Chron: Rockets' victory over Hornets a real yawner

Wow, what a surprise. Us having the smallest home crowd of the season? Who would of thought that?

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2937563

Rockets' victory a real yawner
Yao scores 21 in front of season's smallest home crowd
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

This time, it really seems the 2006 All-Star Game will be in Houston. No kidding. This is not a test.

So with the landing of the grand occasion having moved from "certain" to "sure thing" to "no doubt about it" to official, the Rockets were free to go another way Tuesday night.

They played the No-Star Game.

With Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming generally caught in double teams or zones, the Rockets pulled away for an 89-81 win over the New Orleans Hornets by moving the ball in their most prolific fourth quarter of the season.

"It's amazing," said Rockets point guard Andre Barrett, who had 10 of his career-high 14 points in the fourth quarter. "Last year, I was looking at players like Tracy and Yao in the All-Star Game. I was in college, and I was running to get home to watch that game, and now I'm sitting right next to Tracy in the locker room. We're out there competing with each other, all three of us."

The Hornets, still able to tell the difference between the Rockets' All-Stars and themselves, left Barrett and Bob Sura open in order to send defensive help against Yao and McGrady.

Yao came closest to that All-Star thing, scoring 21 points with nine rebounds, the first time in this season's 19 games he has led the Rockets in scoring and rebounding. McGrady added 18 points but made just seven of 19 shots.

But even with Yao and McGrady less than dominant, the Hornets seemed outmanned from the start and led only once, 2-0, as the Rockets matched their longest home winning streak — two games — of the season.

"I think we're doing a better job finishing the game," McGrady said. "Mentally, we're stronger and more into the game. We're doing a better job of executing. Tonight, for a little while, we took a couple of steps backward. We would score and then walk up and down the court not realizing those guys were pushing the ball up our back, and they scored a couple of times. But I think mentally we're getting stronger, and we're doing a better job of finishing out."

With so many players out with injuries, the teams seemed to be competing for best-dressed bench. And there were times when that might have been a more entertaining duel for the 10,923 at Toyota Center, the smallest crowd of the season even after it was inflated by NBA commissioner David Stern's entourage.

But while back spasms kept Jim Jackson out and wounded knees had Charlie Ward and Tyronn Lue on the Rockets' injured list, the Hornets have been devastated by the losses of All-Stars Baron Davis and Jamaal Magliore, former All-Star Jamal Mashburn and key forwards Rodney Rogers and David West.

Still, the Rockets never could quite pull away. They had an 11-point lead cut to two in the first half, a 13-point lead reduced to one in the third quarter, and a 12-point lead dropped to five in the fourth quarter.

But after New Orleans closed within 75-70 with 3 1/2 minutes left, the Rockets did not miss another shot. After so many wins and losses in which the Rockets stumbled to the finish, they scored on each of their last eight possessions.

"We're a machine," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said with sarcasm dripping. "We're like Drago from the Rocky movie."

McGrady began that eight-possession streak with consecutive jumpers, and the Rockets rolled by moving the ball away from double teams to find open shooters.

"I don't want to force anything out there," McGrady said. "I think my guys were doing a good job of knocking down shots for me, making the extra pass when it's needed."

Barrett and McGrady each drained consecutive jumpers. Barrett sank a free throw before passing to Bob Sura for a shot that with 31.5 seconds gave the Rockets a finally safe eight-point lead.

"We're still working the kinks out and getting in the right spots to be able to make plays when we have an advantage on the weak side," said Sura, who had eight points, eight assists and five rebounds. "We figure that when (McGrady and Yao) are not shooting the ball, they're going to have two or three guys hanging around them, and it's going to make it easier on all of us."

The Rockets might not have had Barrett in mind "to make teams pay" but always thought they could generate offense among the double teams Yao and McGrady draw.

It has not always worked that way. But they did find Tuesday that sometimes things that seem no-doubt-about-it certain actually do work out.

jonathan.feigen@chron.com


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Rockets Summary

Jackson ailing

Jim Jackson strained every time he moved in the Rockets' locker room Tuesday night. But despite the tightness in his back, Jackson said he hopes to return to the lineup Thursday against San Antonio.

Jackson injured his back on Sunday when he was getting out of a car. He received treatment that night and went to a chiropractor on Monday. The help was only temporary, however. On Tuesday morning, Jackson felt another back spasm and was sent by trainer Keith Jones for an MRI, which Jones said looked identical to the one Jackson had last season after experiencing back spasms.

As soon as Jackson arrived at Toyota Center Tuesday, he sought treatment. Jones said Jackson is listed day-to-day and could practice today.

"I know Jim is going to try to get back as quickly as possible," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "And really when you're dealing with injuries, you got some guys who can deal with pain better than others. I know he'll fight through as hard as he can. And really, what more can you ask of a guy, but to do what he can do."


Culture clash

As soon as Yao Ming watched LeBron James' latest Nike commercial, he said he knew it would cause all sorts of trouble in China.

Yao did not seemed offended and laughed when he reminded that he is "a Reebok guy." But he said that he was not surprised that the commercial in which James battles kung fu fighters was banned in China.

"I think it's a cultural problem," Yao said. "There's some things in that commercial that Chinese people did not like to see: the dragons, women's pictures and something else. That's all I know."

Asked if he agreed with the ban, Yao said, "Not all, but a little bit."


Press row view

Early in the first quarter, Ryan Bowen dove for a loose ball. In the second quarter, and for the second consecutive game, Maurice Taylor hit the floor. In the fourth quarter, Tracy McGrady was sprawled out trying to get his hands on the ball.

Such moments might have been rare through the Rockets' five-game losing streak, but the increased intensity has seemed as obvious as it was vital in the two games since. It also could be contagious.

For whatever the Rockets' game Tuesday lacked, and it lacked a great deal, it had intensity, an important improvement.


Inside the numbers

After making just 37.9 percent through three quarters, the Rockets had their best shooting quarter of the season, making 76.9 percent of their shots for a season-high 30 fourth-quarter points. ... The Hornets' 16 points were the fewest against the Rockets in the first quarter this season, and the 30 first-half points matched the fewest for a Rockets opponent.

Did you know?

Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Garnett are the only players to average at least 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal this season.

-- MEGAN MANFULL and JONATHAN FEIGEN