The Rockets completed the most brutal part of their schedule -- 15 games in 25 days -- as a better team than they were when it started, but with a reminder they must get better still.
They claimed victories in Denver, New Orleans and San Antonio, lost in Salt Lake City and spent a few days in first place in the Southwest Division. Since Tracy McGrady ended his season, the Rockets have gone 16-5, but still have not honed their offense enough to handle the high-pressure defenses that are sure to come in the post-season. That, they hope, comes next. If the previous 25 days were one segment of the season, next comes a stretch nearly as unusual, with just one game in seven days.
After an off day, they will do something they had only twice in the previous 25 days -- practice.
They will specifically work on late-game execution, choosing what works best for them and drilling it.
Most of all, they will attempt to make the most of the time in between games, believing that with their turnaround of the season in the previous 25 days, they have earned it.
JAZZ 99, ROCKETS 86: The Rockets knew what they had to do, and in many ways, they did what they wanted. They defended well and rebounded better. For a half, at least, they ran their offense to good shots. They failed, however, in one area. They could not put the ball in the basket. Worse, after they misfired through the first half, and even though it only put them in a three-point hole at halftime, they pressed and panicked and could no longer keep pace. The Jazz finally pulled away in the final five minutes as the Rockets made just 34.8 percent of their shots. After cutting the lead to four in the fourth quarter, the Rockets missed their next five shots, adding two turnovers, as the Jazz built a 15-point lead.
