SI.com -- Rockets take flight into NBA's elite- Kelly Dwyer

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/kelly_dwyer/03/14/rockets/index.html

Taking off

Rockets reach upper echelon; Celtics keep rolling
Posted: Monday March 14, 2005 5:14PM; Updated: Monday March 14, 2005 5:50PM

The Week That Was

While those plucky kids from State U. and Amateur A&M wormed their way into our nation's hearts, the NBA continues to flourish under the radar. The playoff bracket is setting up to be one of the deepest in memory, highlighted last week by the play of the league's two current No. 6 seeds (Houston and Chicago), both of whom have been two of the hotter teams since the dawn of the New Year. And topping it all off are the Phoenix Suns -- written-off as a flash in the pan before they even played their 10th game of the season -- who presently hold the NBA's best record.
Champs

In front of a national TV audience, the Houston Rockets vaulted themselves into top echelon of title contenders Sunday, dispatching an aching Sacramento Kings squad in California's capital. After losing three straight to close out February, the Rockets have won four of five (their only loss of late coming at the Wizards' hands by only three points) and are flourishing behind the dominant play of Yao Ming, and the white-hot shooting of three new additions who weren't even on the Rockets radar last November.

David Wesley, Mike James and Jon Barry combined to shoot 20-of-26 (77 percent) from the field against the Kings. With each hoop they convert, the case becomes stronger for Rockets GM Carroll Dawson to be named Executives of the Year. Dawson, meanwhile, doesn't mind deflecting some of the credit to coach Jeff Van Gundy. "Jeff and his coaching staff have to be commended," Dawson told the New York Times last week. "We've changed this team a few times and they've adjusted each time."

Even with this impressive string of wins, the best thing to come out of this month's run may have been this unyieldingly entertaining first-person account of a visit by Patrick Ewing and Dikembe Mutombo to Yao Ming's own Chinese restaurant. One column castigator describes it as "some surreal play. It should be staged, that was better than Samuel Beckett."

The Celtics continued to sustain their recent run in the wake of the Antoine Walker trade by impressively downing the Pistons and Wizards at home. Though they lost to the Timberwolves by two last Monday, the C's have proved they can win the close ones. Even Mark Blount (17 points against the defending champs) is showing signs of life. The timing is good, too: with Sunday's win over the Wizards, Boston now holds home-court advantage against the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the Eastern playoffs, assuming David Stern finds suitable reason to end the season on March 14.

If Da Commish decides to continue apace, though, the Rockets and Celtics will meet on Friday night in Boston.

Chumps

We'd like to cut the Magic a little slack here. Most prognosticators didn't even have this team making the playoffs at the outset of this season, and yet they've stayed among the middle of the Eastern pack for four months. Still, their four-game slide leaves them with the eighth-best record in their conference, two games behind Chicago, and a nasty schedule ahead of them. Yes, they start two rookies, Grant Hill is hurting and coach Johnny Davis looks overwhelmed; but you cannot let a team like the Nets waltz into your home court and win by 16.

Seattle's slide hasn't been nearly as damaging -- and they did manage to hold off the Knicks in New York on Sunday night (riding a 10-1 run to close the contest) -- but home losses to Phoenix, Houston and Chicago cannot be overlooked. Though their production hasn't suffered, Jerome James and Danny Fortson (suspended for the Chicago loss) appear to be flaking out. The Sonics' struggles have also placed Ray Allen's leadership abilities under the microscope. Allen is openly chafing at a perceived lack of respect from the referees, and seems to be letting it get to him as evidenced in a field-goal mark of less than 40 percent over his last five games.


The Week Ahead


The Wizards and Cavaliers are leap-frogging each other for the fourth and fifth seeds in the East as each tries to secure homecourt advantage and head into the playoffs with their best foot forward. As we mentioned last week, the Cavs enjoyed a much-needed four-day respite following a win over the Magic last Tuesday. The Cavs responded with a win over the Pacers at home Sunday night and they should have three very winnable games this week against Utah, in Milwaukee and against the 76ers.

The Wizards also had a four-day break before losing in Boston on Sunday, but their road ahead is a little tougher with the Lakers in town Monday before playing road contests in Atlanta and Milwaukee and a home tilt against an improving Jazz squad next Saturday night.

With Brad Miller out for the rest of the regular season, the Kings now have a rather tenuous hold on the West's fifth seed. Just a game up on those Rockets, they should be able to circle the wagons this week with games against the Magic, Warriors and Clippers, but it's probably curtains after that. The Rockets, for their part, will visit the Warriors on Monday before taking on the Trail Blazers and Celtics at home.

There are a few interesting subplots on Tuesday night's schedule. Just four years after meeting in the Finals, the 76ers and Lakers are fighting for their playoff lives, and they'll meet in Philly. Carlos Boozer may or may not play (we're waiting for confirmation from his wife) for the Jazz in his return to Cleveland after last summer's he said/he said debacle. Miami and the suddenly-mediocre Knicks will renew their once-nasty rivalry in New York. And Orlando will visit Sacramento for the second time since the Cuttino Mobley/Doug Christie trade -- a transaction that made grown men cry. Back in the real world, the SuperSonics and Timberwolves will have a chance to avenge home losses to the Bulls and Mavericks, respectively, with visits to Chicago and Dallas.

Speaking of the disappointing Timberwolves, we can probably assume that they're done after this week. Following the Mavericks rematch, they San Antonio Wednesday and Memphis on Friday night.
Ruminations

The Wizards and Celtics have a little rivalry brewing; they've played three times this season and the total point differential between the two squads was the four points the Celtics won by on Sunday.

Are you stuck on a bad team? Forced into watching the prime of your career waste away on the bench? Do you get confused for Ludacris in airports? Follow the example of Toronto's Donyell Marshall, who managed to chuck 19 3-point attempts in 28 minutes off the bench for the Raptors on Sunday, making 12. Marshall added 10 rebounds to his 38 points, as the Raptors demolished the 76ers in Ontario.

Various reports from around the league are indicating that Rod Strickland, late of the Houston Rockets (among eight other teams, including two stints in Portland) has played his last game in the NBA. Though he had his limitations -- often self-imposed -- Strickland was one of the league's best point guards of the last 20 years, despite a single All-Star appearance. I had a chance to see Strickland as a DePaul Blue Demon several times, and he remains the best finisher around the hoop I've ever seen amongst the 6-foot-6 and under set.
Quoted, Unfortunately

"I hate our offense. I can't stand how we play."
-- George Karl, on his Nuggets. While we're being candid, let me state that I didn't much care for the buttons on George's lapels during Sunday night's game.

 

OOps--sorry here's the link

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/kelly_dwyer/03/14/rockets/1.html