Follow-up test on tap in Boston
Win over Celtics sparked five-game streak and evidence lineup change could prosper
BOSTON — The advanced math minds who fill the Rockets’ front office, or anyone who mastered basic elementary school arithmetic, would argue that no one game in an 82-season counts more than another.
Putting aside considerations such as who loses when one team wins or tiebreakers that could come into play later, that would be true as far as the left side of the win-loss column is concerned.
An argument can be made, however, that the value in some games makes them exceptions to the rule, even if the Rockets prefer to ignore or even deny the power some victories have to influence games that follow.
Last season, after losing their first game out of the All-Star break, the Rockets topped the Warriors to spark a nine-game winning streak. In 2016-17, the Rockets went from a late-night, double-overtime victory over Golden State to a sunrise arrival in Denver, winning that night and often pointing to that backto-back
when facing schedule obstacles.
When the Rockets topped the Celtics on Feb. 11 in their final game before the All-Star break, they picked up added evidence that their lineup change could work. With the break allowing belief and confidence in the
other
style to sink in, that one victory became more influential than just the first in a five-game winning streak.
“It felt like, ‘You know, we can make this work,’ ” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “Then having everybody buying in — not to say they wouldn’t have anyway even if we would have lost — but I think that propelled us to a good place, and we’ve been in a good place ever since.
“I think you could say, ‘Yeah, we do know it’s one of 82, and so what?’ But they can inspire us, or they can prepare you for something better. It happened to be at the All-Star break. It happened to be against one of the better teams in the league. It just felt good.”
Saturday’s rematch, and return to the national spotlight, could have similar potential. Since the Rockets topped the Celtics 116105, they have won each of the four games after the break by double digits. But those wins came against two of the worst teams in the league (the Warriors and Knicks) and two that have been slumping (the Jazz and Grizzlies).
Boston has surged since losing to the Rockets, winning four of five games, with the only loss coming by two against the Lakers in Los Angeles.
With that, topping the Celtics, even at home, ranks with the wins in Los Angeles against the Lakers and Clippers as among the best and most encouraging for the Rockets this season, even if they count the same as the recent routs of the Knicks and Warriors.
“We went into the break feeling good and having a lot of energy,” Rockets guard Ben McLemore said. “Coming back from the break and having a great stint as we have … we just worry about ourselves and how we play and what we need to do to win games.”
Saturday’s game at Boston offers a different sort of test. The Celtics are 22-5 at home and match up well with the Rockets’ five-out, center-less style. Like the Rockets, Boston doesn’t start anyone taller than 6-8 (though 6-10 center Enes Kanter comes off the bench) and has at least one star, Jayson Tatum, on a roll.
Kanter played just eight minutes in the previous meeting, taking only two shots, making the smallball matchup strength versus strength.
“They play small, too,” said Rockets guard Eric Gordon, who, like the Celtics’ Kemba Walker, has been out with a sore knee. “They have a lot of guards. They’re going to be a really good team in the East. We played really well against another good team.
“We’re a good team, but to beat a good team, we were basically up the whole game — it was just a good start. We made that change right around playing Boston. It kind of solidified how good we could be.”
Coming off consecutive losses, the Rockets needed that at the time. Now, D’Antoni said, whenever the next loss comes, it won’t shake confidence in the Rockets’ style or potential. With just a one-game winning streak after beating Boston, guard Russell Westbrook, said “We’re moving in the right direction. I’m happy where we are. I’m happy where we’re headed.”
As much as the Rockets insist they put no special meaning in any win or loss — and won’t with the next of either with an often-stated motto of “so what, what’s next?” — the timing of the previous meeting with the Celtics made it important.
“We try not to be swayed one way or another with wins and losses during the season,” said Rockets center P.J. Tucker. “It’s so easy to do that. You beat somebody one time, you start to believe too much. I think you stay even-keel. That’s what we do every time. You expect to win, but when you drop games to bad teams, you can’t be (influenced by) that either.
“I think it was more uplifting because it came at the All-Star break. We have a very good team. We know it can go either way. We’re still a work in progress trying to figure it out. But coming before the All-Star break, that made it sink in.”