March 19, 2003: Rockets summary

Banding together

Rockets players wore red headbands in honor of coach Rudy Tomjanovich, who missed Tuesday's game against the SuperSonics after undergoing a biopsy on cancer cells on his bladder.

Rockets assistant coach Larry Smith, serving as acting coach, kept Tomjanovich's usual seat between him and trainer Keith Jones empty.

"We have to continue on and do the right thing," Rockets guard Moochie Norris said. "If anything, we need to be out there playing for ourselves and for Rudy.

"We want to play well to lighten his load. I know he's worried about how we're playing. If we take care of business, it will make it lighter on him."

Before the game, KeyArena public address announcer Jim Graci said, "The Sonics wish a speedy recovery to Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich who is not with the team tonight."

Smith said he spoke to the team Tuesday morning about Tomjanovich's condition but was careful to watch to make sure they regained their focus on the game during the day.

"I thought the guys responded as well as could be expected," Smith said. "It was awfully tough. But all we want him to do is get well and the other things will work out.

"The guys know coach is a fighter. But he's going to get better and he's going to be back with us on Friday."

Asked if players were lobbying him for playing time now that he was handling the substitutions, Smith said: "They already were. That's nothing new."

Offering advice

When Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich confided in a few friends and Rockets staffers about the abnormal cells found on his bladder last week, he had reason to especially seek out the counsel of longtime Rockets radio commentator and former media relation director Jim Foley.

Foley had the same condition in 1990, and has been cancer-free since the conclusion of his treatments.

"I told him about the process I went through," Foley said. "I had the original (biopsy). About a year later when it appeared it might be returning, I had the laser treatment and what I called the liquid chemo."

"It was good to talk to him, and I hoped it helped. I was quite relaxed about it. I get it checked every year. He was happy to hear mine was positive. It's not a comfortable procedure, but it's not painful. It was easy for me to talk to him about it, and it's easy for him to realize it happened a long time ago and everything has been fine since."

Nachbar activated

Forward Bostjan Nachbar kept the Rockets' charter to Seattle waiting Monday. But team captain Steve Francis said he would not assess the usual tardiness fine.

Nachbar had gone home after Monday's practice with no idea he would need to be at Hobby Airport later that day. But with Tito Maddox's viral infection slow to improve, Nachbar was called late and told to join the team.

Nachbar was activated Tuesday, with Maddox replacing him on the injured list.

"We'll let it go this time," Francis said. "But could you imagine if he didn't answer his phone, if he was in the shower and didn't hear it? He might not have been activated."

Press row view

Eventually, Yao Ming will burn defenses like he saw in Seattle on Tuesday. Eventually, he will be touch-passing the ball to teammates for layups and open jumpers. But the Sonics sent full-sized and high-speed double teams at him. He took just eight shots and had four turnovers. In a rarer turn, he seemed to let his frustration spill over to the other end where he said he felt a step slow all night. Eventually, he won't have those problems with double teams. But Tuesday, the Sonics tied him in knots.

Inside the numbers

The loss snapped the Rockets' season-high five-game winning streak. ... With 23 points, Ray Allen has scored at least 20 in 12 of his 13 games with the Sonics. ... Jerome James tied a season high with 13 points, also scoring 13 against the Rockets in November. ... Steve Francis was one rebound shy of a triple double for the second time in three games. ... The Rockets gave up eight offensive rebounds in the first half, one in the second half.

Did you know?

Both teams played the first of back-to-back games Tuesday and have a better record in the second half of back-to-backs. The Rockets fell to 4-13 in the first half of a back-to-backs; the Sonics improved to 5-13. The Rockets, who play in Portland tonight, are 11-5 in the second game, and the Sonics, who play at Golden State, are 8-8.

-- JONATHAN FEIGEN