Now’s not the time to coast
Players know there’s too much at stake to take their foot off the gas heading into All-Star break
Finally, although briefly, the Rockets found themselves at full strength. No more nagging injuries. No more games lost to league suspensions.
The Rockets were back together and ready to slice off the chunk of the season before the All-Star Game break and roll through it.
But the good health did not last. Chris Paul missed the next
game, and Trevor Ariza has been out since. Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon have been in and out of the lineup and back in.
But the Rockets have not lost since, winning eight in a row with two games remaining before the break.
Had they known the obstacles that would pop up along the way, the Rockets might have accepted eight victories during that stretch. But just days before the break and with Tuesday’s road game against Minnesota likely a tougher challenge than any faced over the last two weeks, the goal set during the final days of January remains.
“No doubt. It’s kind of what we talked about,” said Rockets forward Luc Mbah a Moute,
who stepped in to the starting lineup with Ariza out. “When we got everybody back … right before Trevor got hurt, we wanted to go out and play well and have momentum going into the second half of the season. Finishing this up is very big for us. It’s very important.”
While the Rockets have accomplished much, moving to within a half-game of Golden State for the NBA’s best record, they know they won’t be defined by Tuesday’s game against the Timberwolves or Wednesday’s home game against Sacramento, regardless of results. Still, they see their goal as motivation for themselves rather than sending a statement to the rest of the league.
“It’s a huge motivation,” Rockets guard Chris Paul said. “Every game for us matters because we’re building, trying to play the right way, making sure we have the right spirit. We need to go there and win.”
Minnesota should be able to provide the kind of test the Rockets have not faced during their winning streak. San Antonio was shorthanded, Cleveland was reeling, and the game at Miami was more about overcoming injuries and fatigue.
The 34-24 Timberwolves will be more formidable.
“I’d rather have two patsies and take my chances,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “They’ve won 13 (home) games in a row so you know they’re ready to go, and it will be a big game. Win or lose, we’re going to get better as a team and then try to hit the last 25 games or so after the All-Star Game and get ready for the playoffs.”
Despite their recent success, the Rockets continue their efforts to sharpen their defense. They will have their hands full, with Minnesota bringing the NBA’s third-ranked offense into Tuesday’s game.
“You always try to make little, short goals,” D’Antoni said. “You don’t look at the overall picture, but little, short things like the next 10 games or whatever. These are two games (Timberwolves and Kings) that we’re going to try like heck to win.
“We also know the game up in Minnesota is really a tough one, and then we have a back-to-back. It’s something we want to do, something we’re really going to try to do, but it’s not going to wreck the season if we don’t do it. We’d just pick up the pieces and keep on going if we don’t do it. We’ll keep everything in perspective.”
D’Antoni is confident his team is focused on the task at hand and not looking past the next two games to their long-awaited midseason vacation.
“We have too much at stake,” D’Antoni said. “I don’t think it’s even in their DNA to do that.”
Even if it were, the Rockets are mindful of their goal, with the underlying sense that each game at this point is a chance to get where they need to be in mid-April and beyond.
“We’re a veteran bunch,” forward P.J. Tucker said. “We know how it goes right before break. Guys let their guard down, look forward to the break. We’re looking forward to the games, try to keep adding them up, try to keep getting better.”