were in first place at the time. They also have lost to the Knicks, Grizzlies and Clippers, all teams in last or next-to-last place in their divisions. Tomjanovich was not ready to agree with his players that the bad losses were entirely because they were not taking bad teams seriously. But if the Rockets players wanted to be more determined to suddenly treat every game as crucial, he was not about to talk them out of it. "It seems like when we play the good teams, we have no trouble getting up," guard Moochie Norris said. "We're excited from the time we get on the court. You can tell from the tip we're ready to do whatever it takes to win that game. It seems like it's a must-win game. "When we play teams we think we're supposed to beat, I don't think we're as mentally focused as we should be. It's not like Golden State is not a good team, but we feel we should beat those guys. I don't think we treat it as a must win. But every game is must-win when you're trying to get to the playoffs." The Warriors would seem a particularly dangerous trap. The Rockets have beaten them twice this season by seven points and have won 33 of their past 39 meetings with Golden State. But after beginning the season with a 1-6 start, the Warriors have gone 11-13 since, even posting a three-game winning streak -- as long as any the Rockets have enjoyed this season -- before losing Friday in San Antonio. "That's always a coach's challenge," Tomjanovich said. "I don't feel as concerned when we're playing the top teams." Tomjanovich's point, however, seemed to have gotten through. It did not hurt that after the Rockets' embarrassing loss to the Knicks, the primary theme of a team meeting was bringing the same "urgency" to every game. "No disrespect to the teams under .500, but we don't really get up for them, and that's bad," guard Cuttino Mobley said. "It's proven in our records this year. We have to be concentrating on teams just as hard as we concentrate on Sacramento and New Orleans and the Lakers." The Rockets went into their six-game homestand (the season's longest) planning to establish their style and level of play. Down to the last two games before a quick road trip next week, the Rockets have gotten a clear idea of how they want to play, but they thought that by now they would play that way more consistently. "This is definitely a stretch of games real important to us, that can make or break the rest of our season or where we are seeded," guard Steve Francis said. "All we have to do is continue playing the way we played the last couple of games -- real unselfish and moving the ball around." As good as that sounds, the trick has been making that style last throughout games. "I think our chemistry is coming around real well, but there are still some problems," Yao Ming said. "We suddenly start playing poorly." But the Rockets insist that if they can play with urgency and cohesion on occasion, they should be able to play that way regularly. So Tomjanovich stuck out a carrot close enough to see but 3 1/2 months from reach and gave his team a reason to go for it. "Hopefully we can get in that consistent level of winning and win nine, 10 straight and build that type of strength," Mobley said. "My rookie year (1998-99), we went to the playoffs. We haven't been to the playoffs since. To do that, you have to not get so excited about winning, knowing you're supposed to win, and go out and play hard with a sense of urgency. It starts with our attitude before we walk out on the court." It starts, the Rockets seemed to believe, by thinking about how the season could end. "At the end of your season, how do you look back on your season?" Francis said. "You can say we could have done this then or that then. The thing we have to do is stay focused." Rudy needs to nail this message into the players heads: Tomjanovich raised the stakes. "There are 10 teams right now in the thick of it, with other teams threatening," Tomjanovich said. "Two pretty good teams are not going to make the playoffs. We talked about that today, about us finding a way that it ain't going to be us."
I like the attitude of this article. "A couple good teams won't make it, but it ain't gonna be us." I can't say that I liked the sound of the players thoughts. It's almost as if they were talking, but not meaning what they said. It seems as if they still have the same attitude about playing the bad teams. I hope the attitude in the locker room has a little more urgency in it than this article. Note: I'm really not worried, this article is kind of strange.
Thanks for the article. I believe that the Rockets can and will make the playoffs. I believe that the Rockets can and will shine if given the opprotunity to play in the playoffs. Timing is everything...Each game is becoming more and more important. Cod
Now looing back, I think Rockets were totally caught off guard. Since the Houston trip, Knicks have gone on 3-1 streak. Just tonight, they beat Pacers. Their win was not fluke. Fri 27 at Houston Win 99-83 Sat 28 at Dallas Loss 82-107 Mon 30 San Antonio Win 96-95 Wed 1 Toronto Win 95-75 ard 5 Fri 3 Indiana Win 98-96 (!) As bad as I felt about our lose to Knicks, I will not be too harsh on Rockets over that game.
It's good to hear that the Rockets are realizing that they need to play with a sense of urgency. They realize that the race for the final few spots are going to be very close. So every game (no matter when the game is play) is important as far as determining if they going to reach the play off. Now they just have to go out there and do what they preach.
Not to look past this game, but I believe they should and will win it, then we will have a three game win streak coming up against Minnesota (same team who broke our last 3 game win streak), and that'll be a big game. Orlando, Atlanta and Denver all follow, and, with a defensive minded Posey guarding McGrady, I can see a streak coming up, perfect as we get into tougher opponents (Boston, Phoenix, Lakers, SPurs, Mavs, Pistons)
I will believe it when I see it. Their M-O has been to play down to the level of the competition. Actions speak volumes, words are meaningless. We shall see. DaDakota
I'm not pissed that the Rockets lost to the Knicks... I'm pissed because I watched that game and the team just simply played like crap! The Knicks weren't doing anything special, we just couldn't put the ball in the hole. It's not the loss that bothered me, but the apparant lack of effort.
