Dekker returns to practice; series status up to D’Antoni
Rockets forward Sam Dekker returned to practice Friday and said he will be available Monday at San Antonio, four weeks to the day since his surgery to repair the fracture in his left hand.
Dekker had ramped up his conditioning work throughout the weeks, but Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said he could not be certain if he would give Dekker a look in a playoff series until he sees him in the three practices scheduled before Game 1.
“We’ll see,” D’Antoni said of the potential to play Dekker in the second round of the playoffs after sitting out the previous month. “We have three days of practice. We’ll evaluate it and look at it.”
Dekker averaged 6.8 points on 45.5 percent shooting against the Spurs this season, playing in all four games, almost matching his regular-season statistics overall.
Dekker broke his hand in Phoenix on April 2. He had six screws and a plate inserted into the hand, but he practiced with no wrap of any kind.
“It feels very good,” Dekker said. “Very excited to get out. Healing well and it feels good enough for me to go. We’re going to see how it goes. I’m suiting up Game 1. I’m going to be available. I’m going to be ready to go whenever coach calls my name. That’s up to the coaching staff. For me, I’ll just be ready.
“I was doing conditioning on the bikes. Nothing on the court until this past week. It all went really well. I tried to get my wind back. I felt like it was there. It’s been a great week on the court. It’s been fun. I don’t feel any limitations at all.”
Anderson stops to smell the roses
Rockets forward Ryan Anderson found himself in the second round for the second time in his career, having advanced past the first round in his first playoff experience.
Anderson reached the second round with the 2009-10 Orlando Magic, but they lost in six games to the Boston Celtics, the eventual Eastern Conference champions. Back in the second round, the nine-year veteran attempted to appreciate the opportunity that has not come his way often.
“This is exciting,” Anderson said. “Series one went by quick. This season went by quick. But it feels like this group has been together a whole lot longer than it had because we enjoy being around each other. It’s been a fun year.
“We want to keep it going. We want to continue to enjoy this. This is a stage of my career I have to stop and take it in. The NBA does that to you. You jump into this moving train through a whole year, a lot of games, a lot of new things.
“You forget to sit in the moment and just cherish these moments. This is one of those times. I have to remember it is a great moment to be with a great team.”
2nd-round pick Zhou in town
Zhou Qi, a Rockets second-round draft pick last June, is in Houston to train with the Rockets’ staff and potentially begin talks he hopes could lead to a contract with the team for next season, his agent Tony Leng said.
Zhou, a 7-2, 218-pound forward/center, averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds this season Xinjiang, but broke his left thumb in a collision with Carlos Boozer of Guangdong in the China Basketball Association Finals.
“We will be training with the Rockets,” Leng said. “We are looking forward to sitting down and talking and seeing what might happen in the future. His dream is to one day play in the NBA. Right now, we are focused on training.”
Leng said it is uncertain if Zhou could be with the Rockets’ summer league team, saying that could come up in talks while Zhou is in town. His thumb is not fully healed, limiting some of the work he can do with the Rockets’ training staff.
Zhou was the Rockets’ second second-round pick last season, taken 43rd overall.