They shot almost 10 percentage points lower than their opponent, they missed critical free throws down the stretch, but because of amazing 3-point shooting (14-of-31), the Houston Rockets held on to beat Memphis New Year’s Eve at Toyota Center, 111-109.

Tracy McGrady continues his improbable scoring binge after missing 7 games because of back spasms. He made 15-of-30 shots on his way to 38 points, making 5-of-8 treys along the way. After making only 40.5% of his shots and 28% of his 3-pointers before Friday’s game against Atlanta, he has hit 58% of his shots and 64% (9-of-14) of his threes his last two games.

It might be because of inferior defenses, but clearly T-Mac’s concentration — and confidence — is running sky high. The Rockets need that while Yao is sidelined with his fractured tibia.

Juwan Howard continues to look like his Fab Five self, hitting 5-of-10 shots but also making 12-of-13 free three throws on his way to 22 points and 7 boards. What’s surprising is that Howard’s shooting at the line is no fluke. He shot his average Sunday night – 92%. Pretty good for a big man who is playing extended minutes (38 Sunday night) and probably more winded because of Yao’s absence. He has been the biggest surprise of all during the Rockets 3-game winning streak.

Luther Head made two huge 3-pointers in the games final two minutes to give the Rockets some cushion against the hot shooting Grizzlies (52%), making 5-of-6 three-pointers overall for 18 points. Van Gundy gave the rising star props after the game. “He’s a terrific shooter…he’s had the courage from day one to shoot late,” Van Gundy said.

Howard and Head’s production were sorely needed considering Rafer Alston showed his inconsistency by making only 4-of-18 shots (1-of-7 three-point shooting), and missing those big FTs down the stretch – Yikes! But at least his line wasn’t a total disaster – only two turnovers on a night the Rockets gave up the ball 10 times.

The Rockets now head into the New Year with 3 days off before playing Seattle on Wednesday, and a 19-12 record. If you had told me before the season that the Rockets would have that kind of record with T-Mac missing 7 games and Yao out for 4, I would have taken it.

The added bonus is that the Rockets’ bench has been getting some welcomed playing time during those games without their studs, which will be crucial come playoff time. With the way they are playing, that’s a high probability with the Rockets currently seeded 6th in the West.

Click here for the Houston Chronicle’s story on the game.

I was on a plane during the Rockets’ 94-68 blowout of the Atlanta Hawks Friday night, so I haven’t been able to watch the game yet. However, I plan to watch it on my Tivo over the weekend, and maybe post a few observations that perhaps the Houston Chronicle didn’t already write about the game.

I am hardly believing my eyes seeing routs like this one — and the one in New Jersey on Wednesday night — with T-Mac back in the lineup so recently after coming off the inactive list with back spasms 3 games ago. He dominated by putting up 31 points, and probably could have put up even more if he hadn’t got his thumb whacked midway through the third quarter.

I know it’s only the woeful Hawks we’re talking about, but a win like this one is still impressive because it shows that T-Mac’s back may not be as bad as we thought it would be. It also shows the Rockets are not going to curl up in the fetal position now that Yao is out.

When Jeff Van Gundy compliments his players about playing with great passion, and Juwan Howard (17 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists) and Dikembe Mutombo (14 boards in just 22 minutes) turn back the clock ten years, you’ve got to give them lots of credit for giving fans hope that maybe they can still make the playoffs even with Yao’s absence over the next 6-8 weeks.

Just when you think the Rockets are doomed for another season because of injuries and Yao being out with a fractured leg, they get a huge 25-point 96-71 win against the Nets in New Jersey on the second game of a back-to-back.

T-Mac struggled (17 points only 4-for-16 shooting, 5 turnovers) for the second straight game since coming back from his back spasms Tuesday night, but Shane Battier reminded everyone of the professional he is, picking up the scoring load and scoring 23 points on an amazing 7-of-12 three-point shooting night, along with 9 boards.

What’s also incredible is that the Rockets won by such a big margin while committing 24 turnovers and Luther Head scoring only 6 points. Obviously, the defense was the key to this victory, holding New Jersey to only 33% shooting and outrebounding the Nets 54-32. I had said a few posts ago that the Rockets’ defense will always keep them in games, and it did the job again this time against the Nets.

I loved Jeff Van Gundy‘s saracastic comment after the game when asked what was the key to the game. He replied, “We kept our turnovers under 25.”

I have been out-of-pocket since Yao got injured over the holidays, so I wasn’t able to watch Tuesday night’s 81-76 loss to the Indiana Pacers (and probably won’t be able to watch Wednesday night’s game against the Nets in New Jersey). As expected, without Yao the Rockets lost to Indiana, but the good news is that Tracy McGrady finally played after missing the last 7 games because of back spasms.

T-Mac scored 19 points (7-of-22 shooting), but played 39 minutes and ran out of gas at the end of the fourth quarter when the Rockets had a chance to tie the game by missing 3 shots, and turning the ball over a couple of times (7 TO’s overall). I’m not too disappointed, though, since it’s good to have at least one superstar back in the lineup.

If you have gotten over your depression about Yao being out (I’m still struggling with it), and are still interested in the details of the loss to the Pacers, I’ll refer you to the Houston Chronicle story about the game.

Sorry I can’t get more into these games right now. With the holiday break occurring creating a disjointed schedule for me, the Rockets not having Yao in the lineup, and T-Mac still getting his legs back, it’s tough to watch these games.

Yao gets attention from the Rockets medical staff after fracturing his right tibia Saturday night in Houston against the Clippers. Yao is expected to miss at least 6 weeks of action during a season where he had a legitimate chance to win the league MVP award. Click here for photos of Yao leaving Toyota Center on crutches.

Like millions of Yao fans tonight, I’m completely depressed. Yao suffered a fracture of his right tibia and is out at least 6 weeks.

I suffered a similar fracture in my left tibia almost 3 years ago, and it hurt like hell. I’ll never forget the pain and trauma inflicted on my knee that created the fracture. Ironically, I fell and landed right on some concrete steps at a Rockets-Warriors game. It hurt so much, I’ll never forget the day — March 19th. When I saw Yao rolling on the court in extreme pain, it reminded me of my own pain at the time. Looking at his reaction, I’m sure he’ll never forget it either.

To recuperate, I had to rest as well as do some rehab work for the injury inflicted on my knee and tibia. What sucked was that I couldn’t run on it, and I quickly lost my cardiovascular fitness. I could still ride a stationary bike as much as I wanted, but it’s just not the same as running. I expect Yao will have a big adjustment period to get his conditioning back once he returns, hopefully right around the All-Star game break (February 18th).

Rafer Alston summed it up just as well as anyone after the Rockets game against the Clippers. “That’s our guy. You’re talking about a guy who’s on an MVP pace, a guy that’s been carrying this team for the last two seasons. That hurts.”

Van Gundy also echoed my sentiments. “If there’s ever been an athlete who doesn’t deserve the bad breaks he’s gotten the last two years, it’s him. He works hard, he’s in great shape, so I feel badly for him.”

I was so looking forward to seeing Yao make a run at the MVP award this year. He could still do it if his recuperation period of 6 weeks stands, but the chances will be slim since the Rockets need to make the playoffs in order for that happen. Without T-Mac and/or Yao playing together, the Rockets will probably lose more games than they win, and that will most likely not cut it in the tough Western Conference.

Oh, by the way, the Rockets lost tonight against a Clipper team that had lost 5 in a row and was probably going to get beat before Yao’s injury entered the picture. Even Clipper coach Mike Dunleavy acknowledged how lucky the Clippers were. “We got a major break when Yao went down. We moved the ball better, we had open gaps and we were able to make our shots.”

It’s like the Clippers gained confidence after Yao went down that they could win this game, and played knowing they could win.

I was surprised the remaining Rockets still made a game of it, taking an 11-point lead in the first half at one point. Shane Battier took on a lot of the scoring load after Yao left the game, scoring a season-high 28 points. You have to love Shane — a player who doesn’t score much but does many of the little things needed to win — for being able to immediately turn on his offense like that when the team needs it. Not many guys can do that. The ultimate pro.

Along with Shane, Luther Head chipped in with 22 (7-of-15 shooting) and Alston had 21 (8-of-20). But not having Yao in the lineup took its toll on the Rockets, who made only 14-of-40 shots in the second half.

But the two guys who shot so well on Friday night – Juwan Howard and Bonzi Wells – made only 2-of-10 shots and 1-of-6 field goals, respectively. That’s just not going to cut it when the Rockets need all hands on deck hitting for a high percentage while Yao is out.

Click here for the Houston Chronicle story about Yao’s injury and the game.

Just a few minutes ago in the first quarter Yao came down after trying to block a shot by LA Clipper Tim Thomas, and hurt his knee. Yao was in extreme pain holding on to his knee for a few minutes while writhing on the floor. I have never seen him in so much pain.

Here’s what happened: Chuck Hayes was falling underneath him (he was charged into by Thomas), and as Yao came down his leg got hit by Hayes accidentally, making him land wrong. At minimum it’s a hyperextension, but by looking at the pain on Yao’s face, it looks much more serious. To add insult to injury, Hayes was called for a blocking foul when it was clearly a charge, sending Thomas to the line.

The air came out of Toyota Center after Yao was helped off the court and into the locker room. But give the Rockets credit for keeping focused and maintaining a 23-22 lead after the first quarter.

More to come later.

Yao shoots one of his unstoppable fallaway jumpers against Tim Duncan Friday night in a suprising victory over San Antonio 97-78, snapping a 17-game losing streak in the Alamo City. Yao got into foul trouble and scored ‘only’ 22 points, but the rest of the team stepped up and played one of their most impressive games of the season. Click here for more photos.

All the odds were against the Rockets heading into Friday’s game against the Spurs in San Antonio. After all, the Rockets had lost 4 of 5 games, they had been on the road 10 straight days, T-Mac was still out because of injury, and Houston’s bench hadn’t been doing anything lately.

On top of that, they hadn’t won in San Antonio in over 9 years, having lost 17 in a row there, and San Antonio has been playing very well lately in winning 9 of their last 10 and holding the league’s best record. (20-6)

But the Rockets put all that behind them and shocked me and the rest of the world by playing one of their best games of the season, winning convincingly 97-78. Give them credit for bouncing back after a tough loss against Portland Wednesday night.

Yao got into foul trouble that limited him from dominating the boxscore (“just” 22 points and 7 rebounds). But everyone else pulled their weight, and then some.

Yao did start the game off strong, scoring 10 of the Rockets first 12 points (14 points in the first quarter) thanks to a couple of nice assists from Rafer Alston passing over the top to Yao while he was being fronted defensively. Luther Head also had a nice dish by penetrating to the basket along the baseline, then whipping a pass to Yao for a layup. Not a bad way to start.

Chuck Hayes also ‘exploded’ offensively in the first, scoring 6 points on 2-of-2 shooting, with one of those buckets coming from a nice hustle tip-in after crashing the boards. He also hit 2-of-2 free throws, even with that strange hitch in his shooting form. You knew the Rockets were destined for a good night after seeing him sink both of those!

Bonzi Wells also hit 2-of-2 shots in the first, thanks to a sweet pass from Juwan Howard for a layup. Overall, the Rockets did a fantastic job moving the ball around to get great looks, hitting 12-of-22 shots for a 30-21 lead after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Yao cooled off and only hit 1-of-5 shots, but the Rockets got a great contribution from one of my favorite underdogs, John Lucas III. I was pleasantly surprised Van Gundy put him into the game so early since he had played only 6 minutes in the past four games.

In the course of one minute of action, Lucas scored by finishing nicely on two fast breaks. I always get skeptical when the Rockets are running on a fast break, because other than T-Mac, they really don’t have someone you can count on who can jet down the floor and finish reliably with a defender or two in the way. But Lucas has an uncanny ability to get a good angle on the rim during fast breaka, elevate over other guys and lay balls in (as he showed on thes fast breaks), which is incredible since I have stood next to him and he’s no taller than 5’10” (listed as 5′ 11″).

Lucas is fearless going to the hole, and is quick and can create his own shot like when he hit a sweet stop-and-pop jumper a couple of minutes later. His quickness reminds me a little of Tony Parker, and Van Gundy may have wanted to fight Parker’s quickness with Lucas’. It can’t hurt to fight fire with fire. Lucas finished the game with 9 points in 13 minutes on 4-of-6 shooting, including a big three-pointer in the fourth quarter.

All I have to say is this: keep playing John Lucas! He showed what he could do in Vegas, and his situation reminds me a little bit of Mike James when James, a virtual no-name when he came to the Rockets, made a name for himself offensively after coming to Houston.

Bonzi also showed he can play and is quickly getting into shape by hitting 3-of-5 shots in the second quarter, including a drive to the basket that caught the Spurs surprised. Later in the quarter he also scored on a fast break. Bonzi brings an element to the game the Rockets have sorely lacked since T-Mac’s back fired up again – the ability to create his own shot.

I have also been impressed with Bonzi’s willingness to make a pass when he is faced with a low-percentage shot. He passed the ball a couple of times to other players when his shot wasn’t as high percentage as an open teammate’s. Thank God Van Gundy wasn’t too stubborn several weeks ago when he was having his differences with Bonzi and kept the door open for him to return, especially after T-Mac got hurt. That move (or non-move) could have been the best break of the year for the Rockets.

By halftime, the Rockets had shockingly hit 55% of their shots and led 53-36. Yao had 18 points and 4 boards, and the Rockets offense held a 21-12 rebound advantage, holding the Spurs to zero offensive boards.

Since the Spurs’ Francisco Elson and Fabricio Oberto were having a hard time containing Yao, Tim Duncan had to help out in defending Yao. The effort required to defend Yao must have limited Duncan’s offensive effectiveness since he only scored 14 points on 4-of-13 shooting. But you also have to give credit to Juwan Howard (along with Yao and Chuck Hayes) for playing great D against him.

Juwan also was extremely valuable offensively, hitting several long jumpers as the Spurs’ defense packed it in low and left him open, allowing him to score 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting. He also chipped in 4-of-5 free throws. Give the guy credit for still be very productive in his 13th year. He was needed this night since Yao picked up his 4th foul about midway through the 3rd quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Spurs threatened a couple of times after Yao had to sit after picking up his fifth foul with 7:53 remaining in the game. Manu Ginobili kept the Spurs within striking distance by hitting two three-pointers in the fourth quarter (4-of-6 overall), but Luther squashed a rally when he created his own shot and hit a jumper to make it 81-65 with 7:23 remaining. A couple of minutes later, Alston hit a three-pointer to make it 86-68, then put the game out of reach with about 4 minutes remaining when he hit a Parker-like floater in the lane.

In sum, there were several reasons why the Rockets enjoyed success against the Spurs to snap their losing streak in San Antonio:

1) they got off to a fast start
2) they moved the ball extremely well. Luther Head had a career-high 11 assists.
3) everyone stepped up and hit shots (51% shooting overall), including the much maligned bench (15-of-26).
4) their defense held San Antonio to their lowest scoring second quarter (15 points) first half (36) and final score for the season (78). The Rockets’ defense will always keep them in games.
5) they have a few new weapons the Spurs aren’t accustomed to seeing. In addition to having to defend Yao, they have to account for Bonzi, Lucas, a much improved Alston (compared to last year), and a great shooting Juwan.

I loved seeing the reaction by Yao and his teammates at the end of the game, with lots of high-fives and attempted chest bumps between Yao and Juwan that failed to connect cleanly, creating lots of laughs. But on a night where everything else was clicking, those missed attempts were easy to overlook.

John

Click here for the Houston Chronicle’s game story.

Click here for the boxscore.

Yao posts up Portland’s Joel Pryzbilla on his way to scoring 34 points, grabbing 9 boards and blocking 5 shots. But it was all for naught as the Rockets lost their fourth close game out of their past five, losing 89-87 in Portland Wednesday night. Click here for more photos.

The Rockets lost another close one Wednesday night, this time against the red hot Portland Trailblazers, 89-87. Although Portland has now won 5 in a row, if you looked at the Rockets’ schedule before this 5-game road trip started, you would think this is the one they would have to win because the Blazers werer still the weakest of all the teams on the trip.

The Rockets just got outplayed defensively. Portland had 8 blocks against Houston, the most I can remember against them in quite some time. Meanwhile, Portland’s Jarrett Jack (13 points) and Brandon Roy (9 points) did just enough to put them over the hump with a few big plays, including Roy’s tough shot driving toward the rim with 19.9 seconds remaining that put them up 86-82.

The Rockets were down 70-60 headed into the fourth quarter, and they made a run to get it close down the stretch. With about 41 seconds remaining and the Rockets behind 84-82, Luther Head had a chance to tie it, but he missed a fairly close jumper at the corner of the paint.

To me, that’s what it really boiled down to – the Rockets needing a basket to put big pressure on Portland to respond, but falling short. That’s what great team do, and the Rockets haven’t had much of that lately on this road trip with T-Mac out because of his back problems. Yao will always have a few opportunities in crunch time to do it, but when he’s double-teamed and the Rockets need a player to create his own shot off the dribble with the pressure on, they don’t have that.

The same thing almost happened Sunday in LA when they blew a lead against the Clippers and had a terrible possession at the end of the game that looked like the Keystone Cops, but got lucky when they were bailed out with a foul during a loose ball chase.

Yao continued to showe his dominance, scoring 34 points (17 in the third quarter alone), grabbing 9 boards and blocking 5 shots. But he did only score 4 points in the fourth quarter as Portland played pretty good defense on him.

Other than that, nothing stands out in the boxscore for the Rockets. Chuck Hayes scored zilch, Shane Battier scored two, Juwan Howard scored 8, and Bonzi Wells (6 points) missed 8-of-10 shots, which really hurt. If he could have made just 1 or 2 shots in the final couple of minutes, which you hope to get from an offensive force like him, the Rockets could have won a game that was there for the taking.

Click here for the game story from the Houston Chronicle.

Yao lifts up over Chris Kaman Sunday afternoon on his way to pouring in 32 points on 12-of-18 shooting, 10 rebounds and a career-high 5 assists to lift the Rockets to a 108-103 victory to snap their 3-game losing streak. Click here for more photos.

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I know it might be getting old, but I just cannot believe how much Yao Ming continues to impress me. It takes a LOT for me to say that. Not since Hakeem Olajuwon have I had chills run down my spine like I have the past few weeks seeing what I have been seeing Yao do.

With the Rockets’ season slowly turning into a big disappointment having lost their last 3 games they arguably should have won, Yao came out against the LA Clippers, said enough is enough, and came out and dominated once again with a 32-point, 10 rebound, and season-high 5-assist masterpiece to win it 108-103. And he did it while experiencing some stomach problems after eating something that didn’t agree with him in LA on Saturday. After the game, he joked the stomach problem may have helped him. But it’s not like he was struggling and needed something physical to whack him out of it, like T-Mac ‘s concussion a couple of weeks ago.

I was lucky enough to go to the game in LA and witness his dominance in person. At first I was disappointed the Rockets didn’t come out and blowout a struggling 10-12 Clippers team, especially after losing in broken-hearted fashion against the Lakers, Warriors and Lakers their past 3 games. The score was only 26-26 after the first quarter, with Yao scoring 8 points on 3-of-3 shooting. I was hoping it would be something like 26-16.

Yao’s first score came from a right-handed heave after jumping into the air, getting fouled by Chris Kaman, and banking it amazingly off the glass. It was a sign of what was ahead for Yao.

In that second quarter, Yao scored another 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, and Bonzi Wells finally got going – after missing his first four jumpers of the game – by taking it to the rack for a dunk. I said to myself, “it’s about time,” since I have felt Bonzi can get things going earlier if he doesn’t settle for outside shots.

By halftime, the Rockets actually trailed by one point 46-45. But the way the Rockets had blown big leads recently, maybe it was good for them to be involved in a tight game where it would be harder for them to lose their concentration. One key stat that kept them in the game was an extremely low number of turnovers by halftime – only four (and 9 by the end of the game)!

I don’t know what Jeff Van Gundy said at halftime in the locker room, but the Rockets came out in the third quarter and scored their largest number of points in a third quarter this season, a nice turn of events for once.

Rafer Alston came out and took what the defense gave him – open 3-pointers since the Clippers were collapsing down low on him. He got hot and hit 3-of-4 treys to score 11 points in the third, giving the Rockets a somewhat comfortable 79-71 lead.

Entering the fourth quarter, I had a sinking feeling that maybe the Rockets were going to squander this lead like they had done the previous two games against Golden State and the Lakers. After all, other than Yao, who else had stepped up in crunch time during their 3-game losing streak?

It turned out to be a committee of four players: Yao, Alston, Juwan Howard, and yes, finally….Bonzi Wells.

Rafer pumped in 9 points, thanks in part by taking it strong to the hole a couple of times with 3 minutes remaining to score on two consecutive possessions, including a sweet crossover move to get into the lane to put up a twirling hook shot. Until T-Mac is back, it’s aggressive moves like that which the Rockets need more of during clutch time, and for which I have criticized him in the past. Rafer finished with 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting, 3-of-6 treys, 7-of-8 free throws, 8 assists and only two turnovers. You have to give Alston a lot of credit for bouncing back after that 8-of-22 shooting, 7 turnover atrocity against the Lakers Friday night. I’ll get off his back if he gets a line like that every game.

Yao scored six points in the fourth quarter, which is no surprise there. But his biggest basket came when the Rockets, only leading 100-96 with a little over a minute remaining, had to score to keep the Clippers from getting too close for comfort as they continued their run. Yao hit a huge fallaway jumper than silenced the crowd. Actually, it made them oooh and aahhh, which I love hearing in an opposing team’s gym when the crowd watches a great player making a back breaking play.

The Rockets got lucky a couple possessions later. Leading 102-98 with a little over 30 seconds remaining, they were very disorganized and almost turned the ball over two or three different times on a helter-skelter possession, but were fortunately bailed out when Luther Head got fouled. Head ended up making 1-of-2 free throws to make it 103-98. After that, Rafer hit two free throws with 14.7 seconds remaining after being fouled intentionally, and that was essentially the ballgame.

Other key contributors during the fourth quarter was Juwan Howard, who scored four of his 9 points in the quarter, including a baseline jumper with 2:09 remaining that gave them a 100-92 cushion.

Last but not least, Bonzi scored 6 points in the fourth on 3-of-4 shooting, including a spot-up jumper where he was able to create his own shot, get an easy dunk after chasing down a loose ball in the backcourt, and a layup after getting a beautiful dish from Yao – a night where Yao created so much opportunity for his teammates that they didn’t squander.

When asked about his season-high assist count (5), Yao responded, “Actually, I watched a lot of film from last year. They double team quick and hard on the catch so I knew I had to know where my teammates were.”

I asked him after the game if he was tired after playing so many minutes against the Warriors and Lakers, and he responded: “Today was my shortest game of the past three games. Thirty-eight minutes is not too hard for me, and also my teammates today did so many great jobs. Help me on defense, share the pressure on offense. They know when they (the Clippers) came to double team, they cut to the basketball very fast, very well, right on time. When I hit them, they scored. Just harder to guard.”

Other tidbits from the game:

I have been to several arenas around the league, and I have to say the Staples Center is one of the best. Very clean and beautiful concourses.

I had the good fortune to sit next to the Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen for the entire game on press row. Jonathan really knows the game, and very personable, too. I got to know him during training camp in Austin. Classy guy.

Yao and John Lucas were giddy in the locker room after the game about the day off they were getting on Monday.

Yao goes after Smush Parker’s shot on his way to a career-high 8 blocked shots. But it wasn’t enough as the Rockets blew another big lead to the Lakers and lost a tough one in double-overtime 112-101. Click here for more photos.

Okay, since the Rocket-Laker game was nationally broadcast on ESPN Friday night, I’m sure many of you all saw the debacle like I did, so I’m going to spare you the details. You saw how it all went down. So I’m going into my “loved it” and “hated it” list instead:

HATED IT:

* It ticks me off the Lakers can come back from a 21-point deficit to close the deal, while the Rockets didn’t close out their home game against the Lakers a few days ago after making a 25-point comeback (all because of damn missed free throws at the end of the game). I thought the Rockets would have enough revenge and anger in them to put away the Lakers in this game. When they were up by 21 points in the first quarter, and 18 in the second, you KNEW they were going to blow it, and they did thanks to another 3rd quarter collapse. They still haven’t learned to maintain big leads. I’m tired of it. Radical changes are in order (more on that at the bottom of this post).

* I’m chapped that Yao put up unbelievable numbers in front of a national TV audience (35 points, 15 boards, 8 blocks) and the Rockets still didn’t win. I am concerned about his making only 15-of-35 shots, one of his worst shooting games with that many attempts taken. But it was a two overtime game, he’s tired after the 41-minute game the night before, and he’s carrying the load for a missing T-Mac.

* I’m bummed that stud guards like Kobe Bryant and Baron Davis will always be more valuable to a team’s overall success than a superstar center, mainly because players like them can slice through defenses and create their own shot. That was clearly evident these past two games.

* I’m tired of all the turnovers the Rockets are coughing up. They turned the ball over 25 times Friday night after turning it over 20 times in each of their last two games.

* I’m furious at Rafer Alston for turning the ball over 2-3 times in the final two minutes of regulation (7 turnovers overall!), as well as shooting an airball late when it counted most. He hurt his team when they needed him the most. And 8-of-22 shooting for the night! Oh my God!

* I don’t like how Bob Sura is taking up a roster spot. Either retire or start practicing. The Rockets cut Casey Jacobsen at the end of the preseason because Sura thought he could still play once he’s healed (whenever that happens), and the Rockets thought Sura deserved the chance because he was a proven veteran. I think Sura could really bring something to the table, but c’mon, it has been almost 1 ½ seasons now and there are still no signs of him making a contribution. Meanwhile, Jeff Van Gundy loved Jacobsen before he decided to let him go, and I thought he brought penetrate-and-dish ability into the offense, as well as a capability to hit some jumpers more reliably.

* I don’t like how Luther Head only put up 7 shots and scored 7 points after scoring 26 and 21 the previous two games. He can’t disappear like that while T-Mac is out.

* I’m mad the Rockets got unlucky with Kirk Snyder breaking his hand a few weeks ago. They could really use his speed and penetration ability right now.

* I’m still pissed that the Rockets let one get away Thursday night against Golden State they should have won.

Here’s what I LIKED, which isn’t much in comparison:

* I liked how the Rockets were putting Kwame Brown, a 40% free throw shooter, on the line with a Hack-a-Kwame strategy late in the game. But Luther Head stupidly fouled Brown with less than a minute remaining, putting Kobe on the line by rule, and that FT helped them tie the game and send it to OT. Pretty dumb. I guess I should have put that in the what-I-hated-section. Oh well.

* I like how Bonzi is starting to come around. Nine points on 4-of-10 shooting, 8 rebounds. It’s getting better. We need you Bonzi. Thank God you’re around to give this team some hope with T-Mac’s fragile back hijacking this season into mediocrity.

* I liked Juwan Howard‘s hitting 7-of-8 shots (14 points) and 6 boards. I was getting a little down on JuHo over the past several games. He’s still got some game left in him.

* I love how Yao finally came out and made the most demonstrative plea of his career about the officials. Maybe when a class act like Yao starts sending messages like the following to David Stern, he’ll listen and do something about it:

“I feel that is not fair. I can’t only shoot eight free throws yesterday (against Golden State) and six free throws today and they just let their big guy keep pushing me. I would say Kwame Brown and Andrew Bynum fouled me 10 times in tonight’s game, and yesterday’s game also, and they did not call it. That’s not fair.

“I know I’m big. That’s not my fault. They have two hands pushing on my back and keep pushing while I’m shooting the ball. They’re not fouling upstairs, not fouling on my hands. They foul on my body. I shot only six free throws. I know that’s not right. I hope the league, somebody can help with this. It’s not just one or two games. It’s been a couple weeks already.”

* I also liked how Yao seemed to be enjoying the moment like I haven’t seen in the past. His determined fist pump after a big baseline jumper, the smirk he had on his face after missing another one late that could have won the game, and his joking with Kobe Bryant as they were lining up in the lane for a free throw during crunch time all showed to me that Yao is extremely confident in being himself on the court. In other words, he knows he’s good. Damn good. And he’s not afraid to let people know how he’s feeling.

Final Thoughts & Recommendations:

This is the worst feeling. You know the season is slipping away — like I commented even after the win against Washington last Saturday night where T-Mac’s back spasms knocked him out of that game — and there isn’t much you can do about. You just get the feeling T-Mac is going to have back problems the rest of his career and the Rockets are doomed….UNLESS they decide to go for broke and realize they can’t continue to have this problem lingering that can strike at any time.

It may be the time to consider the bold moving of trading him to a similar team that may be struggling, has a superstar guard looking to win a ring with a big center like Yao, and also needs to take a chance to mix things up (remember the ‘risky’ Clyde Drexler trade with Portland in 1995 that resulted in another ring for the Rockets). And I’m not talking about Iverson at Philadelphia. He would not fit in with this Rockets team. How about someone like Ray Allen? I know he’s hurt with a strained foot, but hey, that’s not as bad as a bad back. And the Sonics are 10-14, so maybe they are looking to shake things up? I don’t know. I’m just throwing stuff out there to get something started. It’s better than squeaking into the playoffs knowing they are going to get knocked out in the first round…again.

If there is no other player available to replace T-Mac via trade (there has to be) who can do what Baron Davis and Kobe Bryant can do, I say play Vasillis Spanoulis and/or John Lucas III at point guard many more minutes to see if their positives far outweigh their drawbacks. Both players have shown flashes of brilliance this season in limited duty. Bring back Casey Jacobsen while you’re at it. I’m desperate. If Phil Jackson of all people (6 rings, prefers veterans over rookies) can give a rookie guard like Jordan Farmar more minutes and upset a veteran like Smush Parker, then Van Gundy (0 rings, prefers veterans over rookies) can do the same. The Rockets need someone better than David Carr, er, I mean, Rafer Alston quarterbacking this team. Carr (Houston Texans’ quarterback) and Alston are similar in some ways: they put up decent stats, have athletic skills, but they are not winners who can make plays in the final minutes to get their team over the hump.