Print
Rockets roll over Heat for 10th straight win
Houston 112, Miami 100
Video Recap
Box Score
Print
RSS Feed
Damien Pierce
Rockets.com Staff Writer
HOUSTON -- Before leaving the locker room on Thursday night, Rick Adelman was
worried that the Rockets' recent winning streak might be in jeopardy.
He wasn't sure how his team would respond against the NBA's worst team after
dealing with an afternoon filled with distractions from the league's trading
deadline.
"I was worried about this game," Adelman said.
He didn't need to be.
Despite seeing some well-liked teammates leave town before the NBA's trading
deadline passed, the Rockets ignored the news on the floor and rolled over the
Miami Heat for a 112-100 victory Thursday night at Toyota Center.
The Rockets (34-20) remained the NBA's hottest team with their 10th straight win,
making their current streak the franchise's longest since opening the 1993 season
with 15 consecutive victories.
Houston had to hold off a late charge from Dwyane Wade and Co., but rode a strong
offensive outing to their latest win. Houston had six players in double figures
and matched a season high with 32 assists.
So much for being thrown off by all the distractions. The Rockets arrived at Toyota Center less than a few hours after Bonzi Wells and Mike James were shipped to New Orleans for veteran point guard Bobby Jackson as part of a three-team deal.
"We lost a couple of guys that were well-liked around here, well liked in the locker room," Rockets point guard Rafer Alston said. "That's the business side of basketball, but you've got to go out there and play."
The Rockets didn't have any trouble doing that from the onset.
Behind a fast start from Tracy McGrady and Alston, the Rockets bolted to a 41-26
advantage. And that was just in the first quarter. Houston swished 17 of its
first 21 shots, registering its highest scoring period of the season.
Alston and McGrady did the bulk of the damage, combining to score 25 points on
10-of-13 shooting in the opening 12 minutes. Alston stroked all three of his
attempts from beyond the arc.
McGrady ended up leading the Rockets with 23 points and 10 assists as Houston swished 53.8 percent of its shots.
"We know we got to come out aggressive with intensity and energy," said Alston,
who finished with 16 points and 11 assists. "Even though that team has the record
that they have, they're still playing hard."
Wade didn't allow the Heat to go away quietly.
Despite watching the Rockets gain control of the game early, Miami hung around
as the Heat's All-Star guard kept Miami in it by scoring a game-high 33
points and handing out 11 assists.
The Heat went on a 10-4 run to start the third quarter, slicing Houston's
advantage to 66-58. After that, Miami lingered within striking distance and
pulled within eight points on several occasions in the second half.
The last time came with 7:42 left to play when Wade hit a 17-footer.
The Rockets, though, weren't about to let Miami get any closer since they've
coughed up their share of big leads this season.
"We lost a couple of games in the fourth quarter when we had 10-point lead," said
Rockets center Yao Ming, who had 21 points and nine rebounds. "We've learned from
that experience. It should not happen a lot. Tonight that was a good result. We
hang in there and pushed back."
Carl Landry's effort didn't hurt either.
During Wade's late outburst, the Rockets rookie was the one who answered the All-
Star's clutch shots.
Landry scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, beating Miami's defense
for several dunks and hitting a couple of 15-foot jumpers. He stretched out his
arms as if he were flying after throwing down one thunderous dunk.
"Carl's our go-to guy," McGrady quipped. "We have confidence in him. He's a guy
-- somehow, someway -- knows how to read defenses and we know where he's going to
be. He's not afraid -- that's the most important thing. When you have a rookie
out there, sometimes he's a little hesitant and a little afraid. But not with
him. He's not afraid and he finishes well."
The Rockets won't have much time to dwell on their latest performance.
Less than 24 hours after wrapping up their first 10-game winning streak in almost
15 seasons, Houston will visit New Orleans on Friday.
The Hornets have the best record in the Western Conference and have a five-game
lead over the Rockets in the Southwest Division.
"It's a big game," Yao said. "They are No. 1 in the West, but we're not far
behind them. We're five games behind them. We have a chance to make ground on
them."
.
