When outscoring foes isn’t the point
As playoffs loom, D’Antoni preaches emphasis on rebounds, good habits
Early in the season, the Rockets would have celebrated after hitting 22 3-pointers, scoring 142 points and leading for all but 80 seconds on the way to a victory.
But the Rockets in the final days of February won’t allow themselves to be blinded by the large numbers they are putting on the scoreboard.
They were nice numbers and necessary to beat Minnesota 142-130 at Toyota Center on Saturday. But the Rockets aspire to greater goals than fraying the corners of record books while
checking where their latest 3-fest ranks. The Rockets looked past their most recent record — most games with at least 20 3-pointers — to see the playoffs looming. They also expect to put up numbers then, but they don’t want to have to set records to win.
“We’re just trying to develop good habits,” coach Mike D’Antoni said Sunday. “Sometimes, we forget that. We’re going to harp on that all the time. This is a stretch that we have to win so we sew up a good spot and
make sure we get as high as we can. But the biggest thing is to make sure we develop habits that, once you get in the playoffs, you automatically do the things we need to do.
“We bounce around a little bit. Most of the time, it’s pretty good. Last night, we didn’t do some of the things we should have done.”
The Rockets were outrebounded 58-31. They had not been outrebounded by that much in a win since San Antonio hauled in 33 more rebounds in a Rockets win in January 1992. They don’t expect to make that a habit.
“A significant part of defense is playing good defense and rebounding the ball,” guard Eric Gordon said. “We didn’t rebound well. When we rebound at a high rate, that’s a big gamechanger for us.”
The Rockets allowed 68 points in the paint, giving up 29 second-chance points. Only the Los Angeles Lakers allow more points in the paint per possession than the Rockets, immediately pointing to the area in their 15th-ranked defense they want to improve.
Defensive liabilities
That’s not about defending post-ups or rim protection. As Saturday demonstrated, it’s often about transition defense and in the half court, about breakdowns on the ball and rotations that lead to extra passes and layups.
“Getting back on defense, sometimes we ‘buddy run,’ ” D’Antoni said. “You don’t get the defense set quick enough and then you have to react.
“We’re not great defenders, per se. But we can be good team defenders. They have to understand (the importance of ) five guys’ effort all the time. When we don’t, then something breaks down and we struggle.”
Normally, if a team scores 142 points, it does not have to point out that “a win is a win.” But the Rockets have scored at least 120 points 23 times, their most since the 1978-79 season.
They have become difficult to please.
“A win is great,” forward Trevor Ariza said. “Nobody is going to complain about a win. But … doing the things we want to in the bigger scheme of things is the big thing. We feel defensively we didn’t give our best effort. We didn’t do our schemes to perfection the way we like. Giving up 130 points is a lot of points to give up, no matter if you score 140 or 131 points. ”
In November, the Rockets would have been thrilled. With March a few days away, Gordon said, “It’s getting to the point of being a real dominant team and preparing for the playoffs.”
To D’Antoni, the Rockets’ dissatisfaction with a highscoring win was a good sign, not only of the right attitude, but the potential to improve late in the season.
One step away
“We really realize this is a step below where we need to be,” D’Antoni said. “When we’re up there, we can play with anybody and beat anybody at any time. We have to make that last step. It tells about the character of this team is really good. They really care. That’s half the battle.
“Now, it’s just be sure we keep on them and keep pushing them and … let us be mad at them and they don’t take anything personal and know we all want to be the best we can be and we’re trying to get there.”