[CHRONIC] It starts with a 'D': the difference in the retooled Rockets

http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2009/03/it_starts_with_a_d_the_differe.html

Some stretches were ugly, some just strange. There was a terrific offensive surge and a predictable fourth-quarter breakdown.

There was progress made just by facing another tight-and-tough finish on the road, even if the Rockets left Denver knowing it never should have come to that.

Yet, other than the value of the 97-95 win itself, the Rockets' ninth in 11 games since that night in Milwaukee when they hit bottom, the Rockets won because when things got bad, they answered with defense.

Much has changed since their loss in Milwaukee finally had them scream, 'Enough!' From the backcourt to the focus of the offense, the Rockets have been retooled on the floor.

More than anything, however, they have reclaimed their defense.

That had been, more than even their faces-on-the-billboards stars, was who they were, what they were about. They lost that with the injuries and uncertainties of the season's struggles.

They were not a bad defensive team. Sometimes, they were still very good. But there were awful nights, too. And when things went badly, the defense often crumbled, too.

Against the Nuggets on Monday, the Rockets were horrid offensively in the first quarter. They made 7 of 21 shots, committed six turnovers, made just 1 of 4 free throws.

So they ratcheted up the 'D.'

They Nuggets are 23-4 this season when scoring 100 points. They are the seventh-best scoring, six-best shooting team in the league. The Rockets, however, would not let the Denver offense take over.

The Rockets' offense eventually caught up to the defense, but it did not last. The defense did. The Nuggets made just 38.1 percent of their shots. Carmelo Anthony hit a nothing-special 8-of-21. Chauncey Billups scored 28 points, but it took him 44 minutes and 21 shots to do it.

In Milwaukee -- with Andrew Bogut, Michael Redd and Luke Ridnour out - the Rockets gave up 124 points on 52.8 percent shooting. In the 11-2 run since then, no opponent has shot better than 50 percent in that stretch; five have failed to make 40 percent.

There have been some defensive struggles (at Utah, and against the Suns and Timberwolves leaps to mind). And things will get much tougher with the Lakers, the league's top scoring team, in town Wednesday. But when the Rockets were in trouble Monday, they leaned on the defense the way they used to and it propped them up until the offense revived.

With the sort of teams the Rockets are facing most of the rest of the way, and expect to in the post-season, that is a major step, and something to take from Monday's win that could be as valuable as the win.