Veterans spur road success
Asked why the Rockets have played so well away from home, bringing an eight-game road winning streak to Tuesday night’s game at Oklahoma City to start a four-game road trip, coach Mike D’Antoni cited the obvious reason.
“Because we play so well at home, also,” D’Antoni said. “We have a good team.”
The Rockets are 24-7 on the road, the NBA’s second-best road record. The Warriors are 25-7.
“Chris Paul, James (Harden), your point guards have seen everything, every kind of defense,” D’Antoni said. “They’re not going to get rattled. Then, we have a bunch of veteran guys, whether home or on the road shouldn’t make any difference.”
After playing three of their past four games on the road, the Rockets face a stretch of seven road games in their next nine games, with the first of the two road games, against the Spurs, in the second half of a back-to-back after a four-game road trip.
“We’re a veteran team,” guard Eric Gordon said. “We don’t make a ton of mistakes. Offensively, we’re the best out there, and defensively, we’re getting up there. As long as we bring it defensively, we’ll have our chances against anybody.”
Mbah a Moute shows versatility
With forward Ryan Anderson to miss a fourth consecutive game with a sore hip and Joe Johnson out with an illness, Luc Mbah a Moute will play as a backup power forward in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, his fifth position played this season.
Mbah a Moute has had a few minutes at power forward in the small lineups. He played at point guard briefly early this season when Chris Paul was out. But with his time at center in Utah last week, he can be said to have played every position.
“I get confused in all the positions now; one, two, three, four, five,” Mbah a Moute said. “I guess it’s a good thing to be able to play different positions. I think that’s something this team has, the ability to be versatile. We have guys who can play multiple positions. That’s one of our strengths, especially defensively when we switch and do what we do well.
“I guess Tuesday I’ll be playing at the four, but when you look at it, the way we play, two, three, four sometimes one are interchangeable. There are spots on the floor we have to fill. From there, Chris (Paul) and James (Harden) make plays. Except for Clint (Capela), who is really big, diving and catching lobs, sometimes everybody is interchangeable.”
Coach Mike D’Antoni said he hoped Anderson would return on the fourgame road trip. Center Brandan Wright is out indefinitely while the Rockets work to strengthen the area around his sore right knee.
“Stuff happens, doesn’t it?” D’Antoni said. “Gerald (Green) will play instead of Joe. Just move Luc on down (to power forward.)”
Rosas to interview for Hornets job
The Rockets have granted the Charlotte Hornets permission to interview Rockets vice president Gersson Rosas for their open general manager position, a person with knowledge of the talk between the teams confirmed.
Rosas, who has been with the Rockets for 17 years, was made the team’s director of player personnel in 2008 after two years as the director of scouting and named a vice president in 2009. He had a brief stint as Mavericks general manager in 2013, but he returned to the Rockets later that year. Rosas is also a USA Basketball scout and a coach with the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program.
Streak hinges on turnovers
Coach Mike D’Antoni has cited the reduction in turnovers for the Rockets’ strong play through the 15game winning streak.
That will be tested Tuesday. The Rockets have committed 11.5 turnovers per game during the streak, the second fewest in the NBA in that span.
Prior to the past 15 games, the Rockets had been averaging 14.6 turnovers to rank 18th in the NBA. But the Thunder lead the NBA in steals and opponents’ turnovers and are second in points scored off turnovers.
“The big thing … is the turnovers are way down,” D’Antoni said. “That’s huge. It gives us an extra four or five shots at the basket. It keeps other teams from being in transition. It gives us an extra five to 10 points a game.”
The Rockets’ steals have increased in recent games, moving them to second in steals per game, one tenth of a steal behind the Thunder’s average of 8.9.
Trevor Ariza, who leads the NBA in steals to turnover ratio, returned from a hamstring injury for five of those six games.
“Steals are up,” D’Antoni said. “I think we’re learning to switch better and do some things. Guys are buying in. When you do that, it all leads to positive energy.”