HOUSTON — Before the Houston Rockets scuffled through an overtime win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, coach Mike D’Antoni spoke at length on the challenge of keeping players sharp in advance of the playoffs while also providing rest as the regular season wraps up.
That chore began in earnest against Detroit and will continue Saturday at Toyota Center when the Rockets (58-14) host the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Rockets outlasted the Pistons despite resting starting guard Chris Paul (hamstring) and losing reserve forward Luc Mbah a Moute (knee) during the game. Both will likely sit against the Pelicans, and their status for Sunday against the Atlanta Hawks is also in doubt, although both could play if that game was crucial.
Additionally, Rockets guard and MVP frontrunner James Harden twisted his left ankle in the second half against the Pistons. Harden declared himself fine in the aftermath of a victory that enabled Houston to match the 1993-94 title-winning squad for the most wins in team history.
“I don’t think it’s so much about the cushion (in the standings); I think it’s about the depth we have as a team,” Paul said of the Rockets’ ability to overcome injuries. “We have a team that’s very capable of (adhering to the) next man up (philosophy), and that’s what we do.”
Because a game against the Pacers was rescheduled from an earlier date, the Pelicans (43-30) encountered the rare challenge of playing three games in three nights, all at Smoothie King Center. New Orleans swept those games, defeating the Dallas Mavericks, Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers in succession, with Thursday’s win elevating the Pelicans to fourth in the West.
Considering the jumbled nature of the conference standings and the muddled postseason picture, the Pelicans’ scaling the scheduling obstacle could be a boon during the stretch run.
“I think we did what we needed to, obviously, and played good, solid basketball and did a lot of good things,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. “I think we’re competing at a real high level and I think that’s a good start.”
The Pelicans will look to split what has been a competitive season series with the Rockets. Houston survived extraordinary shooting nights from New Orleans guard Jrue Holiday and forward E’Twaun Moore, who combined for 73 points on 31-of-41 shooting, in a 130-123 win at Toyota Center on Dec. 11.
Six weeks later, Houston erased a 21-point deficit only to fall 115-113 in New Orleans. The Pelicans lost All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins to a ruptured Achilles that evening.
The Rockets started their NBA-best, 17-game winning streak two nights later against Phoenix.
Last Saturday, the Pelicans rallied from a 20-point deficit but lost at home to the Rockets 107-101. They’ve won four consecutive games since, seeking to build momentum for a difficult closing stretch that includes showdowns with six other teams in the mix for a postseason berth.
“We’ve still got a tough schedule to go,” Holiday said. “We’ve got nine games left. We’ve got to keep on winning games and get to where we want to get so we can have some advantage when we get to the playoffs.”
