PrintRed-Hot Nuggets Rally Past Houston
Second and fourth quarter droughts doom Rockets to 97-92 defeat
Jason Friedman
Rockets.com Staff Writer
Houston - The Rockets are all too familiar with the script by now; one in which stretches of strong play are nullified by the ill-timed droughts which inevitably follow.
It’s a pattern which has played itself out too many times in 2010 and Wednesday night it got the best of the Rockets once again as red-hot Denver erased a 15-point first quarter deficit while rallying for a 97-92 victory – the Nuggets eighth in a row.
“The guys played hard, we just had a drought again in the second quarter where we couldn’t make a shot,” lamented Rockets head Coach Rick Adelman after the game. “It was back and forth from there and then ( Denver) got the run in the fourth quarter. We just have to stay with it.”
The Rockets couldn’t have asked for a better start, having raced out to a 31-16 lead by the end of the first quarter. Houston’s defense – such a sore spot of late – came out active and effective, as the Nuggets misfired on their first 8 shots from the field, triggering the transition game so vital to the Rockets’ success. Trevor Ariza and Luis Scola took full advantage, scoring 10 points apiece in the frame as Houston appeared well on its way to snapping out of its recent funk.
But a barrage of fouls in the second quarter ground the game to a screeching halt and simultaneously stripped the Rockets of all their momentum. Suddenly, Houston was burdened with foul trouble – Aaron Brooks was limited to just 7 minutes of action in the first half after picking up three quick fouls – and the Nuggets, the NBA leaders in free throw attempts per game, were enjoying a parade to the charity stripe. The Nuggets shot 16 freebies in all during their second quarter run, hitting 15 of them. When all was said and done, Houston’s lead had been effectively erased, as the Rockets took a mere one-point advantage to halftime.
“The flow of the game just stopped because we put them on the line so much,” said Shane Battier. “We were really aggressive attacking in the first quarter but we just couldn't get anything going early in the shot clock (in the second quarter) because they were shooting free throws.”
Making matters worse for Houston was the fact that the team’s foul trouble didn’t disappear at halftime. Little more than one minute into the third quarter, Battier picked up his fourth foul of the game, only to be followed to the bench by Brooks 30 seconds later when the third-year point guard collected his fourth as well. Still, Houston did well to hang tough and the Rockets actually took a two-point lead into the final period.
But after two quick Brooks’ buckets to begin the fourth quarter, Houston’s shooting touch went MIA. The Rockets missed 12 of their next 14 shots, including 9 in a row at one point, opening the door for Denver to surge ahead and put some distance between themselves and Houston. The Nuggets were only too happy to oblige, as J.R. Smith knocked down back-to-back bombs from well behind the three-point arc, putting Denver up by 9 and all but ensuring the Rockets their third straight defeat and another long night of wondering what it will take to get the club back on track.
“I believe we have a lot of up and downs the whole season,” admitted Luis Scola, who scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in defeat. “When things are going well somehow we relax and then things start going bad. Or it’s the other way around: we start bad and then when we come back it’s too late. The team’s just very inconsistent.
“I don’t know (what causes it). Probably we are a little immature. It’s a lot of guys changing roles from last year or what they’re used to in their careers. It’s an adjustment that we are making, or that we are trying to make, and because of that we are inconsistent. There are stretches where we’re playing a pretty good quarter and then in two or three minutes we throw everything out. It’s been happening like that the whole season.
“I believe there were good things in this game. There are things that we can feel good about ourselves about but we’re still having our problems and we need to fix them. If we don’t fix what is making us be so up and down the whole season we’re not going to win.”
QUOTES
RICK ADELMAN
The guys played hard, we just had a drought again in the second quarter where we couldn’t make a shot. It was back and forth from there and they got the run in the fourth quarter. We just have to stay with it.
We talked about this all year long about having people to go to. Carl is struggling a little bit, Aaron played the fourth quarter but that’s about it, so we have to find people to step up when the game’s on the line. Tonight they did a better job in the fourth quarter than we did.
(Carl adjusting to double teams): He’s got to kick it out right away and we have to get to the right spots. He tried to go to the basket about four or five times and they’ve got the greatest hands in the world, they just kept stripping him. I don’t know how they did that. It’s just something we have to play through as a team and something we have to figure out. We have to find ways to attack the other team if teams are going to do that to us.
AARON BROOKS
(On the second quarter): We weren’t getting stops and we were allowing them to get to the free throw line too much. That stopped our transition and we’re a better team when we’re getting out and running and scoring buckets like that. When we give up (13) fouls in the second quarter that slows us a down a lot.
It was a very boring game in the second quarter. It seemed like a lot of practicing free throws in the second quarter. You’re going to have games like that.
I don’t think they were getting different shots than we were, they were just hitting them. J.R. came through in the fourth quarter and hit some long distance threes from 3 or 4 feet behind the three-point line. That’s what teams are doing: they’re making shots when they’re open and we’re not. We had layups and open threes and we didn’t hit them.
(frustration being saddled by foul trouble all game): There’s nothing you can do about that. I would say not to foul but I don’t know. I really don’t know. It’s frustrating. We have to do a lot better. As a team we have to do better.
TREVOR ARIZA
(on all the whistles): That’s the way the game goes. Some games are going to be like that and we just have to find ways to break through it and try to stay focused so when stuff like that does happen we can come back on the offensive end.
(more aggressive tonight?): I was going to be more aggressive tonight. I’m trying to find my rhythm and trying to get things back in the flow offensively. But tonight it didn’t help at all because we didn’t win. I need to try to get to the basket more and try to draw fouls; do anything I can to put pressure on the defense.
LUIS SCOLA
(on the offensive lulls): It’s hard to say what comes first: if they pick up or we slow down. I believe we have a lot of up and downs the whole season. The games, the quarters, when things are going well somehow we relax and then things start going bad. Or it’s the other way around: we start bad and then when we come back it’s too late. The team’s just very inconsistent.
I don’t know (what causes it). Probably we are a little immature. It’s a lot of guys changing roles from last year or what they’re used to in their careers. It’s an adjustment. It’s an adjustment that we are making, or that we are trying to make, and because of that we are inconsistent. In certain stretches of the season we have been really good and it happens in games and quarters, too. There are stretches where we’re playing a pretty good quarter and then in two or three minutes we throw everything out. It’s been happening like that the whole season.
I believe there were good things in this game. There are things that we can feel good about ourselves about but we’re still having our problems and we need to fix them. We know we’re not going to win a lot of games regardless of whether we play here or who we play. If we don’t fix what is making us be so up and down the whole season we’re not going to win.
SHANE BATTIER
(On the game) “Tonight we didn't play very well. We couldn't keep them off the free throw line. They shot 40 free throws and they shot 44 percent (from the field). That really slowed us down after we played really well in the first quarter. We've got to turn it around, come back to work tomorrow and figure it out and get better.”
(On the flow of the game because of the game fouls) “The flow of the game just stopped because we put them on the line so much. I don't know how many free throws they shot in the second quarter, a lot, but we were really aggressive in attacking in the first quarter but we just couldn't get anything going early in the clock because they were shooting free throws.”
COACH GEORGE KARL
(on the game) “It wasn’t easy the way we started the game and gave them a lot of confidence. JR (Smith) making the 3’s (in the 4th quarter) made it a10 point game and that made it easy. With Books in early foul trouble we felt we could control the game in the paint. It was a gutty win on our part without Melo (Carmelo Anthony) and not playing a very good game on our part.”
(on his team’s early season play) “Since January we have gotten a lot more serious about the game and every situation that comes up. Early in the season we didn’t make many big defensive plays and now we are getting the job done.”
NENE
(on the key to the game) “Our attitude in the second quarter. We focused defensively and that helped out our offense. It was a good win. We know Houston is a great young team with a lot of energy.”
CHAUNCY BILLIPS
(on the key to the game) “We had a couple of guys step up and JR hit some big shots. Nene scored well inside for us.”
(on Kenyon Martin’s play) “Kenyon has been playing very well at both ends of the court. He can score inside on the low block and that really helps our offensive out. He doesn’t get enough credit. He has been phenomenal for us. He’s more aggressive on both ends of the court.”
J.R. SMITH
(on his two 4th quarter 3 pointers) “I love it! Houston is a great place to play but the best feeling in the world is to quiet a large crowd with a big three. Anytime I’m in a zone and I cross mid-court, I’m ready to shoot.”
(on the game) “We got going early on the inside and then they had to leave our shooters open outside. With Melo not playing, I knew I had to be more aggressive and get to the free throw line.”
NOTES
The Nuggets returned from 15 points down to capture a 97-92 win tonight over the Rockets, snapping Houston’s four-game home winning streak over Denver. Houston’s opponents have now come back from a double-figure deficit to defeat the Rockets 10 times in 2009-10.
The Rockets recorded 14 fast-break points tonight, including 11 off the break in the first half alone. Houston has now reached double digits in fast-break scoring in each of its last seven games (1/13/10-1/27/10). The Rockets reached double-digit scoring off the break in each their first 11 games this season (10/27/09-11/17/09) to set the longest such streak of 2009-10.
Houston kept Denver to just seven total assists, matching the all-time, single-game record for fewest assists by an opponent against the Rockets (seven on 2/8/68 vs. Baltimore and seven on 12/29/03 vs. New Orleans). The Rockets, who limited the Hawks to 13 assists in the last game vs. Atlanta (1/25/10), also held the Trail Blazers to the prior opponent season low of 12 assists at Portland (12/5/09).
Denver was 29-of-39 (.744) from the free throw line tonight, matching Houston’s opponent season high in free throws made (29 by the Jazz on 11/2/09 on at Utah) and setting the opponent season most in free throws attempted (prev. high: 34 done twice, last by San Antonio at Houston on 11/27/09).
Aaron Brooks finished with 22 points (8-11 FG, 5-6 3FG) tonight, which marked his 20th 20-point game of the season.
Luis Scola posted 20 points (7-16 FG, 6-8 FT), 11 rebounds, two steals and one block tonight. Scola has now reached double-digit scoring in a career-high 14 consecutive contests (12/29/09-1/27/10) surpassing his previous best of 13 straight outings of double-digit points (2/9/09-3/8/09).
Trevor Ariza had 19 points (8-21 FG), 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals tonight. Ariza notched his fourth double-double of the season.
Kyle Lowry scored 10 points (4-6 FT) and dished out seven of Houston’s 13 assists tonight.
J.R. Smith, who had 21 points (9-14 FG) earlier this season at Denver (12/16/09), led the Nuggets with 22 points (7-16 FG, 3-8 3FG) off the bench tonight.
Chauncey Billups recorded 21 points (7-16 FG, 6-8 FT), four assists and three steals tonight, which also marked his 20th 20-point outing of the season.
Kenyon Martin notched 12 points (6-12 FG) and 15 rebounds tonight. Including this contest, Martin has 12 double-doubles in his last 16 games.
Nenê had 18 points (6-7 FG, 6-9 FT) and three steals tonight. He notched 23 points (9-15 FG) and 12 boards in last year’s second visit to Houston (1/19/09).
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