Rockets get act together Late heroics from Yao, Head subdue Clippers By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle With their once-formidable lead rapidly careening from their grasp, the Rockets kept searching. They looked for their offense — the way it is when it clicks. They searched for their defense, which had been unable to slow or even interfere with Elton Brand. They searched for themselves. Down to their final chances, they found what had been missing. Luther Head nailed a 3-pointer from the corner. Yao Ming stole a Brand pass. And the Rockets found a way through their fourth-quarter crumble to take over the final minute and knock off the Los Angeles Clippers 109-105 on Wednesday night before 18,082 at Toyota Center. Having led by as many as 17 points in the first half, 15 in the third quarter and 13 in the fourth quarter, the Rockets said later they had made this victory unnecessarily hard. But that made it rewarding, maybe even revealing, in a different sort of way. "Maybe I should say how lucky we got," Yao said. "The last couple minutes, we found ourselves. We started playing strong defense, aggressive defense. On the offensive side, we played our basketball. But through the fourth quarter, we looked like we were waiting for time to run out." Yet when the game came down to its final seconds and the Rockets' chances had been reduced to one last shot and one last defensive stand, they found what they had been seeking. They had led for more than 43 minutes before the Clippers finally went ahead. With 1:42 left, Los Angeles took a 103-100 lead when Daniel Ewing went through Shane Battier — Ewing's elbow left a four-stitch gash on Battier's head — for a tip-in. Tracy McGrady put in a jumper before Rafer Alston stripped the ball from Ewing, taking it to a break and a 104-103 Rockets lead with 1:12 remaining. "You figure they're going to be casual, just casually run their play and get it to Brand," said Alston, who had 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting (4-for-5 from beyond the arc), seven assists and five rebounds. "I knew all along I could poke it away. I didn't know I could get it the direction of our basket. Once I saw it, I knew I had a breakaway layup." But the Rockets never had found a real answer for Brand, who had gone through Chuck Hayes, Juwan Howard, Dikembe Mutombo and Yao. With the Rockets back in front, Brand drove past Yao to a slam for a 105-104 Clippers lead. That gave Brand a season-high 37 points, including 23 in the second half. When Yao was called for charging into Corey Maggette on the Rockets' next possession with 39.5 seconds left, they had to get stops. They got their first when Brand, who at one point made eight consecutive shots, missed a jumper, giving the Rockets a chance with 24.9 seconds left. On the previous possession, McGrady had botched an improvised pick-and-roll, leading to Yao's charge. "That was a bad play on my part, throwing the ball to Yao in that situation right there, away from the basket," McGrady said. The Rockets returned the ball to McGrady's hands, but this time, the play worked perfectly. Yao set a screen. Maggette came over to cut off Yao. Cuttino Mobley left Head in the corner to help inside. And McGrady fired his pass to Head. "He's been knocking those shots down all season," McGrady said. "He's one guy who seems to always be open in situations like that. I have to stay aggressive, draw the attention and find the open guys." Head had made just one other shot in his 20 minutes on the floor. But he said he knew this one would go in before he ever put it up. "I didn't think they were going to leave me (open)," Head said. "But you know Tracy. He has eyes. I don't know how he sees what he sees. He can get me the ball in the right places, and he found me today." Still, the Rockets left the Clippers 12.2 seconds to work with. But instead of looking for his shot, Brand looked for a cutting Maggette. Yao deflected the pass, and Alston picked it up and made two free throws to seal it. ROCKETS SUMMARY Wells says he's ready Bonzi Wells missed his eighth consecutive game with a "sore right foot" on Wednesday. But Wells said he is healthy and ready to play. "My foot's been good for about 10 days now," Wells said. "It's up to coach whenever he gives me the nod. "I'm just working out, trying to get ready so whenever he gives me the nod, I'll be ready to go." Wells has played in 26 games this season, never more than nine without going out with a variety of ailments. He has played only two games with Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. The Rockets are 12-14 in the games he has played. "We're just nursing that situation along," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "When he's ready, he's ready. It's not something right now that is a huge concern." Clippers look familiar If there was a team that could relate to the Clippers' injury-filled struggles, going from 47-35 last season to 29-35 now, it would seem to be the Rockets. Last season, with Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady playing just 31 games together, the Rockets fell 17 wins shy of the previous season's win total. "A bunch of their guys have been injured and it takes away a lot of their chemistry, the building process through the course of a season," McGrady said. "Then sometimes when you get those pieces back, you can't put it together." Sam Cassell, who has had a variety of injuries, was out Wednesday with an abdominal strain — the fifth game in the past seven he has missed. Point guard Shaun Livingston also is out, and McGrady said that when playmakers are missing it hurts everyone. "It's tough on a big man being the guy, not having a guy such as myself out on the court to handle and create and get him the ball," McGrady said. "It's tough for him to make teammates better because he's on the receiving guy. When it's a guy like a Sam Cassell who distributes the ball to his teammates and handles the ball 90 percent of the time, is creating his own shots, it's much easier to build around that type of guy." A miss for Howard Rockets forward Juwan Howard came into Wednesday's game with a streak of 12 consecutive made shots, but said he thought he might miss one some time this season. He made his first attempt Wednesday, but he missed a jump hook on his second. "Of course I'll miss one," he said before the game. "Don't buy into that. ... I'm trying to help this team get some victories, some boost off the bench." Don't forget Duke Fittingly for March, there was heavy Duke representation at Wednesday's game with the Rockets' Shane Battier and Clippers' Elton Brand (Battier's roommate at Duke), Corey Maggette and Daniel Ewing. That was enough for Battier to address the notion of a Duke-less NCAA Tournament. "Not having Duke in the NCAA Tournament is like having the Commodores without Lionel Richie," Battier said. "You can't do it." By the numbers • 14 — Rockets wins in the 14 games in which they have made at least half their shots, having made 50.6 percent on Wednesday. • 16 — Chuck Hayes points, a career-high, giving him four double-digit scoring games in the past five. Last word Rafer Alston had his 10th 20-point game of the season, scoring at least 20 in all three games against the Clippers. He averaged 17 points and 8.8 assists in six games overall against the Clippers. jonathan.feigen@chron.com http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/4632871.html
So Bonzi has been ready, for those expecting Bonzi to be a factor in the playoffs, forget it. If JVG was expecting to use him in the playoffs he would be playing him. Bonzi and JVG are cordial to each other but they hate each other, Bonzi can't wait to leave town.
Once we get Bonzi back, we'll be at full strength and ready to roll. we need everyone to play so we can ironout the rotations and dust off the rusts. i think were gonna lose a few more games to to yao getting to peak condition and bonzi getting better. but when the playoffs roll around, watchout the NBA.
What is going on? Is Bonzi ready or not? Hey, maybe the Rockets read my posts and figured out that I was right when I said Trade Bonzi he doesn't fit here Or perhaps they are just saving him for the playoffs. I guess time will tell, but I am warming up my "I told ya so" post.... DD
Considering Bonzi's limited contributions this year, I look at it this way; if he adds something come playoff time great, if not then we aren't missing much since he hasn't done much to begin with.
The one thing that we really need with Bonzi is his rebounding. This current rotation is being beat on the boards badly. Utah and Dallas are very good rebounding teams.
DD, it sounds like JVG is trying to force Bonzi into losing some extra weight on the bike or treadmill. Bonzi being overweight has probably caused some of his injuries and JVG is probably tired of it. Having him knock off an extra 10 to 15 lbs. before he comes back wouldn't hurt.
I'd love to hear Assistant coach's defenders on this one. What is he? Fat and out of shape? Is he causing problems again and is still a headcase? Yeah freaking right.
Right along with those "I was wrong" posts and the "I am sorry I..." posts and lets not forget the "The Rockets won but..." posts in a few weeks.
really snyder has showed me more than bonzi has this season. i think bonzi has a better chance of being that x-factor in the playoffs but he has yet to be the explosive scorer and rebounder he was last year. if he can atleast be the latter i'd give him playing time, but he's probably still chubby.
