Houston Chronicle: JVG Quote - "I'm Going To Keep Tinkering"

...Tinker Bell needs to quit.

Dec. 16, 2004, 12:09AM
Squeeze play earns rare rout
Rockets pull out all defensive stops during 2nd half to rip Hawks; T-Mac, Yao team for 48
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle


Searching for inspiration, the Rockets did what so many have before. They called in the Marines.

With representatives from the 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines whooping in dress blues next to the bench, the Rockets had little choice. If nothing else, they had to defend.

With memories of their blown fourth-quarter lead in Atlanta and Saturday's flop against Dallas to drive them, the Rockets followed their most lopsided loss of their season with their most thorough win, whipping the Hawks 92-69 Wednesday night at Toyota Center.

The Hawks — 4-18 and playing the second half of a back-to-back after an overtime loss in Atlanta did their share to help the Rockets to their first rout this season. But ignoring for a moment the Hawks and their troubles, as most in Atlanta do, the Rockets dramatically turned up their defense in the second half.

"Defense can do so much for you," Rockets forward Ryan Bowen said. "It turns into good offense and vice versa. Our offense was better in the second half, which puts less pressure on the defense. But it all starts with defense."

The Hawks' 69 points matched the fewest of the season against the Rockets and fell 10 points shy of Atlanta's previous fewest in a game. The Hawks made just one of 11 3-pointers. Antoine Walker made just three of 18 shots. The Hawks' 23 turnovers were the most vs. the Rockets this year.

But beyond the numbers, the Rockets were talking more and moving more quickly defensively in the second half than they had been since the night they beat San Antonio with a last-minute offensive run that overshadowed their defense.

"Everybody kept communicating and helping and moving our feet," Yao Ming said. "Every side pick and roll and high pick and roll, we yelled out and adjusted our position so quick. I think we had a good defense from the third quarter. We can do that. Defense is our base."

Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy, however, could not be satisfied when a tired Atlanta team grabbed 18 offensive rebounds and outrebounded the Rockets 49-39 on a night when the Hawks gave the Rockets 52 missed shots with which to pad their rebounding statistics.

"You have to finish your defense ... with the rebounding," he said. "Obviously, they overwhelmed us on the boards."

Though Van Gundy insisted he was not talking about any one player, forward Maurice Taylor did not play at all in the second half, and Van Gundy said that interchangeable players "has had a major impact on how we played, how we looked and the record."

"Having too many guys of similar ability is just as problematic as having not enough guys of ability on a team," Van Gundy said. "When you give four people a job to do, you usually get less than if you give it to one guy."

Asked if that meant changing or tightening his rotation, particularly at power forward, Van Gundy said, "I don't know really. Hey, we cannot keep getting our (butts) pounded on the offensive board. When that ball's up in the air, and I'm not putting it on one guy, but we got to rebound. They were dead-legged tonight, and they crushed us on the boards."

But with virtually no letup in the Rockets' second-half defense, the Hawks never hinted at a comeback such as their late fourth-quarter run past the Rockets last month in Atlanta.

Down the stretch Wednesday, Yao scored six quick points to give him 23 and the Rockets a 23-point lead. But on a night that was all about defense, he added a season-high five blocked shots. McGrady followed that by scoring 11 points in less than two minutes to finish with 25. But he also had four of the Rockets' season-high 14 steals. Beginning a stretch against struggling teams, the Rockets saw a chance to right the wrongs of the season's first six weeks.

"Everybody understands it's a very important time for us," Yao said. "The next 10 games, there's seven at home. The opponents are not that strong. It's a good time for us to get back our way."

Van Gundy saw a similar opportunity to fine-tune, rather than overhaul, but a chance to get results to match Wednesday's second half.

"We've been in the muck long enough," Van Gundy said. "I'm going to keep tinkering until we get our chemistry right. When we get our chemistry right, you'll see a better product on the floor, like we had in the second half tonight."

He might even keep searching until he finds a few good men, or at least more games like Wednesday's.

jonathan.feigen@chron.com

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2950043