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Home Court Advantage
Rockets getting boost from home crowd in fourth season at Toyota Center
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Damien Pierce
Rockets.com Staff Writer
HOUSTON -- During his first two seasons in Houston, Tracy McGrady never had trouble hearing his coaches and teammates shout instructions from the bench.
Those days are gone.
The Rockets begin a five-game home stand in a suddenly rowdy Toyota Center Friday night against Portland as one of the NBA's most improved home teams halfway through the season.
They have rolled to a 13-5 start in Houston, good enough for the fifth best home record in the Western Conference and the franchise's best home start since beginning the 2003-04 season with a 14-5 mark.
What's changed?
Besides improved health and a winning record, the Rockets are convinced that an enhanced home atmosphere has sparked their success.
The arena has hardly had a library-like atmosphere this season.
"It's tough to play in your home arena when there is dead silence and no one is really into the game," McGrady said. "We're getting energy from our crowd now. It doesn't matter who we're playing against, the building has a playoff-like atmosphere. "
Since moving from Compaq Center to the downtown arena for the 2003-04 season, the Rockets have lacked a consistent home court advantage.
The Rockets won just 15 games in Toyota Center last season, joining Charlotte as the only NBA team to finish a season with more road wins than home victories over the past five years. Houston had 19 road wins last season.
NBA teams, however, are finding Toyota Center less hospitable this season.
Since thumping the Dallas Mavericks in a sold out home opener, the arena has been sold out 12 times through the first 18 home games. Not a bad number considering that the franchise had never sold out more than six games through the same number of dates in the building's three previous seasons.
Attendance continues to rise with an average 16,966 fans, a mark that is well above any pace in Toyota Center's history.
The crowds that have shown up have been louder -- and the Rockets are winning.
"It is better," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "Players realize when you come out and it's like the j.v. game. They also know when it looks like the varsity game and it has looked like the varsity game and felt like the varsity game more this season. We got to keep playing well at home to keep them coming back."
Van Gundy played a vital role in boosting the atmosphere over the summer.
Noticing his team could use an extra lift, the Rockets coach helped create the Red Rowdies fan section. He provided a group of fans with season tickets to help liven up Toyota Center and the group's energy has trickled throughout the building.
"It all starts with the Red Rowdies," Rockets point guard Rafer Alston said. "You always hear them and they've been getting everyone involved. They're providing us with a lift."
The franchise followed by adding a new public address announcer, John Paul Stevenson, and developing more entertainment elements within games.
The result has been a louder building.
"Without a doubt,
"Not only have we noticed an improvement, but more importantly our fans have noticed," he added. "We're getting more comments than ever on what it's like to come watch a game at
No one, however, is more pleased than the players.
"It's
electrifying
in our building now and it shows in our record," Alston said. "You can't ask for a better crowd or better enthusiasm at home. We've been able to feed off it."
