Strong road trip encourages
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With a 3-1 road trip, the Rockets returned home with two days off before playing the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday 10 games better than .500 for the first time this season.
That represented progress after following up a loss to the Pelicans with a blowout loss in Denver, then wins in which they led by 29, 20 and 37 points against the Jazz, Suns and Kings.
“I think we’re in a good place,” guard Chris Paul said. “Obviously, we’d have loved to get all four of them. But to get three on this road trip, I think we’re playing the right way. Our defense was really good for the first half (on Wednesday). Let down at the beginning of the third, but I think we played at the right pace.”
Guard James Harden said he felt great about the progress the Rockets had made, citing the improvement defensively.
“We’re very confident,” Harden said. “Defensively, we’re playing very, very well together. We’re kind of catching momentum. It feels pretty good. It’s even more exciting once we get our full roster and get
Clint ( Capela) back there. It’s going to be pretty fun.”
The Rockets face the Thunder and Mavericks in their two home games before the All-Star break having split their two games with Oklahoma City this season and with losses in both games against Dallas. They play the Timberwolves in Minneapolis in the final game before the break. They lost the only other game against Minnesota this season.
They play their first two games after the break on the road, against the Lakers and Warriors, but Wednesday marked the end of their last road trip longer than two games this season.
“I’m pleased. We were 3-1,” guard Gerald Green said of the completed road trip. “These were tough teams, too, man. Sacramento’s always been a tough place to play. Utah’s a tough place to play. Denver’s a tough place to play. We’re happy with where we are, but we just have to keep building, keep growing and keep going.”
Faried’s play pleases D’Antoni
Center Kenneth Faried on Wednesday had a double-double for the sixth time in seven games, scoring 13 points with 11 rebounds against the Kings.
In nine games with the Rockets since he was signed following Clint
Capela’s thumb injury, he has averaged 16.1 points and 10.2 rebounds while making 61.9 percent of his shots.
Faried’s nine consecutive games scoring in double figures is his longest streak since the final 13 games of the 2013-14 season.
“Well, you know it’s always a pleasant surprise,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “You look at it, the way he played, we thought he would be good with us. We thought with James ( Harden) and
Chris (Paul), his energy and (ability to) run the floor, rebounding that we needed, we thought it was a perfect fit. It’s always nice to know, yes he is a perfect fit, yes he is a good guy, yes we can even get even more from him as the year goes on.
“I think when Clint gets back and he comes off the bench and gives us that spurt, he should give us a solid 48 minutes of highenergy centers running up and down the floor.”