Hobbled Beverley talks way into lineup
Rockets guard Pat Beverley was ruled out of Saturday’s game against the Timberwolves, before he ruled himself back in.
Beverley had felt tightness in the groin muscle that forced him to leave the Rockets’ final game before the All-Star break Feb. 15, prompting coach Mike D’Antoni to say Beverley would be out and Eric Gordon would move to the starting lineup.
After sitting out Saturday’s shootaround, Beverley tested the injury in pregame warm-ups and happily announced he was good to go.
Asked how long he thought he’d be out, Beverley said: “I’m playing tonight. Coach was wrong. It feels cool. There’s no source like the main source.”
Beverley said he was hit in New Orleans in the same spot he injured against the Heat on Feb. 15.
“It just stiffened up,” Beverley said. “I didn’t want to make it tighter at shootaround.”
Beverley justified his decision in the 142-130 win over the Timberwolves at Toyota Center, scoring 15 points on 4-for-10 shooting with seven assists, four rebounds and three steals in 29 minutes.
Thibodeau lauds Rockets’ fit
Having seen the Rockets’ philosophies up close for four years as a Rockets assistant, Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau was not surprised with how the offense has evolved into the style under Mike D’Antoni.
But he praised the way the roster was assembled to fit the long-held offensive philosophy.
“They’ve done a great job with that,” Thibodeau said. “When you look back and you look at the addition of ( Eric) Gordon, Ryan Anderson, Lou Williams, it fits their system well.
“What you can’t overlook is how they embrace their roles, too. When you look at ( Clint) Capela, you look at Nene and ( Mon- trezl) Harrell, those guys, the way they roll to the basket and put pressure on the rim, it may appear to be a small thing, but it’s not.
“It’s a big thing. That’s what really opens up the 3-point guard.
“And of course ( James) Harden is such a special and unique player. And guys like ( Pat) Beverley and ( Trevor) Ariza, they’re unsung heroes, but they are incredibly valuable.”
Thibodeau said Williams, the most recent addition, fits into the priority of finding players who fit.
“He’s always been a bigtime scorer,” Thibodeau said. “He’s got a great motor.
“He’s one of those guys, he comes into the game, it doesn’t take him five minutes to warm up. He’s ready to go. If he gets a good look at the basket, he’s tough to stop.”
Defensive shifts are required
With the deal to send Corey Brewer to the Lakers for Lou Williams, the Rockets don’t have a designated small forward off the bench, planning instead to play a three-guard lineup in which Eric Gordon defends forwards.
But Sam Dekker has picked up playing time in recent weeks at the position, and said he will be ready to fill in as needed, in addition to his playing time at power forward.
“With the bench we have now, we move Eric over to the three,” Dekker, 6-9, said. “I don’t think it affects me too much, but if we need me at the three, I’ll be ready to do that.
“Always ready to step in and to go. Coaches, they know the best positions and situations to put us in.
“If we need to go a little bigger, I’ll be ready to do that. I’ve done that this year guarding guys like KD ( Kevin Durant) and LeBron ( James). I can step in if they need that with my size and athleticism. I’ll be ready to do that.”