KFDM COOP Posted January 3, 2008 Report Posted January 3, 2008 Garnett, Celtics too much for Rockets to handleBattier on loss to Celtics, sports,rockets,nba,houston,chronicle sports,chron.com,houston sports, Houston's Shane Battier on why Rockets loss to Celtics is like the big catch that got away.Rockets Talk with Jonathan Feigen, hoops,chronicle sports,houston sports,nba,chron.com,houston,houston sports,sports,golden state warriors,rockets,basketball, The Rockets stuck around for the end of the game, but their defense apparently left early to catch a New Year's Eve party. Jonathan Feigen breaks down Monday's fourth-quarter failure. (Video: Chris Elliott. Photos: Chris Elliott and James Nielsen.)Warriors 112, Rockets 95: Steve Novak, basketball,rockets,houston sports,nba,chron.com,houston sports,sports,golden state warriors,houston,chronicle sports,hoops, The 3-point specialist has eight points and five rebounds against the visiting Warriors.Rockets Talk with Jonathan Feigen, rockets,nba,houston sports,Toronto Raptors,sports,chron.com,houston sports,hoops,basketball,chronicle sports,houston, A rundown of the team's second straight win and at how they've been running the offense better recently. (Video: Chris Elliot. Photo: Sharon Steinmann.)Rockets 91, Raptors 79, basketball,sports,rockets,nba,houston,houston sports,hoops,houston sports,chronicle sports,toronto raptors ,chron.com, The 15-15 Rockets reflect on two straight wins with Bonzi Wells settling in as a starter and Aaron Brooks saying he needs to make the most of extra minutes. (Video: Chris Elliott. Photo: Sharon Steinmann.)Rockets Talk with Jonathan Feigen, rockets,chronicle sports,houston,sports,nba,houston sports,chron.com,hoops,basketball, Anna-Megan Raley and Feigen track the team.McGrady out with sore knee, return unknown, chronicle sports,nba,chron.com,houston sports,houston,hoops,basketball,rockets,sports,Orlando magic, Tracy McGrady left the first half with a sore knee and didn't return in the Rockets' Wednesday night loss to the Magic.Rockets talk with Jonathan Feigen, rockets,basketball,houston sports,houston sports,memphis grizzlies ,chron.com,houston,hoops,nba,sports,chronicle sports, The Rockets beat writer and Anna-Megan discuss Houston's Wednesday night win over the Pistons.Rockets Talk with Jonathan Feigen, rockets,nba,houston sports,memphis grizzlies ,chron.com,houston sports,houston,sports,basketball,chronicle sports,hoops, Topics: Tracy McGrady's triple-double, Steve Francis' role and the upcoming trip.McGrady records first triple-double as Rocket in 105-92 win, hoops,basketball,sports,nba,chronicle sports,houston sports,houston sports,rockets,memphis grizzlies ,houston,chron.com, The Rockets beat the Grizzlies thanks to production from just about everyone.Anna-Megan visits with Chuck Hayes, chuck hayes,chron.com,sports,annamegan,hoops,nba,rockets,houston sports,houston,basketball,chronicle sports, Anna-Megan speaks with Chuck Hayes shortly after the Rockets dismantled the Nuggets.Rockets Talk with Jonathan Feigen, chron.com,lakers,jonathan,nba,chronicle sports,rockets,sports,Feigen,annamegan,houston sports,basketball,houston, Following the Rockets' 93-90 loss to the Lakers, Rockets beat writer Jonathan Feigen and Anna-Megan Raley discuss the game and the status of injured Tracy McGrady.Lakers 93, Rockets 90: Shane Battier, sports,houston sports,Shane Battier,nba,annamegan,chron.com,houston,basketball,rockets,chronicle sports, Anna-Megan Raley discusses the loss to the Lakers Wednesday night at Toyota Center with Shane Battier.Adelman on loss to Lakers, rockets,nba,yao,chron.com,chronicle sports,houston,mcgrady,sports,houston sports, Rockets coach Rick Adelman on how Houston's loss to Lakers was marred by missed lay-ups, free throws.Meet the Rockets: Bonzi Wells, nba,houston,Rick Adelman,houston sports,chronicle sports,houston chronicle,rockets,sports,chron.com,basketball, After a win over the Bucks, the guard-forward says his new role with the Rockets will extend his career by five to six years. (Video: Chance McClain. Photo: Smiley N. Pool.)Rockets Talk: Rockets 104, Bucks 88, Rick Adelman,basketball,houston chronicle,houston sports,chronicle sports,rockets,chron.com,nba,sports,houston, Into the meeting of Yi and Yao came a name also worthy of the spotlight: Bonzi. Jonathan Feigen reports. (Video: Chance McClain.)Houston Rockets Update for November 6, 2007, nba,chronicle sports,basketball,houston,houston sports,chron.com,annamegan,sports,rockets, The Rockets defeated the Spurs and Jonathan Feigen and Anna-Megan Raley are here to tell you all about it.Anna-Megan with Chuck Hayes, chronicle sports,houston sports,rockets,annamegan,nba,houston,sports,chron.com,basketball, After the Rockets 89-81 win over the World Champion San Antonio Spurs Anna-Megan talks with Chuck Hayes about the win and his 6 shiny new stitches.McGrady on loss to Mavs, mcgrady,houston sports,sports,chronicle sports,nba,rockets,chron.com,houston, The Rockets failed their first early season test, losing late to the Mavericks in Dallas.Rockets 89, Trail Blazers 80, basketball,nba,sports,houston,chronicle sports,rockets,tracy mcgrady,houston sports,chron.com,yao ming, Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, Luis Scola and Shane Battier talk about the win and the 3-0 start. (Video: Adam Ariganello. Photo: Billy Smith II.)Rockets fans speak out at home opener, chronicle sports,houston,houston sports,basketball,nba,rockets,chron.com,sports, Could the Rockets benefit from a little mohawk power in the stands? Anna-Megan Raley tries to find out.McGrady on Rockets potential, nba,rockets,sports,chronicle sports,houston sports,chron.com,houston, Tracy McGrady talks about the Rockets win over the Jazz in Utah.Rockets hold off Lakers, sports,nba,chronicle sports,rockets,houston sports,chron.com,houston, The Rockets edged the Lakers 95-93 with Shane Battier's 3-pointer in the final 2.5 seconds in their season opener.Meet the Rockets: Luis Scola, houston,rockets,nba,chronicle sports,basketball,sports,houston chronicle,chron.com,Rick Adelman,houston sports, The former star in Europe's best pro league joins Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady for what they hope will be a deep run in the playoffs. He talks about his former roommate, Manu Ginobili, and looks ahead to the 2008 Olympics.Olajuwon trains Dwight Miller, houston,basketball,chron.com,High School,sports,houston sports,chronicle sports,rockets, Hakeem Olajuwom gives lessons to an international high school player at Lifetime Fitness in SugarlandFeigen goes one-on-one with Daryl Morey, chron.com,rockets,houston chronicle,houston sports,sports,steve francis,chronicle sports,nba,basketball,Jonathan Feigen,houston, Rockets GM, Daryl Morey talks with Rockets beat writer Jonathan Feigen about the acquisition of Steve Francis and what it has been like running the team. Return of 'The Franchise', rockets,houston,chronicle sports,nba,basketball,houston chronicle,chron.com,houston sports,sports,Jonathan Feigen, It's official: Steve Francis is a Rocket again. The three-time All-Star formally announced his return to the team in a press conference Friday at Toyota Center.Carroll Dawson chats with McClain, basketball,houston sports,sports,nba,chron.com,chronicle sports,rockets,houston chronicle,john mcclain, John McClain interviews former Rockets GM Carroll Dawson at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in Waco.An assist from T-Mac, sports,Tmac,houston,texas,elementary,Library,rockets,chron.com,tracy mcgrady,houston chronicle, Tracy McGrady helps rebuild elementary school's libraryHakeem and Yao, nba,hakeem olajuwon,rockets,sports,yao ming, Former Rocket Hakeem Olajuwon coaches Yao Ming on some shooting techniques.Rockets in Game 7, tracy mcgrady,richard justice,hakeem olajuwon,nba,sports,houston chronicle,rockets, Rockets lose to Jazz in Game 7Rudy Tomjanovich, mcclain,interview,rudy tomjanovich,rockets,john mcclain,sports,chronicle sports,basketball,houston sports, John McClain talks with Rudy Tomjanovich, former head coach of the RocketsSTATS & MORE Houston 93 Final Boston 97 Copyright © 2008 by STATS LLC.All rights reserved. Schedule | Stats | Injuries | Moves Speak up in the Rockets forum Cast your NBA All-Star votes Complete Rockets coverage NBA BLOGS Courtside with Blinebury Feigen on NBA Yao Central with fan Ren Hsieh HEAR IT NOW Justice & McClain: Rockets fast start fades Game statisticsBOSTON — Rafer Alston smacked a cross-over dribble, then took off to the rim to put in his lefthanded layup through a foul before stomping his way toward the Celtics' bench to shout, Kevin Garnett style.The Rockets had gone from a 20-point deficit against the dominant team of the NBA's first two months to a fourth-quarter lead. Anything seemed possible.Then the real thing answered, loudly and irrefutably.By the time Garnett was through with a spectacular down-the-stretch surge, the Celtics had overcome the stirring comeback to blow past the Rockets in the final minutes and knock them off 97-93 on Wednesday night at TD Banknorth Garden.When the second of his three consecutive jumpers gave the Celtics a five-point lead, Garnett headed back downcourt with the customary shouts and fist-pumps Alston had approximated. When his next jumper shut the door, giving Garnett 11 points in the final seven minutes after the Alston drive, teammate Paul Pierce jumped on his back, just as the rest of the Celtics had when the game was on the line."He played great," Rockets forward Luis Scola said. "He shows up at the end. He was crucial for them."The Celtics' excellence in the final minutes and dominance in the first half only served to taunt the Rockets with how remarkable the comeback would have been if it ended with a win."It's like the size of the trout you caught at the lake in the summer. It was huge," Rockets forward Shane Battier said. "If you brought it home, everyone would be amazed. But it got away."The Celtics, whose 27-3 start is a franchise best, had outscored teams by an average of 100.5 to 81.9 at home, and they seemed every bit that dominant for much of the first half, leading 40-20 before the Rockets began to turn things around against Boston's reserves.Even in the second half, when the Celtics led by as much as 16, the Rockets kept scoring, with Bonzi Wells finishing with 25 points and Alston adding 18.Once into the fourth quarter, the Rockets outscored Boston 11-2, culminating with Alston's three-point play for his team's first lead since the opening minutes."I think it's progress, but it's so frustrating you don't get any reward for it," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "Our guys played their tails off. ... We gave it everything we could."The Rockets led 84-81 with seven minutes remaining. But Garnett hit a pair of jumpers, and Ray Allen finished a break for a sudden 6-0 run to an 87-84 lead with 5 1/2 minutes left.Battier tied the game with a 3-pointer, but after a Rajon Rondo drive, Battier missed two 3s, the latter seemingly going halfway down before coming back out."I'll stay up a long time tonight thinking of every shot," Battier said. "(If) a few more 3s go down, you never know."Yao Ming, who went 2-for-11 in the first quarter but finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds, missed a jump hook. Though Boston centers Kendrick Perkins and Scot Pollard had fouled out, Garnett switched to Yao, and Yao did not score in the fourth quarter until sinking a layup in the final seconds."It seems like the post defense rules change in the last five minutes," Adelman said. "Garnett did pretty much what he wanted to down the stretch."Still, the Rockets remained in the game, heading into the last two minutes down by only three points. With that, they cracked just enough to let the Celtics finally break them.Luther Head threw away an entry pass to Yao, and, after Allen missed a jumper, the Rockets let it bounce back out to him. When Garnett knocked down the Celtics' second shot, Boston led 94-89 with 1:16 left.The Rockets had another chance after Alston sank a jumper with 1:02 left and Boston's James Posey missed a corner 3. But Allen got the rebound again, and the Celtics again worked the ball to Garnett, this time for a 19-footer with 22.2 seconds left that gave them a 96-91 lead."I mean, my gas is high," Garnett said. "You know when you play the best in the league, you can't go in with low gas. You know you've got to have a lot of high octane."Once he started to roll, the Rockets could not stop Garnett or keep pace."That's why he's KG," Wells said. "We were hoping we could make a run, and we did — got a few stops and got ourselves back in the game. Down the stretch, they made plays, got a couple offensive boards and broke our back."
Recommended Posts