The Houston Rockets are back on track with their longest winning streak in
four seasons, but coach Kevin McHale has a bigger concern – the Milwaukee Bucks.

Houston looks for its eighth straight victory and 12th in a row at home in
this series Wednesday night when the Bucks go for their first three-game road
winning streak in two seasons.

Since losing a season-high four in a row to open the new year, the Rockets
(10-7) have won eight of nine. Monday’s 107-92 victory at Minnesota gave the
team its longest winning streak since a franchise-record 22-game run from Jan.
29-March 16, 2008.

“This is a next-game league,” McHale said following Tuesday’s practice. “You
don’t look behind too much, you don’t look ahead too much. Our biggest challenge
right now is Milwaukee tomorrow night.”

The Rockets open a stretch of three games in four nights, but they won’t
have to travel anywhere for their next four contests. Houston is looking to
match its best start at home since opening 8-1 five years ago.

The Rockets have not dropped a home game to Milwaukee since a 98-93 loss
Nov. 2, 1999.

The Bucks lost 93-84 in their last visit Jan. 17, 2011, to remain the NBA’s
only team without a victory at the eight-year-old Toyota Center.

Milwaukee (6-10), though, has been playing better away from home, winning
its last two after going winless in its first eight road games. However, after
posting wins at New York and Miami, the Bucks failed to record a season-high
third straight victory on Monday, losing 97-92 at home to Atlanta.

“We played well on the road, and we were almost good enough tonight, but
just came up a little short,” Mike Dunleavy said after scoring a season-best 17
points.

The Bucks could have a much better chance of winning three consecutive road
games for the first time since April 6-14, 2010, if Brandon Jennings and Shaun
Livingston – who has started the last three contests – can slow down Kevin
Martin and Kevin Lowry.

Martin is scoring 23.6 points per game during the winning streak – 4.1 more
than his season average. He totaled 59 points as these teams split the two-game
series in 2010-11.

Lowry is averaging 18.1 with 7.9 assists and 7.0 rebounds in the last seven
games after recording his second career triple-double Monday with 16 points, 10
assists and 10 boards.

Backup point guard Goran Dragic leads the Rockets’ reserves with 54 points
during the 7-0 run, while forward Patrick Patterson has 47 with 23 rebounds
during this stretch.

The two combined for 27 of the team’s 36 bench points on Monday.

“It’s always good to get balanced scoring and have everyone contributing to
a win like that,” Lowry said.

Rockets center Samuel Dalembert has been a major contributor since the
team’s last defeat Jan. 11 at San Antonio, averaging 13.1 points, 11.9 boards
and 2.6 blocks.

Bucks center Andrew Bogut had 10 points and 10 rebounds in last season’s
loss in Houston. He scored 24 points with 22 boards and five blocks in a 97-91
home win over the Rockets on Dec. 10, 2010.

Jennings missed the Bucks’ last defeat in Houston with a broken left foot.
The third-year point guard is averaging 27.5 points and 7.0 assists in the last
four games.

The Rockets are going for their first six-game home winning streak reeling
off seven straight from March 14-April 3.

Ex-Timberwolves PG Timberwolves’ Jonny Flynn against Orlando in first half action Saturday January 15, 2011 at Target Center in Minneapolis. (Pioneer Press: Chris Polydoroff)

Houston Rockets point guard Jonny Flynn, making his first return to Target Center for tonight’s game against the Timberwolves, said he was disappointed with fan criticism when he was with Minnesota last season and the speculation about Ricky Rubio joining the team.

Flynn, drafted No. 6 overall by the Timberwolves in 2009, was traded to the Rockets in June during the 2011 draft after two unsuccessful seasons in Minnesota. The Wolves drafted Rubio No. 5 overall in 2009, but he opted to play two more years in Spain before coming to the NBA this season.

“I let that (the Rubio talk) get to me too much,” Flynn said. “Everybody was always talking about Ricky coming here. My two years here was like five years to me. What I went through taught me a lot about life.”

Flynn and Rubio were considered the Timberwolves’ backcourt of the future when the team drafted them. Flynn started 81 games as a rookie, but struggled last season after a slow recovery from hip surgery in the summer of 2010 to repair a torn labrum. Flynn was limited to 53 games and made only eight starts. He averaged 5.3 points and 3.4 assists in 16.9 minutes.

Flynn didn’t fare well in then-coach Kurt Rambis’ triangle offense, raising doubts about his future with the team and frustrating Timberwolves fans. Flynn said he “tried to stay a professional” about the situation.

“I remember all of that,” Flynn said of the criticism. “It felt like we were playing 82 road games last year when your own crowd was

on you. What did I do to deserve that? I never spoke bad about Minnesota or the organization.”

Flynn said he’s “at peace” with the Rockets (9-7), who enter tonight’s game against the Timberwolves (7-9) with a six-game winning streak. Former Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale will face his former team for the first time as Rockets coach.

Flynn, who said his hip is “100-percent healthy,” has appeared in only five games with the Rockets and has not played since Jan. 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Flynn, averaging 3.6 points and 3.4 assists, is in a rotation at point guard behind veterans Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic.

Flynn’s best game with the Rockets was Jan. 6 against Oklahoma City when he had seven points, six assists and one steal in a season-high 20 minutes.

“I’m just staying ready and waiting for my opportunity,” Flynn said. “I feel much more positive about my situation.”

Follow Ray Richardson at twitter.com/twolvesnow

The Washington Wizards tried their hand at a matinee game on January 16. Celebrating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, The Wizards hoped to fare better in the daylight than they have in night games this season. There were plenty of positives at the end of this one. John Wall set a new career high with 38 points scored. The team cracked the century mark for the first time this season. In the end though, it all added up to a 114-106 loss to the Houston Rockets and now a 1-12 record.

John Wall was simply spectacular on the day, as seen on CSN Washington. 38 points topped his career best and hopefully signals better days ahead for the second year pro. He added eight assists and six rebounds. His hands seemed to be everywhere and produced a number of timely steals. Maybe when Flip Saunders sat him in the second quarter against Philadelphia on January 14, it awoke something in him. He looked like the Kentucky Wall, flying around the court and having fun.

If he can keep that going and keep his emotions in check, the Wizards will be okay. Both he and Andray Blatche took unnecessary technical fouls for griping at the refs, giving Houston an automatic two points from the line. That was because Houston only missed one foul shot on the night. With all that said though, the Wizards had the game within five down the stretch, but the turnover bugaboo crept up again and bit this team in the butt.

That was not the only thing that got them in trouble though. I felt this game was actually lost in the third period when I saw the single most, it is about me play in the history of the game. John Wall and Trevor Booker fight hard to turn a steal into a fast break. They feed the ball to JaVale McGee, who all of the sudden thinks he is at the All-Star game. He tosses the ball off of the backboard so that he can do a highlight reel dunk.

What a smart move, to try and show up the other team. Houston promptly came out and blew the Wizards away the rest of the quarter, outscoring them 19 to 4. Flip Saunders yanked him from the game later on and left him out for most of the fourth quarter. The Washington Post had comments after the game that showed that McGee did not understand the uproar and Nick Young thought it was a great maneuver.

If you want to know what is wrong with this team, look no further than that. Too many guys that are in it for themselves. Take as many shots as you can and see what personal number you can get to. The Wizards need constant reminders that this is a team sport and not an all-star weekend one on one showcase. Until guys like McGee and Young figure out what the team concept is all about, this team will flounder in its own stupidity.

John Atchison is a Washington based writer that enjoys the Washington Sports scene. He has followed the Bullets/Wizards since the early seventies and hopes for a return to glory soon. Follow him on Twitter @John_Atchison.

Sources: CSN Washington

washingtonpost.com/sports/wizards

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By Steve Perrin

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Jan 5, 2012 – Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Clippers demonstrated exactly what has the sports world so excited. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the Clippers high-powered offense was firing on all cylinders for the first time this season as L.A. blew out the Houston Rockets 116-89.

The Clippers were the story of the brief NBA offseason. Our national sports media loves nothing more than a compelling narrative, and this year the designated story is Chris Paul choosing to join the hapless Clippers, teaming up with Blake Griffin to turn the perennial doormat into the most compelling team in the league. Invariably, the narrative gets a bit ahead of itself – - many have decided the Clippers will be not just exciting, but also a title contender – - but why let a little reality get in the way of a good story?

Through four games, the Clippers were good, but nowhere near the hype that they had generated. Sure, Chris Paul was electric in the fourth quarter of the Christmas Day win over Golden State. Yes, there were enough highlight reel dunks to keep SportsCenter moving forward. But the team was 2-2, and had looked pretty ordinary in a couple of bad losses. It was all to be expected from a team with three new starters, including a backcourt that was acquired about a week before the first game, but it wasn’t satisfying to a basketball public looking to Lob City to help them forget the dark days of the lockout.

In their fifth game, the Clippers broke out the full Lob City arsenal. Straight out of the gate they hung 41 first quarter points on the Rockets and never trailed after taking a 12-10 lead. Paul was clinical in putting up 20 points on only 14 shots, along with 10 assists and 3 steals before taking the fourth quarter off — it was the first of many 20-10 games in his Clippers career no doubt. On back to back plays in the third quarter, Paul hit DeAndre Jordan with a lob from the pick and roll in the half court, followed by a halfcourt lob to Griffin in transition. They were Paul’s final assists of the evening, and the final nails in Houston’s coffin, as the lead stretched to 85-62 and the benches soon took the court.

The stat of the night for the Clippers isn’t 57 percent shooting or 62 points in the paint or 22 fast break points or scoring a season high 116 – - it’s seven turnovers. For a team that was 29th out of 30 in the NBA last season in turnovers committed, the new backcourt of Paul and Chauncey Billups is a godsend. We know they can score, and now they take care of the ball as well – - they didn’t have to play a lot of defense Wednesday night, but if they can figure that part out, they could be very good indeed.

For the Rockets, this is a game they’d just like to forget. On the second night of a back-to-back in L.A. after losing to the Lakers on Tuesday, they just ran into a buzzsaw. It happens in the NBA — you move on. Kyle Lowry continued his stellar early season play, and tried to keep his team in the game, nailing three long threes in the first half among his 17 points. In the end, though, while Lowry and Luis Scola did a decent job of scoring, Houston was wholly incapable of keeping the Clippers from running away with the game.

Welcome to Lob City.

For more on the Clippers, visit Clips Nation. For more on the Rockets, visit The Dream Shake.

Read More: Chris Paul (G – LAC), Blake Griffin (F – LAC), Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Clippers, Jan 4, 2012 10:30 PM EST

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By Brian McDonald

– Staff Writer

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Jan 3, 2012 – All 30 teams were put in a tough spot this season with a shortened pre-season and regular season, but few teams have a tougher opening stretch than the Houston Rockets. Not only are the Rockets having to learn a new system under a new coach, work in a few new players, but on top of those issues, they have a killer first 10 games on their schedule. Nine of their first ten opponents were either playoff teams last year and/or strong favorites to make the playoffs this season, and 7 of those 10 games are on the road.

They have games remaining at both LA teams, 2 games vs. the Thunder, and another game with the Spurs during the first 10 games; if they can get out of this stretch at 5-5 or even 4-6, it’s a positive sign. During their next 10 games, they’ll only face 3 likely playoff teams. The Rockets record will probably make it look like they haven’t turned the corner after the first 10, but be patient, this team will continue to improve and the schedule is about to get much softer.

So what should we look for even when the game ends in a loss? In the season preview I wrote for the Rockets, I mentioned needing to get their defensive ranking from 22nd where it had been the last couple years, into the middle of the pack to at least 15th; they’re currently ranked 17th this season. They’re scoring is a little down but with the players they have, that shouldn’t remain a problem. Right now they’re giving up 96 points a game, if they can keep that number under 100 as an average during the first 10 games, I’d take that as a very positive sign. During these next 6 games I’d also like to see Dalembert’s playing time start to increase. I’d like to see Patrick Patterson get into shape after his surgery and find the game he had towards the end of last season. I’d also like to see Chase Budinger make some progress or I feel it will be time to consider Courtney Lee or Terrance Williams to take his place. I’d also like to see them play better on the road even in losses. So far they’ve lost their two road games by an average of 14.5 points per game; they have road games remaining at the Lakers, Clippers, Thunder, and Spurs.

I believe this team is better than it has been over the last two seasons. That being said, they still have a lot of work to do to prove it. A strong showing in their next 6 games is a great way to start.

Read More: Courtney Lee (G – HOU), Chase Budinger (F – HOU), Patrick Patterson (F – HOU), San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers

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Once tipoff approaches, Pau Gasol will arrive at Staples Center, go through starting lineup introductions and greet his opponent at halfcourt.

Had NBA Commissioner David Stern not interfered in a three-team trade, the Lakers-Rockets game Tuesday would have featured Gasol in different circumstances. He would play at center instead of power forward. He would wear a red uniform instead of a gold one. He would match up against his former teammate Andrew Bynum instead of forward Luis Scola. But Gasol maintains he won’t think about such scenarios once he actually steps foot on the Staples Center court.

“Maybe one or two [thoughts], but once I get into the game I’m too focused right now to try to help the team win,” Gasol said. 

The Lakers (3-3) have plenty of issues entering Tuesday’s game against the Rockets (2-2), what with a new coaching staff, Kobe Bryant’s torn ligament in his right wrist and the team’s inconsistency in closing out games. But that pales to what Houston faces with Yao Ming’s retirement, Chuck Hayes and Shane Battier leaving via free agency and a large void at the center spot.

That’s partly why Gasol remained relieved Stern rejected a trade that would have sent him to Houston, Chris Paul to the Lakers and Scola, Lamar Odom and Kevin Martin to the New Orleans Hornets. After winning two NBA championships and appearing in three consecutive Finals, the last thing Gasol wanted was to join a mid-tier team. 

“It was going to be kind of a rebuilding situation,” Gasol said. “You’d try to be competitive. It wasn’t so much about the franchise or the city. It was just about the situation and how different it would’ve been than from what I’m used to now. That would’ve been very hard for me to adjust to, but if it happened and had gone down, I still would’ve done my best to do what I do and be the player I am and continue to play my best.”

Instead, Gasol has vowed to do so with the Lakers. Even though he felt hurt over the Lakers’ attempt to ship him, that didn’t sour his enthusiasm the way it did for Odom. He remained professional. He arrived to training camp and avoided talking much about it with teammates. And he frequently talked with the media, aware that talks about his flimsy future would often arise. 

“I think he’s done well with it,” said Lakers center Andrew Bynum, who’s been connected in trade rumors involving Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony in past seasons. “He understands it’s a business and everybody is up for grabs at any time. It’s nothing personal … All you can do is play well and make sure your team needs you.”

Gasol has done just that. He has averaged 17.3 points on a 55.4% clip, 8.7 rebounds and two blocks through the Lakers’ first six games. That’s a far improvement from his tepid playoff showing last season, he had 13.1 points on 42% shooting, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.

“Pau’s playing great,” Coach Mike Brown said. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the way he’s playing. He’s still finding his way just like the rest of us are finding our way. He’s scored the ball well for us, he’s rebounded the ball fairly well for us and he’s done a nice job facilitating.”

RELATED:

Pau Gasol handles trade speculation differently than Lamar Odom

Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum have larger responsibilities

Pau Gasol says nothing to Chris Paul

– Mark Medina

E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

The Los Angeles Lakers will host the Houston Rockets January 3 in the Staples Center after a much-needed day of rest. The Lakers split their series with the Denver Nuggets and now they will see a Houston team that is tough to figure out.

Andrew Bynum is never afraid of contact under the bucket.
Photo By Bridget Samuels Wikimedia Commons

The Rockets have a 2-2 record and their games have ranged from a 20-point win over the aging San Antonio Spurs to a 20-point shellacking at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies. This early in the season it is difficult to measure any NBA teams as they play back-to-back games and struggle to learn new offenses and new faces.

The teams with the advantages are teams with little or no personnel changes and teams that have not switched coaches since last season. The Lakers are dealing with both situations and it shows on nights when they play back-to-back like they did with the Nuggets over the New Years holiday.

The Lakers age showed in their game with Denver and the altitude did not help the veteran team. A rested Andrew Bynum contributed in his first two games of the NBA season and he capped off the home and home with Denver by hauling down 16 rebounds and taking the pressure off Pau Gasol down low.

Gasol scored 20 points in the Lakers 99-90 loss to Denver but it shows that the Lakers have a tough time winning when Kobe Bryant gets marginalized by an aggressive defense. Bryant scored 16 points against Denver and this Lakers team must pitch in when Kobe has an off night.

Bryant will be tough to contain against the Rockets with a day of a rest under his belt. Bryant went 1-8 from three-point range and shot a miserable 6-28 overall from the field against the Nuggets in the altitude at Denver but that is already a memory and Bryant will be back in the comfort of Staples Center for his game against the Rockets.

Metta World Peace has been hard to get a handle on early in the season. He went without a point in the first game against the Nuggets and then went 1-4 from three-point territory in the second game while scoring 10 points.

The Lakers three losses early in the season are a concern but there are still 60 games left on the schedule and the Lakers have a deeper team than last year. New free agent acquisitions like Troy Murphy and Josh McRoberts got the Lakers front office laughed at in the off-season but they are making their presence known in the early games.

McRoberts, nicknamed the “White Shadow” by Lakers head coach Mike Brown, is a nice addition off the bench and he has contributed as a change of pace component coming into the game at key times. The season is just beginning and the Lakers nation needs to relax and enjoy watching this team develop into a contender. Starting the season with 10 consecutive wins is nice but this year will be a fun year as the team builds for the post season.

*Todd Jacobs is a native Southern Californian and longtime Los Angeles Lakers fan since the early ’70s.

Sources:

ESPN Clubhouse: Los Angeles Lakers news and stats.

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Dwight Howard was greeted warmly by an emotional group of Orlando Magic fans
during an open scrimmage earlier this month.

A similar scene will surely occur in front of a bigger crowd Monday night.

Howard will play in what could be his final home opener for the Magic when
they meet a Houston Rockets team beginning its season under new coach Kevin
McHale.

Orlando (0-1) is probably seeing the final go-around for a superstar center
for the second time following the departure of Shaquille O’Neal to the Lakers
after the 1995-96 season.

Like O’Neal, Howard led the Magic to one NBA finals appearance but has grown
unhappy with the organization’s inability to surround him with more talent.
Howard averaged a career-best 22.9 points last season and was second in the
league with 14.1 rebounds, and now enters the final season of his contract after
requesting a trade through agent Dan Fegan.

Orlando fans have made their voices heard on their desire to keep the
three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He was greeted by a loud ovation
from about 9,000 fans Dec. 17 during a scrimmage before Howard began his eighth
season with the franchise.

“It was emotional,” Howard said. “It was great to see their reaction. And
like I’ve told you guys from Day 1, I love this city. … When I came here,
everybody called our team the Orlando Tragic. I wanted to change it. Nobody says
tragic anymore.”

Howard struggled in Sunday’s season-opening 97-89 loss at Oklahoma City,
making 4 of 12 shots for 11 points to go with 15 boards.

NBA commissioner David Stern weighed in on the Howard situation Sunday,
saying before the game, “That’s the beauty of the soap opera. How it plays out,
we’ll wait and see.”

The Magic have a good chance of recovering against the Rockets after winning
the last four games in the series by an average of 15.5 points. Howard shot 70.7
percent and averaged 19.5 points and 15.3 rebounds in those games.

Houston is learning that rebuilding without a top-notch center isn’t easy in
the wake of Yao Ming’s retirement. The Rockets tried to acquire Lakers star Pau
Gasol before the season in a three-team trade that involved Chris Paul, but it
was rejected by the league.

Instead, Houston will count on an unheralded roster that includes Luis
Scola, Kyle Lowry and Kevin Martin as well as former Orlando guard Courtney Lee
and newcomer Jonny Flynn.

Houston went 43-39 last season, missing the playoffs for the second straight
year.

“We’ve got a lot of young guys, that you never really know if they’re going
to flow or not,” Scola said. “Hopefully, some of these guys surprise us.”

The Rockets ranked third in the league in scoring last season with 105.9
points per game. McHale, who went 39-55 in two previous coaching stints with
Minnesota, is hoping he can help the team execute even better.

“These guys can make plays,” McHale said. “What we don’t do, and what we’ve
got to get way better at, is a lot of little stuff. We’ve got to cut harder,
we’ve got to set better screens. These guys make shots and plays, they can play
offensive basketball.”

HOUSTON – Rockets general manager Daryl Morey refused to answer
questions Thursday about the three-team deal rejected by the NBA a
week ago, citing legal reasons.

The Rockets would have received Pau Gasol in the proposed deal
that also would have sent All-Star guard Chris Paul to the Lakers.
Lamar Odom was headed to the NBA-owned Hornets, and Houston also
would have sent Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic and a
first-round pick to New Orleans.

The NBA said it killed the deal for “basketball reasons.”

Asked Thursday how he felt about the NBA’s decision, Morey said:
“On the advice of counsel, I can’t talk about it.” He also would
not comment when asked why he had spoken to an attorney, nor would
he reveal if the team was considering legal action against the
league.

“I understand the focus,” Morey said, “but I just can’t comment
right now.”

Morey did say that he has not spoken personally to Commissioner
David Stern about the situation. He said he didn’t know if team
owner Leslie Alexander had spoken to Stern, either.

“I haven’t heard from him,” Morey said.

Paul ended up in Los Angeles anyway, but playing for the
Clippers. The other Los Angeles team acquired Paul on Wednesday
night by trading high-scoring guard Eric Gordon, former All-Star
center Chris Kaman, forward Al-Farouq Aminu and a first-round draft
choice acquired from Minnesota to New Orleans.

The Rockets, meanwhile, play their first preseason game against
San Antonio on Saturday night.

Martin, Scola and Dragic have been practicing with the team all
week, and Morey acknowledged Thursday that the trio was caught in
an “unfair situation.” Martin was Houston’s leading scorer last
season 23.5 points per game) and Scola was the second-leading
scorer (18.3 points per game) and top rebounder (8.2 per game).

“They’re professional,” Morey said. “We love those guys. I’m
sorry they got caught up in it.”

Martin did not speak to reporters after Thursday’s workout, but
the easygoing Scola maintained a positive outlook.

“I can’t worry about that,” Scola said. “There’s nothing I can
do to control that. There’s only one thing I can do, just work
hard, play hard. That’s what I’m doing.”

“I know the team likes me,” he said. “But if they think they’ve
got a chance to improve the team, if they think they’re going to
make the team better by doing a move that I’m in, I’ll have to be
OK with that.”

Morey says he’s confident the Rockets will be competitive this
year, even though the big trade fell through. And he’s still
keeping an eye on potential deals that will make the team
better.

“Even though I can’t comment, Mr. Alexander and I are fighting
hard for the Rockets organization,” Morey said. “Our goal doesn’t
change. It’s to continue to make this team better. Mr. Alexander
has a history of making moves and trying to get us in a position to
make us a championship contender. That’s what we’re going to still
do.”

“We don’t have any excuses,” Morey said. “We’re going to keep
fighting and winning, and we’re going to keep trying to make this
team a team the city can be proud of, and get it back to being a
championship-caliber team.”

The NBA said it killed the deal for “basketball reasons.”

Asked Thursday how he felt about the NBA’s decision, Morey said: “On the advice of counsel, I can’t talk about it.” He also would not comment when asked why he had spoken to an attorney, nor would he reveal if the team was considering legal action against the league.

“I understand the focus,” Morey said, “but I just can’t comment right now.”

Morey did say that he has not spoken personally to Commissioner David Stern about the situation. He said he didn’t know if team owner Leslie Alexander had spoken to Stern, either.

“I haven’t heard from him,” Morey said.

Paul ended up in Los Angeles anyway, but playing for the Clippers. The other Los Angeles team acquired Paul on Wednesday night by trading high-scoring guard Eric Gordon, former All-Star center Chris Kaman, forward Al-Farouq Aminu and a first-round draft choice acquired from Minnesota to New Orleans.

The Rockets, meanwhile, play their first preseason game against San Antonio on Saturday night.

Martin, Scola and Dragic have been practicing with the team all week, and Morey acknowledged Thursday that the trio was caught in an “unfair situation.” Martin was Houston’s leading scorer last season 23.5 points per game) and Scola was the second-leading scorer (18.3 points per game) and top rebounder (8.2 per game).

“They’re professional,” Morey said. “We love those guys. I’m sorry they got caught up in it.”

Martin did not speak to reporters after Thursday’s workout, but the easygoing Scola maintained a positive outlook.

“I can’t worry about that,” Scola said. “There’s nothing I can do to control that. There’s only one thing I can do, just work hard, play hard. That’s what I’m doing.”

“I know the team likes me,” he said. “But if they think they’ve got a chance to improve the team, if they think they’re going to make the team better by doing a move that I’m in, I’ll have to be OK with that.”

Morey says he’s confident the Rockets will be competitive this year, even though the big trade fell through. And he’s still keeping an eye on potential deals that will make the team better.

“Even though I can’t comment, Mr. Alexander and I are fighting hard for the Rockets organization,” Morey said. “Our goal doesn’t change. It’s to continue to make this team better. Mr. Alexander has a history of making moves and trying to get us in a position to make us a championship contender. That’s what we’re going to still do.”

“We don’t have any excuses,” Morey said. “We’re going to keep fighting and winning, and we’re going to keep trying to make this team a team the city can be proud of, and get it back to being a championship-caliber team.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

HOUSTON – Houston Rockets second-round pick Chandler Parsons, forward from Florida, has found that the business of the NBA can be frustrating to say the least.

First Parsons had to deal with the lockout.

Now, after joining the Rockets for training camp, he can’t practice with the team because he has yet to sign his contract.

This is not a story about an NBA player holding out.

The Rockets can’t sign Parsons until they decide how they are going to handle their available salary cap space as they try to improve the team, either through free agency or by trade.

Like every other team in the league the Rockets are trying to get months of work done in a very short amount of time.

It’s fallout from the lockout.

“There are a lot of different scenarios how we would negotiate Chandler’s contract, and because the Rockets are looking at different things, it’s made it difficult how to do Chandler’s deal, said Mark Bartelstein, Parsons’ agent, in an interview with FOX 26 Sports.

“As bad as we want to get Chandler in camp, we’re also trying to be respectful to give them some flexibility.”

Meanwhile Chandler is at practice watching and listening, but not taking part.

“It’s definitely frustrating,” Parsons said. “It’s a tough situation just to have to sit here every day and watch them practice when I’m dying to be out there.

“They’re 100 per cent going to sign me. They just got to figure out how much and the logistics of the deal. That’s not up to me. That’s up to my agent and them.”

Rockets coach Kevin McHale sympathizes with Chandler and all of his young players who are having to deal with a team whose roster is a work in progress.

“Terrible, I feel terrible for him, ” McHale said. “I feel really bad for all of the guys trying to come in here, trying to work for a spot.

“These guys have been CBA guys, D-league, they’ve been over to Europe. This is their shot and we’ve got a game in a couple of days.

“I’m trying to get reps for our main guys. It’s so unfair to those kids and Parsons is right in there with them. What a bad time to be a young guy trying to make a team, especially with a new coaching staff.”

HOUSTON – NBA sources confirm the Houston Rockets are once again trying to land Los Angeles Lakers center Pau Gasol.

He would come to Houston as part of the three-team deal the Rockets have been attempting  to engineer with the Lakers and New Orleans Hornets.

The initial deal had Houston sending forward Luis Scola and guards Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic to New Olreans, with the Hornets sending guard Chris Paul to L.A.

The original deal that was killed by the NBA, also had the Lakers sending forward Lamar Odom to New Orleans, who would also get a 2012 first-round pick via the New York Knicks from the Rockets.

If the trade is to go through additional players may be added to gain the approval of the NBA.

Scola, Martin and Dragic were not allowed to practice with the Rockets on Saturday while the three teams waited for the NBA to approve the deal.

“I faced the media yesterday,” Scola said while laughing during his interview with FOX 26 Sports. “I told them everything I know.

“The same answers apply for today, nothing has changed. I don’t know what’s happening.”

Scola did work out on Saturday, but not with the team.

“I was not allowed to practice,” Scola said. “I was allowed to work out by myself earlier. I did work out. I wait until the last moment to see if I’m finally cleared to practice and they said no.
So I took a shower and I left. There’s nothing more I can say because I really don’t know.”

Scola said he just wants to get on the floor and play basketball and if possible, with the Rockets.

“I just want to play, at this point I just want to play,” Scola said. “I told you yesterday how much I would like to be here in Houston.

“You, me and everybody knows how that is not up to me. At this point since I can’t control where I’m going to play, all I want is to play.”

Scola said it is not easy being patient through this process.

“I’ve been waiting five months to play and finally when the day comes they don’t let me practice,” Scola said. “At this point I just want to play and hopefully it’s in Houston.

“I’m just sorry I can’t tell you more, because I don’t have any more. This will go through the night and tomorrow I wil go to Toyota Center.”

And Scola may be able to return to practice with the team of his choice-the Houston Rockets.

ESPN reported late Saturday night the Lakers have ended their efforts to acquire Chris Paul, which would also put an end to the three-team trade involving the Rockets and Hornets.
 

Chuck Hayes(notes) has been toiling for the Houston Rockets for six seasons and now appears ready to move on. The word from ESPN is that the 6-6, 238-pounder has been offered a four-year, $20 million contract by the Sacramento Kings that the team feels he’ll accept.

Fox Sports Houston has it that Hayes would like to return to the Rockets but doesn’t want to wait while the team sorts out all of its other free-agent possibilities.

“I talked to (Rockets general manager) Daryl Morey tonight and they need more time,” said Hayes’ agent, Calvin Andrews, on Wednesday, according to Fox. “So they are asking us for more time. I don’t know if Chuck can give them more time beyond tomorrow morning probably. I think tomorrow is D-Day.”

Hayes averaged 7.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 28:06 minutes per game last season.

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Related: Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings

The worst kept secret in the NBA Development League became official on Friday when the Houston Rockets announced Rio Grande Valley Vipers coach Chris Finch has joined the NBA team as an assistant to coach Kevin McHale.

“Obviously, I’m excited and grateful for this opportunity from Kevin and the Rockets,” Finch said. “I’ve always strived to focus on the job I’ve had and maximize the things that I need to do. I’m looking forward to working with a quality staff and a quality organization.”

The news of Finch’s departure is not new. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey told the Houston Chronicle last month that Finch had been hired as and an assistant to McHale. However, Friday was the first day Finch had spoken about his new job.

The Rockets announced the hiring of Finch, Kelvin Sampson, J.B. Bickerstaff and Brett Gunning as McHale’s assistants on Friday. Sampson will be the Rockets’ lead assistant coach.

Finch coached the Vipers the past two seasons, leading them to the NBA Development League Finals each time. The Vipers won the 2009-10 league title in his first season. Finch believes those accomplishments had an impact on the Rockets’ decision to give him a chance to coach in the NBA.

“Our success was certainly the catalyst for this opportunity,” Finch said.

Finch said he’ll fondly look back at his time in the Valley and not only because of the team’s success.

“I’ll remember the people, without a doubt,” Finch said. “It was one of the most warm and welcoming places where we’ve ever lived. It’s always a thrill when you have a team that wins and produces excitement and creates something that the community could be proud of.”

After controlling his own roster moves in previous years in Europe, Finch said coaching the Vipers allowed him to transition out of that routine because the Rockets dictated most of the personnel transactions.  He said that was one of the most difficult things he had to do.

“I had to embrace it,” Finch said. “This is what I signed up for and I had to manage it. It was not an easy thing to do, but it was done with a higher purpose. … If you want to coach at the highest level, you are not going to have control of the team.”

The Rockets have long considered Finch an NBA coaching candidate since his arrival to the Valley. Houston hired Finch, who also coaches the British national team, from Europe where he had a successful coaching career and brought him to the Valley shortly after the Rockets obtained the basketball operating rights for the Vipers two summers ago.

“It’s very rewarding to see his growth in terms of coming back to the states and the level of success that he had,” said Gersson Rosas, who serves as both the Vipers general manager and Rockets vice president for player personnel.  “He helped out team become one of the top D-League teams. … His body of work speaks for itself. The D-League is a hard platform to be successful with the travel, injuries, roster turnover. I felt like we had a highly-qualified candidate.”

McHale said that Finch impressed him during the Rockets’ draft preparation.

“I had an opportunity to work with Chris Finch a few weeks leading up to the draft, and I am very impressed with his success in the D-League and internationally,” McHale said in a news release.

Rosas said the search for Finch’s replacement would begin soon. The Rockets plan to take a similar approach to filling the spot that they did when the hired Finch — find someone they could develop into an NBA coach. Finch’s assistants with the Vipers, Paul Mokeski and Jai Steadman, don’t appear to be top candidates, however they could be retained as assistants.

“It’s going to be a very thorough process,” Rosas said. “We’ll talk to our current coaches. We value the continuity. They have been a part of it. It will ultimately come down to the next head coach. As of now, those situations haven’t been decided.”

 David Hinojosa covers the Rio Grande Valley Vipers for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4442.

HOUSTON – The Houston Rockets hired a Hall of Fame power forward to coach the team, then added more big men to play for him during Thursday night’s NBA draft.

Houston drafted Kansas star Marcus Morris and Florida standout Chandler Parsons, and added 7-foot Lithuanian Donatas Motiejunas in a deal with Minnesota that also brought point guard Jonny Flynn to the Rockets. Houston dealt backup center Brad Miller to Minnesota.

It was fitting that Houston would swing a deal with the Timberwolves after hiring Kevin McHale to replace Rick Adelman. McHale was the former vice president of basketball operations in Minnesota and also had two stints as the team’s coach.

“Kevin just wanted people taller than him,” general manager Daryl Morey joked.

But the Rockets did seem to be looking for size with Yao Ming’s status in doubt. The top overall pick in 2002, the 7-foot-6 Yao is an unrestricted free agent and has been plagued with foot and leg injuries in recent years. He’s played in only five games in the past two seasons.

Morey said the Rockets will wait to see how Yao recovers from a stress fracture in his left ankle before the franchise makes any decisions about his future. And Morey said Yao’s situation had little bearing on the team’s moves.

“We went with who we thought was the best guy there each time,” Morey said. “We’re a team trying to re-establish our foundation. We don’t feel like we can look at our roster and pick a player for a certain place. We just thought those were the best players we could get at that time.”

The 6-foot-9 Morris was drafted immediately after his twin older brother, Markieff, was taken by Phoenix at No. 13. Marcus Morris was named the Big 12 player of the year after averaging 17.2 points and 7.6 rebounds in 38 games for the Jayhawks in the 2010-11 season.

“I bring a lot of toughness to the game, a lot of energy,” Morris said. “I feel that my presence is felt wherever I play. I’m a scorer and I can defend a lot of positions.”

The Timberwolves selected the 7-foot Motiejunas with the 20th pick, setting the trade in motion.

Motiejunas is playing his second season with the Italian club Benetton Treviso, and has averaged 13.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and two steals in 30 regular-season games.

Morey said he and McHale were impressed by Motiejunas’ low-post skills.

“He’s been a top player in Europe, really high upside, really mobile,” Morey said. “He has a perimeter offensive game as well, and he can really move his feet on the defensive end.”

The Rockets used the 23rd overall pick on Nikola Mirotic, a forward from Montenegro. Mirotic is in his first season with Real Madrid.

Houston initially sent the 38th overall pick to Minnesota, then bought it back to take the 6-9 Parsons, another forward. Morey hopes that Parsons blossoms like Chase Budinger, a second-round pick in 2009. Budinger averaged 9.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in 78 games last season.

“He (Chase) proved that he was better than other players on our team, other draft picks we took that year,” Morey said. “Chandler is another guy we got for a very good price, and someone who can potentially win minutes over time.”

The Rockets were glad to find a taker for Miller, who is due to make almost $10 million over the next two seasons. But the additions of Morris, Motiejunas and Parsons crowd the roster at the forward position, leaving McHale and Morey to make some decisions before the season begins.

Chuck Hayes, also a free agent, has played in 156 of 164 games over the past two seasons and Luis Scola has been a regular starter for the bulk of the last four years. Houston also drafted Patrick Patterson with the 14th pick last season, and picked up Jordan Hill in a trade with New York in February 2010.

“We’ve challenged the roster a little bit, in terms of the total number of guys and the different positions,” Morey said. “But we’d rather have the problem of too much talent, too many good players, than too little and we’re just happy everything is balanced.”

Morris shot 57 percent from the field and topping 20 points in 12 games for Kansas last season. Parsons averaged 11.3 points and 7.8 rebounds in 36 games for Florida.

The 235-pound Morris says he’s open to slimming down and moving to a small forward spot, if that’s what the Rockets need from him.

“I think I can just get in there and fit wherever they want me to play,” Morris said.

HOUSTON — Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander officially introduced Kevin McHale as the team’s new coach on Friday.

Alexander says he has found a “leader of men” and the “perfect fit” in the former Boston Celtics great.

The 53-year-old McHale replaces Rick Adelman, who parted ways with the team after four seasons. The Rockets have missed the playoffs the past two seasons.

McHale was working as a television analyst. He says he missed the competition and set a playoff berth as an immediate goal.

A seven-time all-star, McHale helped Boston win three NBA championships during a 13-year playing career. McHale then worked 16 seasons as an executive with the Minnesota Timberwolves, including two stints as interim head coach.