HOUSTON
– Samuel Dalembert had 14 points and 12 rebounds, Luis Scola also scored 14 and the Houston Rockets beat the Detroit Pistons 97-80 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight victory.

Kyle Lowry had 13 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Rockets, who outrebounded the Pistons 42-35 to offset 21 turnovers. Houston shot 49 percent (40 of 81) from the field and scored 21 points off 17 offensive rebounds.

Tayshaun Prince scored 20 points, Ben Gordon had 18 and Rodney Stuckey added 16 off the bench for the Pistons, who’ve dropped eight of nine.

The Pistons missed six of their first seven shots as the Rockets built an early lead. Detroit coach Lawrence Frank was hoping to strengthen his team’s interior defense by starting Ben Wallace, but Dalembert had three dunks in the first 9 minutes.

Chandler Parsons swooped in for another slam, and Lowry cut inside for a layup as the Rockets used a 13-2 spurt to take a 24-10 lead. Houston helped Detroit with six turnovers in the quarter, and the Pistons cut the deficit to eight by the start of the second.

The Rockets got sloppy again just before halftime, and the Pistons closed the gap to 42-38. Lowry made a 3 in the final 30 seconds of the half, and Houston led 47-40 at the break.

Lowry hit three 3s in the game, and Houston finished 8 for 19 from beyond the arc.

Detroit missed 12 of its first 16 shots in the third quarter, and the Rockets stretched the margin to 62-49. Houston has held double-digit leads in seven consecutive games, its longest streak since the 2008-09 season.

The Rockets controlled the boards early in the fourth quarter to preserve a comfortable lead. Backup point guard Goran Dragic turned two steals into breakaway layups to extend the gap to 80-66 with just under 7 minutes left.

Dragic found a cutting Parsons for a two-handed dunk with 2:45 remaining to make it 89-72. Dragic sank a 3-pointer a minute later to give Houston its biggest lead of the game, 92-74.

The Rockets improved to 5-1 at home, and 4-1 against Eastern Conference teams this season. The Pistons are 0-9 this season when they get outrebounded.

NOTES: Houston has won 17 consecutive games when holding its opponent below 90 points. … Dalembert recorded his second double-double of the season. … Rockets G Courtney Lee returned after sitting out eight games with a right calf strain. F Jordan Hill left with flu-like symptoms and did not return. … Wallace made his first start of the season at power forward, replacing Jonas Jerebko. Frank says he’ll try the switch for “a period of games.” … Pistons G Will Bynum sat out for the second straight game with a strained right foot. … The Pistons are 0-10 when trailing after the first quarter, and 0-11 when trailing after three quarters this season.

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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CBSSports.com wire reports
Jan. 16, 2012

WASHINGTON — The Washington Wizards have the NBA’s worst record, and their coach believes some of the players are trying to be too flashy.

Early in the third quarter of a 114-106 loss to the Houston Rockets, Washington center JaVale McGee had a breakaway. Instead of choosing simply to dunk, McGee, who finished second in the NBA’s dunk contest last February, threw the ball against the backboard and stuffed it.

His coach, Flip Saunders, glared at him and watched as the Rockets promptly turned a four-point lead into a 19-point advantage. McGee sat out the last nine minutes of the game while John Wall’s 38 points made it somewhat competitive.

Saunders couldn’t hide his disdain for his fourth-year center’s antics.

“That’s unacceptable. Maybe I’m too old school. Save that for the All-Star game,” Saunders said. “We have some players that look for highlights instead of substance.”

Washington lost for the 12th time in 13 games, and its next four games are against Oklahoma City, Denver, Boston and Philadelphia.

“Apparently if you get a fast break and throw it off the backboard in the third quarter and you’re 1-11, you’re not supposed to do stuff like that,” McGee said.

Saunders has called out his 22-year-old center several times for showboat plays. McGee defended his play, and said he didn’t regret it.

“I feel like I was trying to get the team hyped and make a good play. I felt like we did that – and we went on a run there,” McGee said.

Actually, Washington didn’t start their run until the fourth quarter — with McGee on the bench. Wall’s 18 points in the quarter cut the Rockets’ lead to five with 4:47 remaining.

“They made a little run on us, but part of that was just our turnovers and we missed some shots,” Houston coach Kevin McHale said. “I was mildly concerned, but I thought our guys would get it back.”

Kevin Martin scored 25 points and Samuel Dalembert added 20 for the Rockets.

Wall scored his career-high 38 on 13-of-22 shooting. He began the game making under 35 percent this season.

“I know it’s great to have those type of numbers, but it don’t mean nothing if you don’t have a win, so I just think I had a good game, but I didn’t get the win,” Wall said.

Luis Scola had 18 and Kyle Lowry had 16 for the Rockets in their highest-scoring game of the season.

Houston outscored the Wizards 25-6 during an eight-minute stretch in the third quarter. Dalembert hit all six of his shots in the period.

The Rockets made 25 of 26 foul shots in winning their third straight game.

Martin hit all 10 of his free throws. In Saturday’s win against Portland, he made 12 of 13. He also had a career-high eight assists against the Wizards.

In his first 11 games this season, Martin averaged 3.4 free-throw attempts per game — well below his career average. He says he’s adjusting to a new NBA rule that restricts shooting fouls.

“I’ve got to adapt to it,” Martin said. “Just be aggressive. If they want to give me the call, they will. If not, I’ve got to find other ways.”

Washington lost despite its highest point total of the season. Jordan Crawford had 17 points.

Crawford ended the first quarter with a 38-foot 3-point shot to give Washington a 28-27 lead. In the second quarter, Houston went on a 17-4 run to take a 52-44 lead with 3:32 remaining.

Notes

• Washington F Andray Blatche, who missed three games with a sprained right shoulder, returned and had 11 points and 12 rebounds. Blatche and Wall were assessed with technical fouls within a minute in the third quarter.
• Wizards F Rashard Lewis was out with a sore right knee.
• Rockets swingman Courtney Lee missed his eighth straight game with a strained right calf.
• McHale fired Saunders when he was general manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves in February 2005. It was their first on-court meeting as NBA coaches.
• The Rockets have held double-digit leads in their last six games. Last year, they never had double-digit leads in more than five straight.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have gotten a couple of much-needed days off
following one of the most hectic opening schedules in the league. They won’t get
any more rest this weekend.

They’ll play three games in three days beginning with a home-and-home series
against the Houston Rockets that starts Friday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Oklahoma City was one of two teams along with the Los Angeles Lakers to play
seven games in the first 10 days of the season, and the Thunder (5-2) appeared
to show signs of fatigue toward the end of that stretch.

They dropped back-to-back games following their first 5-0 start since
winning six in a row to open the 1998-99 season when they were the Seattle
SuperSonics.

Oklahoma City averaged 90.0 points and shot 41.9 percent over its two
defeats after averaging 102.0 points on 48.0 percent shooting during the
unbeaten start. The Thunder are 10 for 39 (25.6 percent) from 3-point range in
two games this month after leading the Western Conference in December at 41.7
percent.

They haven’t played since Tuesday, when Kevin Durant was 1 of 7 on 3-point
tries and missed 18 of 26 shots overall in a 103-93 loss to Portland. While
Durant had 19 points for his second-lowest total of the season, James Harden
scored a team-best 23 starting for an ill Thabo Sefolosha.

“We definitely miss (Sefolosha), but there are no excuses,” coach Scott
Brooks said. “We have enough in our locker room to get the job done. … We just
have to play better. We understand that sometimes it takes a tough loss.”

The two-day break could lead to an improved performance Friday, as could a
matchup with a Rockets team which is winless in four road games. Oklahoma City
has won four of five over Houston (2-4), including three straight at home by
double digits.

The teams meet again Saturday night at the Toyota Center before the Thunder
host San Antonio on Sunday.

“Three in a row is going to be tough, but it’s something we’ve got to fight
through,” Durant said. “The two days off before is going to help.”

Durant reached 30 points in each of the first four games but hasn’t done so
in the last three, averaging 19.3. He’s scored at least 30 in the last two
matchups with the Rockets.

“I’m a scorer, so I can’t get down on one game,” the two-time scoring
champion said. “I can’t let it snowball to the next.”

Houston, meanwhile, is trying to salvage the end of a three-game trip that
included its most lopsided defeat of the season, 117-89 to the Los Angeles
Clippers on Wednesday.

The Rockets gave up 41 points in the first quarter – the most allowed by any
team in one period this season – and scored 14 in the fourth, their fewest in
one period.

“We made mistakes offensively and defensively,” said guard Kyle Lowry, who
scored a team-high 17 points. “It’s just something we’ve got to figure out. We
can’t have nights like this. It was a terrible day for us.”

Lowry was one of six players in double figures during Houston’s lone win
over Oklahoma City last season, 99-98 on Nov. 28, 2010. Kevin Martin had a
team-best 23 points and has averaged 23.3 over his last 15 matchups with the
Thunder.

Martin has averaged 12.8 points in Houston’s four road losses, compared to
26.0 in its two home wins.

After two days of rest , the Oklahoma City Thunder will play the Houston Rockets on Jan. 6. After starting the season with a five-game winning streak, the Thunder have dropped two straight games, one each to the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trailblazers.

Perhaps a streaky season will the norm since teams will be playing 66 games in just over four months. That averages to one game every two days for most teams. With not many breaks, players may get exhausted even faster because of the grind of the schedule.

Hopefully that will favor the younger Oklahoma City squad bolstered by stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The downside is that with fewer games, there are fewer opportunities to climb back into playoff contention or to get a higher seed in the playoffs. A loss here and a loss there will be more critical with fewer games on the schedule.

How the Thunder respond to their two-game losing streak will be an early determination of their playoff hopes. The Northwest Division is a tough one yet again with three teams competing for the division crown. The Trailblazers and Denver Nuggets are right there with the Thunder in the first part of the season.

Last year, the same three teams made the playoffs. It is still early in the season. Yet the Western Conference is already shaking out differently in 2012. The Southwest Division has San Antonio with the only winning record in the division. The Pacific Division had just one playoff team last year, but now has both Los Angeles franchises at the top.

Expect some early swings in division leads and playoff seeds. By the time the All-Star break comes around, there may finally be some distance between teams in terms of division leaders and playoff wannabes.

Still, it behooves head coach Scott Brooks and everyone on the Thunder to take a look at how they won five games and then lost two. With Denver and Portland breathing down their necks, the Thunder can ill afford to have many more losses lest they dig an insurmountable hole. The team has to mature quickly and play at an even keel if they are to make the playoffs for the third straight year.

William Browning is a fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder ever since the team relocated from Seattle. As the closest NBA team to Branson, Mo., the Thunder serve as the regional team for southwest Missouri.

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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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LOS ANGELES — Blake Griffin had 22 points and nine rebounds before sitting out most of the fourth quarter, Chris Paul added 20 points and 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Clippers cruised to a 117-89 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

Paul shot 9 for 14 and had three steals, extending his streak to 14 consecutive games with at least one. Reserve guard Randy Foye locked it up by scoring 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. And center DeAndre Jordan had eight rebounds and seven points in 28 minutes, while failing to block an opponents’ shot for the first time in his last 19 games.

Chauncey Billups returned to the lineup, playing his first home game with the Clippers after sitting out two games because of a sore groin. He scored 13 points in 22 minutes. The five-time All-Star, claimed from the New York Knicks in a waiver auction Dec. 12, averaged 16 points in his first two games with the club.

Kyle Lowry had 17 points and five assists for the Rockets, who won 25 of their previous 31 games against the Clippers and held them under 100 points in 14 of the previous 15 meetings. Houston’s two best defensive efforts last season – in terms of lowest field goal percentage by an opponent – were against the Clippers. Los Angeles shot 36.4 percent in a 96-83 loss, and 34.7 percent in a 99-78 defeat.

The Rockets played without reserve swingman Courtney Lee, who injured his right calf Tuesday night on a non-contact play in the fourth quarter of a 108-99 loss to the Lakers.

Paul, who averaged 20.6 points and 10.0 assists in his previous 16 games against Houston while playing for the New Orleans Hornets, had 11 points and six assists in the first quarter to help the Clippers build a 67-55 halftime lead. Los Angeles ended the half shooting 67.5 percent while committing four of its seven turnovers.

Reserve guard Ryan Gomes beat the first-quarter buzzer with a 17-footer from the left baseline for a 41-26 margin. The Rockets narrowed the gap to 47-40 on Lowry’s 3-pointer with 7:38 left in the second quarter, but got no closer the rest of the game as the Clippers pulled away in the third.

Griffin, who went to the bench for good with 10:17 remaining, finished with 16 points in the paint – including a dunk off an alley-oop pass from Paul to cap an 18-7 run and give Los Angeles a 85-62 cushion with 5:47 left in the third.

Houston coach Kevin McHale then emptied his bench during the ensuing timeout, and the Rockets scored the next four points. Moments later, Griffin and reserve center Samuel Dalembert nearly got into it under the Clippers’ basket before they were separated by Jordan.

The fourth quarter became a showcase for Foye, who scored 10 points in the first 3:42 to help the Clippers increase a 15-point lead to 102-76. He added a layup to make it a 30-point advantage with 5:07 to play.

Notes: Sitting in the second-row across from the Rockets’ bench were Steve Garvey and Orel Hershiser, who are in a group that is trying to purchase the Dodgers from Frank McCourt. Among their competition is Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. … Rockets reserve F Marcus Morris, the 14th pick in the draft, has played only 17 minutes in the team’s first six games. Twin brother Markieff, drafted one spot ahead of him by Phoenix, has played 117 minutes through the Suns’ first six games. … This is the fifth time the Rockets have played the Clippers and Lakers back-to-back at Staples Center on the same trip since the building opened in 1999-00, and the first time they lost both. They came out with a split the other four times. … Griffin set a Clippers record for double-doubles last season with 63, including all four games against Houston – including a 24-point, 18-rebound effort the first time he faced them.

Blake Griffin and Chris Paul team up to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 117-89 demolition of the Houston Rockets Thursday morning (Manila time).
 

Griffin had 22 points and nine rebounds while Paul went for a double-double with 20 points and 10 assists to hand the Rockets their fourth loss in six outings.

By Staff and wire report

The Associated Press

Published January 5, 2012

LOS ANGELES — The Clippers are more than just Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and a no-name supporting cast.

Ask the Houston Rockets.

Griffin had 22 points and nine rebounds before sitting out most of the fourth quarter, Paul added 20 points and 10 assists, and the Clippers cruised to a 117-89 victory over Houston on Wednesday night.

But it was the combined efforts of Chauncey Billups, DeAndre Jordan, Caron Butler and reserve guard Randy Foye that helped turn the game into a laugher.

“We have so many weapons. And when guys are hitting shots, it’s tough to stop us,” Griffin said. “With Chauncey and Caron (Butler) and D.J. at the rim, it’s hard to guard all those things. So most of the time we get open looks and high-percentage shots. The key is just not forcing shots.”

Paul was 9 for 14 from the field and had three steals, extending his streak to 14 consecutive games with at least one. Foye locked it up by scoring 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. Jordan had eight rebounds and seven points in 28 minutes, failing to block an opponents’ shot for the first time in his last 19 games.

Billups returned to the lineup, playing his first home game with the Clippers after sitting out two because of a sore groin. He scored 13 points in 22 minutes. The five-time All-Star, claimed from the New York Knicks in a waiver auction Dec. 12, averaged 16 points in his first two games with the club.

“He just gives us another solid guard — and a great guard,” Griffin said. “He always takes care of the ball, he gets good shots and gets everyone else involved. Having a guy like that, it’s hard to put a price on that.”

Billups was instrumental in the Clippers holding Kevin Martin to 14 points, after he averaged 23.8 over his previous four games. Martin took only nine shots in 25½ minutes.

“It was a team thing, and it started with Chauncey,” Griffin said. “But every time Martin got in the lane, DeAndre was making him take tough shots. Martin is a great player. Tonight he missed a few shots that he normally hits. We were fortunate, but we did a good job on him.”

Kyle Lowry had 17 points and five assists for the Rockets, who won 25 of their previous 31 games against the Clippers and held them under 100 points in 14 of the previous 15 meetings. Houston played without reserve swingman Courtney Lee, who injured his right calf Tuesday night in a 108-99 loss to the Lakers.

“We struggled with everything tonight,” forward Luis Scola said. “We came in here and weren’t ready to play, and this is what happens when you don’t play hard. I don’t know how to explain it. What you do about it the next game shows what kind of team you are.”

Houston’s two best defensive efforts last season — in terms of lowest field goal percentage by an opponent — were against the Clippers. Los Angeles shot 36.4 percent in a 96-83 loss, and 34.7 percent in a 99-78 defeat.

“We made mistakes offensively and defensively,” Lowry said. “It’s just something we’ve got to figure out. We can’t have nights like this. It was a terrible day for us.”

Paul, who averaged 20.6 points and 10.0 assists in his previous 16 games against Houston while playing for the New Orleans Hornets, had 11 points and six assists in the first quarter to help the Clippers build a 67-55 halftime lead. Los Angeles ended the half shooting 67.5 percent while committing four of its seven turnovers.

Reserve guard Ryan Gomes beat the first-quarter buzzer with a 17-footer from the left baseline for a 41-26 margin. The Rockets narrowed the gap to 47-40 on Lowry’s 3-pointer with 7:38 left in the second quarter, but got no closer the rest of the game as the Clippers pulled away in the third.

Griffin, who went to the bench for good with 10:17 remaining, finished with 16 points in the paint — including a dunk off an alley-oop pass from Paul to cap an 18-7 run and give Los Angeles a 85-62 cushion with 5:47 left in the third.

“It’s been great playing with him,” Paul said. “He is a workhorse. I saw that when I played against him, but playing on the same team with him, you really appreciate how hard he works. But it’s our job as guards — me, Chauncey and the other guards — not to make him have to work so hard. We’re here to make his job easier, so that’s what we’re going to continue to try to do.”

Houston coach Kevin McHale emptied his bench during the ensuing timeout, and the Rockets scored the next four points. Moments later, Griffin and reserve center Samuel Dalembert nearly got into it under the Clippers’ basket before they were separated by Jordan.

The fourth quarter became a showcase for Foye, who scored 10 points in the first 3:42 to help the Clippers increase a 15-point lead to 102-76. He added a layup to make it a 30-point advantage with 5:07 to play.

Notes: Sitting in the second row across from the Rockets’ bench were Steve Garvey and Orel Hershiser, who are in a group that is trying to purchase the Dodgers from Frank McCourt. Among their competition is Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. … Rockets reserve F Marcus Morris, the 14th pick in the draft, has played only 17 minutes in the team’s first six games. Twin brother Markieff, drafted one spot ahead of him by Phoenix, has played 117 minutes through the Suns’ first six games. … This is the fifth time the Rockets have played the Clippers and Lakers back-to-back at Staples Center on the same trip since the building opened in 1999-00, and the first time they lost both. They came out with a split the other four times.

---

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

The Houston Rockets are sending first-round pick Marcus Morris to the team’s D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Morris will play with the Vipers when they take the floor this weekend. Per the Houston Chronicle: “With Marcus Morris sliding out of Kevin McHale’s rotation and the Rockets not scheduled for another practice until next week, the team will send the rookie to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Tuesday. ‘Fortunately, we’re a team it’s very hard to come in as a rookie and play,’ Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said. ‘We like all our young players to go through a process before they get on the floor. Marcus is someone with very high level of talent and someone we feel will benefit greatly from playing and working on his game.’ With Patrick Patterson hurt, Morris had been working at power forward. Morey said that at RGV Morris will be able to play at small forward. ‘Our focus for Marcus is to work on his defense and his offense at the three,’ Morey said. ‘We feel he has ability to play both positions.’”

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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January 3, 2012 – NBA Development League (D-League)
NEW YORK, Jan. 3, 2012 – The Houston Rockets assigned forward Marcus Morris to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets’ NBA D-League affiliate, it was announced today. The assignments mark the eleventh time in the 2011-12 season an NBA player has been assigned to an NBA D-League affiliate. It marks the first assignment for Morris.

Morris (6-9, 235) is in his rookie season and has appeared in three games this season with the Rockets. Selected by the Rockets with the 14th overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft out of Kansas, he was selected as the Big 12 Player of the Year and the Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Player last season.

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NBA Development League Stories from January 3, 2012

• Reno’s Blake Ahearn and Andre Emmett Named Co-Performers of the Week – D-League

• Wizards Partner with Touchstone Energy Co-ops – Dakota Wizards

• Mad Ants and Erie Conduct Trade – Fort Wayne Mad Ants

• NBA D-League Update – D-League

• San Antonio Spurs Assign Cory Joseph to NBA D-League Affiliate Austin Toros – D-League

• Erie Acquires Phillips, Jr. from Fort Wayne – Erie BayHawks

• Houston Rockets Assign Marcus Morris to Rio Grande Valley – D-League

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

By Eric Stephen

– Managing Editor

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Jan 2, 2012 – The Los Angeles Lakers look to rebound from Sunday’s loss as they welcome the Houston Rockets to Staples Center on Tuesday night. The Lakers have split their first six games of the season, which were played in a span of eight days, including a weekend split against the Denver Nuggets with each team winning at home.

Kobe Bryant made just six of 28 shots in Sunday’s 99-90 road loss to the Nuggets, and has made just 12 of 46 field goals (26.1%) in the last two games. Bryant also had six turnovers on Sunday night and missed seven of his eight three-point attempts. Per the great Basketball-Reference, no Laker in the last 27 years has shot so many times and made so few as Kobe did on Sunday night, the only Laker to miss more than 20 shots in a game during that span.

The game was so bad it prompted C.A. Clark at Silver Screen and Roll to label Kobe’s effort “the culmination of every negative Kobe Bryant stereotype you’ve ever heard. It was one of the most actively selfish games you will ever see in the game of basketball, in part because if most any other player tried to get away with what Kobe did tonight, the coach would pull said player in a heartbeat.”

Andrew Bynum has been strong in his return to the Lakers after missing the first four games via suspension. After grabbing 29 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks in Saturday’s home win over Denver, Bynum followed it up the next night with 18 points, 16 rebounds, and one block. He has made 20 of his 30 field goal attempts in his two games.

The Lakers won their season series against the Rockets last season, and have won the season series against Houston in each of the last three years. The Lakers have beaten the Rockets in eight of their last 10 meetings. Kevin Martin leads the Rockets in scoring so far this season, averaging 19.3 points per contest. Perhaps Martin can pose for a photo with teammate Luis Scola (15.5 points, 5.8 rebounds per game) and Pau Gasol in a Chris Paul trade ‘what if’ stance.

The Rockets (2-2) have played just four games to date, winning both of their home games and losing both of their road contests. They have been off for two days after beating the previously unbeaten Atlanta Hawks at home on Saturday.

Tuesday’s 7:30 p.m. PST game will be televised by Fox Sports West. For more Lakers basketball news and information, be sure to read Silver Screen and Roll.

Read More: Kevin Martin (G – HOU), Pau Gasol (C – LAL), Andrew Bynum (C – LAL), Kobe Bryant (G – LAL), Luis Scola (F – HOU), Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers, Jan 3, 2012 7:30 PM PST

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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.

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.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Read More: Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks saw their winning streak snapped with a 95-84 loss to the Houston Rockets to begin a three game road trip.

One of the problems with falling behind early is that it forces a team to play from behind which uses up more energy. The Hawks were lacking in that department Saturday night as they were slow to cut off penetration, slow on help defense and slow on closing out on shooters. The result was nine three pointers made for the Rockets and seemingly one to hold the Hawks at bay every single time they threatened.

Atlanta cut the Houston lead to 79-73 with 5:18 remaining only to see a Josh Smith turnover lead to a Jordan Hill layup and later after a Joe Johnson offensive foul, Chase Budinger’s three pointer put the Rockets back up 84-73.

Kevin Martin turned in his third straight solid performance pouring in 27 points while shooting 6-11 from beyond-the-arc. Luis Scola finished with 21 points and seven rebounds. Chase Budinger finished with 17 points while Jordan Hill scored 11 and grabbed 15 rebounds. Point guard Kyle Lowry didn’t make a field goal in the game but was a huge factor by dishing out a NBA season-high 18 assists.

Joe Johnson and Al Horford led Atlanta with 15 points each. Tracy McGrady added 13 points and six rebounds off the bench while Josh Smith added 12 points and seven rebounds. Jeff Teague finished with six points and five assists but had only attempted one field goal through the first three quarters of the game finishing 3-7.

For more on this game Atlanta fans should check out Peachtree Hoops, Houston Rockets fans should stop by The Dream Shake. For updates on everything NBA Basketball, fans should check out SB Nation’s NBA Basketball hub.

Read More: Joe Johnson (G – ATL), Marvin Williams (F – ATL), Josh Smith (F – ATL), Kevin Martin (G – HOU), Kyle Lowry (G – HOU), Al Horford (C – ATL), Luis Scola (F – HOU), Jeff Teague (G – ATL), Chase Budinger (F – HOU), Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks survived an early barrage of hot shooting from the Houston Rockets and trail 51-44 at halftime. The Hawks went inside in the second quarter and briefly pulled to within three points before three point buckets from Kevin Martin and Chase Budinger gave the Rockets some cushion.

Houston hit half of their 10 attempts from beyond-the-arc in the first half on their way to 46 percent shooting. The Rockets also hold a 24-20 rebounding advantage that includes seven on the offensive glass. The Hawks got to the free throw line 10 times in the first half but failed to capitalize by only hitting five.

Josh Smith leads Atlanta with 10 points and four rebounds but was one of the main culprits in Atlanta’s free throw woes going just 2-6. Joe Johnson hit half of his eight attempts and has nine points to go along with two assists and two blocked shots. Marvin Williams and Al Horford each finished the half with eight points. Jeff Teague didn’t attempt a shot in the first half and has four assists. Atlanta will need him to be much more aggressive in the second half.

Kevin Martin leads all scorers with 13 points including 3-4 from three-point range. Luis Scola went to the bench early in the second with three personal fouls but has 10 points. Chase Budinger also has 10 points for Houston. Kyle Lowry is scoreless in the game but has had an impact with nine first half assists.

For more on this game Atlanta fans should check out Peachtree Hoops, Houston Rocketsfans should stop by The Dream Shake. For updates on everything NBA Basketball, fans should check out SB Nation’s NBA Basketball hub.