ROCKETS MAKE IT 17 IN A ROW
Win streak grows to NBA season-best 17 despite offense sputtering late in game
MILWAUKEE — The final scene remained the same as always. Whatever else changed along the way, whatever plot developments made it seem as if a twist at the end was coming, when the curtain falls, the Rockets leave the stage with a win.
The Rockets changed things up a bit against the Bucks, hitting an offensive wall when they made just 1 of 12 shots in one stretch of the fourth quarter to make the winning streak seem in peril. It wasn’t.
Chris Paul hit a jumper. The Rockets got a few stops and hit a few free throws. With a 110-99 win Wednesday night against the Bucks, the Rockets took their winning streak to 17 games, the longest in the NBA this season, the longest of Mike D’Antoni’s coaching career and matching the longest of Paul’s career.
For all that might have made it seem different along the way, in the end the glaring similarity became obvious.
“Like I say every game, always a win,” guard James Harden said after the Rockets’
21st win in the 22 games since he returned from his hamstring injury. “It’s not going to be the same every game. That’s a great team, right there.”
As much as the Rockets have said there is little talk about the streak itself, there is no denying it. Confidence has swelled along with the attention paid to their every stop along the way.
“Seventeen in a row, of course we know it’s something special,” center Clint Capela said. “We have a special group. We enjoy it. We’re happy about that.
“But to me, the most exciting part is we’re still on it. We can do more. We have 17, but we can get more. It makes me want to stay focused, stay locked in. But of course, we enjoy the moment right now.” A different formula
If greatness is measured by variety, the Rockets would be able to make a strong argument. Though they have had to find ways to hold off late-game charges along the way, they usually have done it either by having Harden or Paul take over late or by finding a hot shooter working around them.
They did that along the way Wednesday. Harden had 21 first-half points, scoring 11 points in the final 2½ minutes of the half, taking the Rockets to a 12-point lead. Paul took over in the third quarter, getting five of his 11 assists. When the Bucks made their move, Eric Gordon got hot, scoring 13 of his 18 points in the second half.
“What stands out is every night somebody else different has stepped up,” D’Antoni said. “A lot of those streaks are the other team shows up without some players, you’re healthy, you got a nice part of the schedule. But we have the hardest part of the schedule, a lot of guys out, like tonight Joe Johnson and Ryan Anderson. Yet, we’re able to win. That’s because of our depth and the guys we have.”
Down the stretch, however, the Rockets stumbled. The Bucks had taken to trapping the ball out of the Rockets’ hands. Playing the second half of a back-to-back, shots misfired. Harden, P.J. Tucker and Trevor Ariza played the final 8½ minutes without scoring. The Rockets made just 6 of 21 shots in the fourth quarter, 3 of 11 from deep. The Rockets spent much of the final 7½ minutes as if trying to run out the clock. Digging deep
The Rockets, however, turned to hustle plays. They had six offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter along with four steals, leading to the only three points they scored for nearly six minutes after taking a 13-point lead. Finally, Paul drove Jason Terry into the lane to hit a 5-footer over him for a seven-point lead with 45.1 seconds left. The Rockets closed out the win from the line.
“We’re getting everybody’s best effort,” Gordon said. “Guys are coming after us. We still get the job done. We just try to find ways to win. It was our will. It was all about us getting energy and having effort plays.
“It’s been fun. With a winning streak like this, you do things the right way. We still play for each other. We knew this would be a tough road trip. If we get through this road trip, we can do some real damage on this win streak.”
They knew that they already had, with the one constant the ability to always find a way.