Houston Rockets too fast for Oklahoma City Thunder
Rockets 105 Thunder 94
BY MIKE BALDWIN, Staff Writer, mbaldwin@opubco.com
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Published: November 7, 2009
HOUSTON — After Aaron Brooks buzzed down the lane for a back-door layup, the scoreboard blared the Road Runner "beep, beep” sound track.
Thunder center Nenad Krstic (12) drives the ball between Houston’s Shane Battier, left, and Chuck Hayes during the Rockets’ 105-94 win Friday in Houston. AP PHOTO
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That play epitomized the Rockets’ 105-94 win over the Thunder on Friday at the
Toyota Center.
Switching to a faster, up-tempo offense with
Yao Ming out for the season, the Rockets scored 22 fast-break points and 54 in-the-paint points. They led
Oklahoma City by double digits most of the game.
Houston’s in-the-paint points, though, no longer are traditional, bang-inside baskets. The Rockets thrived on "beep, beep” flash-to-the-basket points and fast-break points when the Thunder failed to get back on defense.
"I think it would surprise people how fast they play,” said Thunder guard
Russell Westbrook. "They’ve picked up the pace. They’re running the floor. Even their bigs are running.”
Without Yao, the Rockets suddenly are the smallest team in the league. Their starting center is 6-foot-6
Chuck Hayes.
Many predicted gloom and doom for Houston, with Yao out,
Tracy McGrady sidelined again and
Ron Artest now with the Lakers.
Houston coach
Rick Adelman adjusted his offensive philosophy. At 4-2, the Rockets are one of the early-season surprises.
"That team is good,” said Thunder coach
Scott Brooks. "They have smart, physical, playoff-tested, experienced players. They play extremely hard. They play together. They pass the ball as well as any team in basketball.”
The Thunder discovered that lesson the hard way, first in a lopsided preseason loss last month and again Friday night when Adelman’s
Princeton, back-door-cut offense carved up OKC’s defense.
"We had great effort defensively the first four games. But anytime a team shoots 54 percent that’s not good,” Brooks said.
Brooks and
Trevor Ariza combined for 32 points and 12 assists.
Carl Landry’s quick bursts produced 21 points. When help-side defense broke down, the main beneficiary was
Luis Scola (19 points).
Westbrook (33 points) and
Kevin Durant (27) provided an offensive spark, but they were the only two Thunder players in double figures.
Oklahoma City played catch-up all night. Houston led 50-45 at halftime, 80-69 after three quarters.
"We couldn’t stay up with the ball. But give them credit,” Brooks said. "They have one of the quickest point guards in the game and some shooters on the perimeter. We have to do a better job of getting back. But for the most part, I also thought they were just tougher than us.”
Rookie
Chase Budinger (16 points) provided a second-quarter spark to help the Rockets take command. Then Ariza and Houston’s veterans took over in the second half, never allowing the Thunder to get closer than six points.
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(Excerpts from Alf's theory of basketball relativity.)
Way to go, Darnell. Nice to see somebody not scared of telling it like it really is instead of repeatedly mumbling the company mantra....
.
And Paul I agree with you. We need more Darnell. In the paper, on the radio and maybe some TV. He has the unique ability to write from a fans point of view. Very and I mean very very very few journalists have that ability.
"They would be wise to bring in new management from out of state and get it turned around ASAP."-------------For the TV station or the pathetic example of dumpster picked misfits masquerading as a bassa'ball team??
"But Rob, some major power brokers in OKC dumped a bunch of money into that lemon of a television station"-----And it just wouldn't happen to coincide with the same time frame as Clay buying the team, would it?
The problem was no one knew or cared that they were on television at the bar.
I do agree 100 percent that KSBI "Thunder TV" (that's laughable to build your programming around one thing that is seasonal) is bad news for trying to build a franchise but those guys dropped money into a bad investment.
They would be wise to bring in new management from out of state and get it turned around ASAP.
Boy Presti might need to realize that he is going to burn out Durant's star power early in the season with these heavy minutes.
The holes in the team are caused by the lack spending. Thomas is not worth that much but is cheap and easy sell because he is an Okie.
For the idiots who are trashing the fans need to give it up. There has never been issues with the fan base in the arena the problem is the complete lack of marketing for television. I was at a bar in Okc that had New York and Cleveland on every screen-no Thunder until some mentioned they were playing. These guys think that their money will sell the team, couldn't be more wrong.
She must be terribly busy with her real job, being a contributor to okielands ranking in being dead last in the nation in health care......
I mean, he got a guy with BOTH a bum knee AND has had heart surgery for 8 million?
Geez, what do you expect from Clay, anyway? It took him over 6 months to come close to selling out his season tickets for the (reduced capacity) Ford center, you dunder fans aren't holding up your end of the bargain. Plus, you okaysee residents aren't spending money as quickly (or as much ) as you should, so they've having to scale back renovations....
You dunder fans aren't selling out the Ford center every home game (no ice storm excuses accepted yet). Funny how on the live blog the other night the Ford had a LOT of empty seats showing at durn near halftime, but then the new article claimed it was a "sellout".....huh.
"Failure to pay attention to the scouting reports" on Houston?
Isn't that what would be considered inept?
LOSERS !!
Where's Jill? Time for her to show up and give us a "Smallville and all is bright and sunny" scenario......
He doesn't chew his words before he spits them out, and he slams the pathetic okaysee misfits far more than one time.....
Too bad the DOK won't allow Darnell to be the exclusive writer about the dunder in this paper, and instead of making his articles show up in his blog, make it the lead dunder story....