PrintRockets Maul Grizzlies 104-79
Second half surge lifts Houston to big win
Jason Friedman
Rockets.com Staff Writer
Houston - With their first half perimeter shooting threatening to scrape the paint off the Toyota Center rims, the Houston Rockets shifted gears and went back to the fundamentals which had served Rick Adelman so well during a sterling coaching career good enough to rack up 864 wins. The formula was simple: better ball movement, mixed with an aggressive defense to trigger the team’s transition game.
With that strategy fully employed, the Rockets wasted little time transforming a close game into a rout, as Houston raced past Memphis 104-79, collecting win No. 865 for Adelman in the process - good enough to move him past his mentor Jack Ramsay and into 11th place overall on the NBA’s all-time list for regular season coaching victories.
It was the sort of game which highlighted some of the attributes which have made Houston’s bench boss one of the best in the business. Weary from watching his charges misfire from long range (Houston was 6-23 from downtown on the night) as the offense grew stagnant, Adelman went into the locker room at halftime and let his club know precisely what had to be changed in order to ensure victory.
“We just kept it on one side of the court, we didn’t move them and we tried to drive when there was no room to drive,” explained Adelman, while discussing Houston’s first half foibles. “We tried to force issues in the post. We needed quick-hitting things. They had given up a lot of points at the rim this year and we weren’t doing that. We were just forcing it without any movement at all and I think it really played into their hands.”
Whatever else was said, it certainly had the desired effect. The Rockets left the locker room a completely different team; one bound and determined to attack at each and every opportunity, while also displaying the type of ball movement that lies at the heart of Adelman’s motion offense. The results were striking. Houston’s first five field goals out of the break came on layups, as the Rockets used an early 14-2 run to stretch their five-point halftime lead to 16.
From that point forward, everything fell into place. The Rockets’ defense tightened, which in turn turbo-charged Houston’s fastbreak, leading to a series of highlight reel alley-oops and other assorted fantastic finishes. As he so often is, Kyle Lowry was the trigger man for much of the fireworks, playing at breakneck pace while nearly recording a triple-double (8 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists) against his former team. Meanwhile, Houston big men Luis Scola (22 points, 15 rebounds) and Carl Landry (20 points on 9-13 shooting) raced to keep up, knowing that Lowry was certain to make sure their efforts to run the court would not be in vain.
“Carl and Luis did a great job running the floor and they really had big games for us tonight,” said Lowry. “When you have bigs who do what our bigs do and they get a chance to get layups and easy scores, you give them the ball and reward them.
“It’s very contagious. One guy gets a lob, then the next guy wants a lob, then the next big wants to get a fastbreak dunk. We get the crowd into it and that’s what happened tonight. Once we got it going, we kept it going. We’re out there having fun and we’re very unselfish, just playing together.”
Things were going so well, in fact, that Landry even managed to pay tribute to the courtside presence of NBA legend and former Rocket, Dikembe Mutombo. Following a pair of spectacular blocked shots in the fourth quarter, the Purdue-product dusted off Mutombo’s signature finger wag for the featured guest.
“When I saw Dikembe walk into the building, it just gave me more energy,” Landry said. “I was excited about seeing him. I didn’t know he was going to be here today. I told my teammates, ‘I’m going to get a block and do the finger wag,’ and that’s what happened.”
The Toyota Center crowd ate it up of course but, not surprisingly, Landry was on the receiving end of some good-natured ribbing for his gesture after the game.
“It was kind of weak,” said a laughing Shane Battier. “There’s only one master and that’s Dikembe. Now that Carl fancies himself a shot blocker he’s either got to get two blocked shots the next game or he’s got to pay a fine. You can’t just do that one game and proclaim yourself a shot blocker. Two blocked shots or a fine is going to be levied on him. That’s what happens if you’re going to evoke the wag of Mutombo.”
All joking aside, no one can give Landry a hard time about his offense these days. The third-year forward has been absolutely scorching of late, averaging 20 points per game during Houston’s last four contests while shooting a jaw-dropping 72 percent from the field.
“He really gives headaches to the other team because he is so quick and he’s very explosive,” said Adelman. “We just have to give him room to operate and he’s got to demand the ball more. We keep telling him, ‘Demand the ball when you get down there. If a guy fights a little bit, don’t give up.’ But he’s just so active and when he got it and they let him have some room, he got to the rim every time.”
For Landry - and for the rest of the Rockets - sometimes it really is just that simple: listen to the coach and good things are bound to happen. Rick Adelman knows what he's talking about. After all, he's shown it 865 times. And counting.
QUOTES
RICK ADELMAN
I was really pleased with the second half. At halftime we talked about the fact that we didn’t come out with the energy we needed to in the first half. There just wasn’t a spark there. In the third quarter we really turned it on. We played much better in the third quarter, got into the open court and got fastbreak points. Kyle was just terrific all night long. Carl gave us a big lift. Chase (too). Luis was good on the boards all night. It was just a solid win after the first half. The second half we played really solid.
(WAS THE PLAN AFTER HALFTIME TO ATTACK THE BASKET AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY?): I thought we did the same thing in the first half tonight that we did in Dallas during the second half last night. We just kept it on one side of the court, we didn’t move them and we tried to drive when there was no room to drive. We tried to force issues in the post. We needed quick-hitting things. They had given up a lot of points at the rim this year and we weren’t doing that. We had 16 threes and it wasn’t like we were going inside and swinging it around and getting something there, we were just forcing it without any movement at all and I think it really played into their hands.
Second half, we were a lot crisper in what we were doing and guys were a lot more aggressive in going to the basket.
(ON THE DEFENSE): I thought we were much more into it, as far as activity. We were more aware of what they were trying to do. We got some steals and got deflections. We kept saying that if we just defended them and we had everybody gang rebound, we’d get into the open court if we did that. It wasn’t like we had to get there early or quickly, we just had to get the ball first. I thought we did a good job staying with Gay and Mayo – those guys are really tough covers – and we did a much better job on their two big guys. We came at them when they got it in the post and didn’t let them get on the offensive boards so I was pleased with the way our big guys responded.
(ON LANDRY): He was really quick tonight and they have all kinds of problems trying to stay with him. He really gives headaches to the other team because he is so quick and he’s very explosive. We just have to give him room to operate and he’s got to demand the ball more. We keep telling him, ‘Demand the ball when you get down there. If a guy fights a little bit, don’t give up.’ But he’s just so active and when he got it and they let him have some room, he got to the rim every time.
AARON BROOKS
(ENERGY OF THE SECOND HALF) “Coach said he really wanted to get this win to move into 11 th by himself (laughs). We talked about picking up our intensity at the half and we got our second wind. We really came out and played great the second half
(BALL MOVEMENT IN THE THIRD QUARTER) “We really weren't moving unless it was one-on-one and coach was aware and let us know. We started moving out the ball and got some easy baskets, got in transition, got some good deflections and some more easy baskets again. We really pushed it out in the second half.”
(ON CARL’S FINGER WAG): Whatever (laughs). Carl think he’s a shot blocker now but it’s good to have somebody there protecting the rim now. We can play like Deke’s there every game.
(ON PLAYING WITH BIGS LIKE LUIS AND CARL WHO LOVE TO RUN THE FLOOR): It’s important. That frees us up to let us run and that’s what we try to do: get easy transition buckets. That’s what we have to do to win because we’re not tall and don’t have too many post guys, so we’ve got to get points other ways. So when they run the floor it opens up everything. It gets our wings open because they have to help on our big guys, which gives us open threes.
TREVOR ARIZA
(ON THE PLAY IN THE SECOND HALF) “We really didn't play hard or come hard in the first half. We felt that we were a better team than that, in the second half we had to pick it up and pick our intensity up. We know our shots weren't falling for us in the first half and so we tried to do other things.”
(CATCHING RHYTHM IN THE SECOND HALF) “The lane was open all night, we started being more aggressive and taking the ball in the paint and getting more offensive rebounds, rebounding. We were getting out and getting easy buckets. That’s what we did.”
CHASE BUDINGER
(INTENSITY OF THE ROCKETS PLAY IN THE SECOND HALF) “Coming into half time we knew our energy was down, so we knew we had to pick our energy up and we had to start playing better with more emotion. We stepped on the floor and did that right away, talking about getting easy baskets, we were able to run up and down(the floor) we started playing with more energy and that led to our lead.
(TEAM CHEMISTRY FOR THE FIRST 8 GAMES) “its been good, its been good. The best thing that I can say is that we are a very unselfish team. We love to pass the ball around, everyone knows their role on this team and that’s what makes it fun out there.”
CARL LANDRY
(ON THE FINGER WAG): When I saw Dikembe walk into the building, it just gave me more energy. I was excited about seeing him. I didn’t know he was going to be here today. I told my teammates, ‘I’m going to get a block and do the finger wag,’ and that’s what happened – actually I got two.
I wouldn’t say I’m a shot blocker just yet. I’m learning. I’ve got to get my rebounds; six rebounds the last two games is not good. But shot blocking, nah, I’m going to leave that alone.
(ON THE ROCKETS SECOND HALF EFFORT) “We rebounded the ball. Kyle Lowry was getting out in the open court and finding people, finding Chase, finding Trevor, throwing lobs and its fun playing like that. We want to play that way. They( Memphis) just couldn't keep up with us tonight in the second half. We threw the first punch and we came out with the win.”
(ON WHAT WAS SAID AT HALFTIME BY COACH ADELMAN) “We came out in the first half dead, we played with no energy. Memphis played last night and they were playing with no energy. Rick basically told us the team that comes out and throws the first punch is pretty much going to win this game and that’s what we did, we came out aggressive and we threw the first punch.”
LUIS SCOLA
(ON THE WIN) “I’m happy with the way the team reacts at halftime. It was a great teaching game for us. If we play like we played in the third quarter, we are going to be able to beat anybody but our margin of error is so slim, we can not afford a night off, a quarter off or a possession off. We've got to go like that 100 percent every possession, every quarter, every game.”
(ON HIS ROLE ON THE TEAM) “I am happy with what I am doing, but I am also happy with what the team is doing. There is no purpose in going out there and having good numbers if the team is playing pretty bad. We are having good performances as a team and we are winning games.”
KYLE LOWRY
(RESPONDING TO YESTERDAY’S LOSS): It’s huge. We started the first half very, very slow and at halftime Coach gave us a good talking to. Our players, we all got into each other. We said this is the type of game that would show us what kind of team we’re going to be and we responded real good in the second half.
(PUSHING THE TEMPO WITH THE BIGS): Tonight Carl and Luis did a great job running the floor and they really had big games for us tonight. When you have bigs who do what our bigs do and they get a chance to get layups and easy scores, you give them the ball and reward them.
It’s very contagious. One guy gets a lob, then the next guy wants a lob, then the next big wants to get a fastbreak dunk in. We get the crowd into it and that’s what happened tonight. And once we got it going, we kept it going. We’re out there having fun and we’re very unselfish, just playing together.
(ON THE GRIZZLIES) “Mike Conley is a great point guard. I think the organization and the coaching staff are great over there. That is where I started my career and they will always have a place in my career.”
(ON THE ROCKETS) “I'm happy to have the opportunity to do what I am doing. Any place I would be and I am excited to be on this Rockets team.”
SHANE BATTIER
(ON THE WIN) “We knew we played a sluggish first half and we were lucky they were sluggish as well. We showed that if we play with energy and we move the ball, really good things happen. When we don't, we really struggle.”
(ON THE PLAY OF KYLE LOWRY) “Kyle did a great job, he came in and really pushed the tempo, really forced the tempo. When he was out there, Chase did a good job of running, Trevor did a great job of running, our bigs did a great job of running and Kyle did a great job of delivering the ball and got the crowd into it.”
(ON THE CHALLENGING SCHEDULE AHEAD): It’s a buzzsaw. Back in August, we circled this as the toughest part of our year coming up. So it was nice to get this win and we need to start off this road trip with a good win in Sacramento.
(ON CARL’S FINGER WAG): It was kind of weak (laughs). There’s only one master and that’s Dikembe. Now that Carl fancies himself a shot blocker he’s either got to get two blocked shots the next game or he’s got to pay a fine. You can’t just do that on game and proclaim yourself a shot blocker. Two blocked shots or a fine is going to be levied on him. That’s what happens if you’re going to evoke the wag of Mutombo.
(ON THE PLAY OF CARL AND LUIS): They’re awesome. They’re hungry to score in transition which is good. You want guys who run the floor hard and we have two unselfish point guards who will reward them for running. If we can put that sort of pressure on the defense, it spreads the defense out and allows us to get more transition threes, so that’s a big part of what our transition offense is about.
MEMPHIS HEAD COACH LIONEL HOLLLINS
(on his team’s play) “We haven’t made our baskets and we’ve turned the ball over too much. I’m just happy the game is over. We can’t just watch turnovers and bad plays. If we had more players on our bench, we would have taken everybody out of the game. If we don’t do it on the court it well be a long season.”
(on the Rockets) “They out-hustled us and got all the loose balls. They did everything they wanted to do to get the win. Their will was stronger than our will.”
(on Chase Budinger’s play) “He is a great shooter. He’ll be a nice player in this league. He has a very high basketball I.Q. He is a nice rookie.”
ZACH RANDOLPH
(on the team’s problem) “I don’t know what to say. Effort and defense pretty much sums it up. In the preseason we were great and everybody’s gotten side-tracked and we are not playing as a team. (on team leadership) It’s not coming from anybody. It’s just like we are out there going through the motions. We get down and drop our heads and stop playing the game.”
O.J. MAYO
(on the team’s problems) “We need to do a better job helping our bigs. Scola is a very talented player but as a team we can’t let Scola out-work us. He stepped up big. Our effort hasn’t been where we need it as a team. We’re not playing the way we are capable of playing. It’s just not good – not good at all.”
MARC GASOL
(on the game) “They played harder than we did. We couldn’t find our comfort zone. I played very poorly and I apologized to my teammates afterwards. We went out there and couldn’t get the job done. I didn’t finish my plays like I should.”
(on the Rockets) “ Houston beat us. They were stronger and tougher than us. They played good team basketball and that’s why they won.”
NOTES
The Rockets rolled to a 104-79 (+25) win over Memphis tonight, giving Houston a seven-game home winning streak over the Grizzlies. Houston also marked its largest margin of victory this season. The Rockets recorded five wins last season by at least 20 points.
Houston has now crossed the century mark in points in seven consecutive games (10/28/09-11/11/09), which marks the longest such streak for the Rockets since a 12-game run back in 1995-96 (11/26/95-12/19/95).
The Rockets outscored the Grizzlies by a 61-41 (+20) count in the second half tonight. Houston also posted 61 first-half points last night at Dallas (11/10/09), giving Houston two 60-point halves on the season. The Rockets posted 12 60-point halves in 2008-09 and had just 10 such halves in 2007-08.
Houston poured in a season-high 62 points in the paint tonight. The Rockets recorded just two 60-point games in the paint all of last season: 62 at Oklahoma City (11/17/08) and 60 vs. Toronto (3/3/09).
The Rockets scored a season-best 27 fast-break points tonight, which marked the third time Houston has reached the 20-point mark in that category this season: 24 at Utah (11/2/09) and 22 vs. Oklahoma City (11/6/09).
Houston handed out 30 assists tonight, matching their season-high 30 assists at Golden State (10/28/09).
Rick Adelman (865) surpassed Jack Ramsay (864) into 11th on the NBA’s all-time list for regular season coaching wins with tonight’s 104-79 victory.
Luis Scola finished with 22 points (10-15 FG), 15 boards and a season-high three steals, including a 12-point (5-7 FG), five-rebound third quarter. Scola now has four double-doubles over his last five games.
Carl Landry notched 20 points (9-13 FG) and matched his career best with four blocked shots. He originally set his career high last season vs. Memphis (3/8/09) with all four of his blocks in the first half of that contest. Landry has also reached double-figure scoring in seven consecutive games (10/28/09-11/11/09), which sets the longest such streak of his career. His previous high was six straight (2/26/08-3/21/08).
Trevor Ariza recorded 17 points (7-17 FG) and a career-high seven assists tonight. Ariza’s previous best in assists was six in a game, which he had done three times in his career with the most recent coming last night vs. Oklahoma City (11/6/09).
Kyle Lowry dished out a game-high 10 assists tonight, marking his first regular season double-digit assist game as a member of the Rockets.
O.J. Mayo, who actually netted 32 points (13-22 FG, 4-7 3FG) against the Rockets last season at Memphis (2/4/09), had a team-high 19 points (8-13 FG, 2-3 3FG) tonight.
Steven Hunter had a season-high 10 rebounds for Memphis tonight, while Zach Randolph picked up his sixth double-double of the season with 18 points (9-15 FG) and 10 rebounds.
Marcus Williams handed out a season-best seven assists for the Grizzlies.
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