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Tuesday March 10, 2009 1:53 AM

Rockets Hold On For Big Win Over Nuggets

Houston victorious for 11th time in last 13 games

Jason Friedman
Rockets.com Staff Writer

Houston - With their free throws missing, their lead shrinking and their big men fouling out, the Rockets looked like they might be well on their way to yet another heartbreaking defeat. But instead of folding in the final minute, they came up with one big play after another, earning the right to celebrate one of their more significant road wins of the season – a 97-95 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Ron Artest and Aaron Brooks led Houston in the scoring department with 22 and 19 points respectively, but the Rockets wouldn’t have survived a furious Denver rally without the clutch play of Shane Battier and Chuck Hayes down the stretch. It was Battier, just 2 for his last 24 from three-point land, who first delivered CPR to his fading club by draining a corner trey with 1:02 left on the clock after Houston had watched its 19-point second-half lead dwindle to just four.

“The way I’m shooting lately, I’d love to tell you it felt good as soon as it left my hand,” said a smiling Battier after the game. “But I was mildly surprised when it went in."

But while Battier was feeling a mild case of shock at his shot’s success, his teammates weren’t the least bit surprised.

“We’re used to Shane hitting those types of baskets,” said Brooks. “He’s a big shot player. I just watched the ball and the rotation, and I was under the rim when it went in and I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s Shane.’ It didn’t even hit the rim.”

Forty seconds later, though, Denver still hadn’t died. With the score 93-90, the Nuggets got the ball back with a chance to tie. Chauncey Billups, who tallied 14 of his 28 points in the final quarter, drove to the rim looking for a quick lay-up to extend the game – a seemingly sound strategy given Houston’s atrocious free throw shooting on the night (the normally straight-shooting Rockets were just 20-35 from the line). But Battier expertly defended him forcing a miss and Hayes made an incredible diving save of the ensuing loose ball before it went out of bounds, giving Houston possession and finally enabling the Rockets to put Denver away once and for all.

“I just backed up and backed up,” said Battier, of his defense on Billups’ drive. “He was going for the foul trying to barrel into me. I just kept on retreating and he thought I was going to meet him for the block and it just hit the bottom of the backboard.”

Making Houston’s survival more nerve-wrecking – and, as a result, more impressive – was the fact the Rockets had to make do without the services of Yao Ming for the game’s final 2:33 after the All-Star center fouled out on a play he no doubt regretted the moment it happened. Yao got caught reaching in on Billups near midcourt; sending Denver’s point guard to the free throw line, Yao to the bench and the Rockets’ offense into a tailspin. Then when Luis Scola fouled out little more than a minute later, Houston’s situation began to look even more dire.

But just as they’ve done time and time again over the course of the last 13 games (11 of which have been Houston wins) the Rockets’ role players rose to the occasion to help ensure a happy ending.

“At the end of the day, I’m not winning this game by myself and Yao’s not winning this game by himself,” said Artest. “You’re either going to win as a team, or lose as a team. It took a lot of years to understand that, but that’s how it’s going to be.”

QUOTES

Rick Adelman

“It was obviously a great road win for us. I thought we had it put away a couple times and they came back at us. We didn’t play very smart down the stretch, but played good enough to win. Usually we don’t miss free-throws like that. All year we have been over 80 percent and the guys that missed them are our best free-throw shooters. It was just one of those games; I can’t tell you why but we made four when it counted.

I think we did a god job. We knew what we wanted to do at the end, run a pick-and-roll with Aaron against their big guy. We knew they were going to switch and leave Ron one-on-one on whoever, especially Nene. We knew what we wanted to do, but it certainly hurts us, obviously the play Yao made, no time goes off the clock, it puts their 90 percent shooter on the line, and he fouls out.”

(on road wins): Especially beating good teams. We won some games early in the year when we played some good teams, but we haven’t done it lately. And with our schedule here the last 17 games, that’s who we play – so we have to win on the road against good teams and this is a big win for us, just for our confidence level and because we have the Lakers coming in this Wednesday. So getting this win was huge.

(Shane’s shot): Huge three. But when he takes it, he has such a history of making those shots, I felt… and it looked like he let that one go nice. If we can get him back on track that will really help us. But he does so many little things for us; he’s got to be on the court.

Shane Battier

(on his big three-pointer): The way I’m shooting lately, I’d love to tell you it felt good as soon as it left my hand, but I was mildly surprised when it went in."

“(Did you get a piece of Chauncey’s drive at the end) No I didn’t, I just backed up and backed up. He was going for the foul trying to barrel into me. I just kept on retreating and he thought I was going to meet him for the block and it just hit the bottom of the backboard.

(K-Mart’s return) Kenyon is really good if you allow him to get into the paint, so we tried to keep him out of the paint, make him hit some tough jumpers, and try to neutralize his athleticism which is tough to do because he is so active.”

Ron Artest

“We got to keep the offense going and keep everyone in their spots. They did a good job tonight. We still have a lot to work on; a lot of improvement to do. We are playing hard. We are playing together. Everybody is healthy. You have Yao in there and a bunch of healthy guys around him and you have a chance to win every night.

(Battier slumping) I don’t think he is slumping. The only one that is perfect is God, that’s it. Jordan wasn’t even perfect. If Jordan wasn’t perfect then that doesn’t give you any right to think that you are in a slump.

We’re going to win together or lose together. At the end of the day, I’m not winning this game by myself and Yao’s not winning this game by himself. You’re either going to win as a team, or lose as a team. It took a lot of years to understand that, but that’s how it’s going to be.

Aaron Brooks

It was a great win. We did a good job of stopping them on offense. We had a bunch of stops and we got out and ran. On that (15-0) run, we got a lot of stops and we found Yao for some easy lay-ins. And I think you have to give the bench credit for getting us back in the game in the second quarter. They stepped up.

(on Shane’s big shot): We’re used to Shane hitting those types of baskets. He’s a big shot player. I just watched the ball and the rotation, and I was under the rim when it went in and I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s Shane.’ It didn’t even hit the rim.

George Karl

“I thought this was a defensive committed game, which I thought was necessary. When we were down by 19 there was a lot of heart and commitment to make the comeback. We are distracted a little bit because of the injuries and the pressure and stress of loosing games. The last 20 minutes were very helpful that we kind of bounced back and the pendulum has hit the bottom and headed back the other way. It is the NBA; it is a very mean business. You can have a three or four month high and have a two or three week low. Tonight we didn’t finish early; we didn’t get many whistles. It is the L that drives you crazy. Last night was a tough loss; tonight was probably an acceptable loss. (Responsibility as a coach to get the team out of the funk) It is to teach them, with what time we have, what we are doing wrong. Put some pieces of the good with it and then win.”

Chauncey Billups – Nuggets Guard

(Talk about challenge of days ahead) Tonight, other than a couple of stretches, I thought we made some strides. The thing is when you are struggling and you’ve worked yourself into a rut like that, you can’t just turn a switch and it’s over. You have to work it out. You have to start getting better; it’s a process. Tonight we actually took a couple steps other than the one little stretch when they ran out on us. Down the stretch we fought, we scrapped, did the things we were supposed to do. If we could just put four quarters together like that we won’t have a problem.

(Frustrating when going to the basket and the shots not falling) Yeah it was frustrating and that’s what I mean: we really attacked, we really executed our game plan getting to the basket and the shots wouldn’t go. That is something you really can’t control. That is why I sit in the chair after a loss a little encouraged just because of the fact that we did what we were supposed to do and just came up short. We never stopped even though they jumped out on us.”

Kenyon Martin

“We are just trying to tough it out. It’s frustrating. (Treatment for back ready for Wednesday) We will see. I just don’t want to keep going out there and not able to finish games. It’s frustrating.

(What is the difference between the Nuggets the last three nights and the Nuggets that beat Portland) We are not getting stops when we need them I think. Against Portland guys came out and played defense the way we needed to play, especially late in the game. The last three games we have not been able to get stops when we actually needed them. I think that is the difference.”

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