Apr 25, 2002 10:37 AM EST
Fair weather fan Fran Blinebury writes, In a perfect world, the Mavericks would win it all.
Not because they are the toughest team in the NBA to beat. Just the most fun to watch. There's more to see than in a month's worth of trips to the circus. More up-and-down, more give-and-take, more bang for your inflated buck than anyplace else in commissioner David Stern's sagging empire.
It is not just the fact a 122-110 win over Minnesota on Wednesday gives the Mavs a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five playoff series that gets your attention. It is the way they play, moving at a pace that would make you think the court was made of hot coals, passing and shooting the ball so quickly you might think it was ticking.
They are Nowitzki with 31 points and 15 rebounds, Finley with 28 points, Nash and Nick Van Exel with 17 points each. They are an octopus that seems to have a few extra arms, always another way to reach out and grab you.
Via Houston Chronicle
Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets
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Houston yesterday came away with the 15th pick in the NBA draft after the Raptors lost a tie breaker with the Indiana Pacers who will draft 14th overall.
The Rockets owe the Grizzlies a first-round pick from a deal with which they acquired Steve Francis and have the option to send Memphis either their own pick, a pick within two spots of their own or a pick that falls within the top 15 this season or next.
In other tie breakers Golden State beat out Chicago for the #1 position (pre-lottery), Phoenix beat out Miami for the ninth pick (if neither move up to the top 3), and Charlotte beat out both Orlando and Utah and will now pick 17th before Orlando beat Utah for the 18th selection. Portland won a tie breaker for the 21st selection and San Antonio beat out the Lakers for the 26th pick.
The lottery will be held on May 19 in New Jersey.
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Houston Rockets, NBA Draft
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Apr 23, 2002 10:30 AM EST
Fran Blinebury, who can't spell Mirsad Turkcan's name either, writes:
You remember Draft Night 1999.
There was Lewis sitting in the back room, a picture of dejection as he fell completely out of the first round.
There were the Rockets, their hands full with three first-round choices, who should have been the ones looking so sad for passing over him again and again.
The kid out of Elsik had made no secret of his desire to play for his hometown team.
But the Rockets took Michael Dickerson. Then Mircad Turkcan. Then Bryce Drew.
Well, as Paul Harvey would say, we know the rest of the story.
On Monday night at the Alamodome, it was all about Lewis as he scored 19 points and grabbed four rebounds as the Sonics evened their first-round series with a 98-90 victory over the Spurs.
Via Houston Chronicle
Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City
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Rockets Apr 2002 Archive
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 20, 2002
The centerpiece of the new-ra Rockets, point guard Steve Francis, is ready to make a long-term commitment to the Rockets, reports Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 19, 2002
A year ago, the Rockets hated to see the season end.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 18, 2002
PORTLAND, Ore.
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The Daily Camera | Apr 17, 2002
Gary Baines writes about last nights final home game for the Denver Nuggets.
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The Daily Camera | Apr 17, 2002
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 17, 2002
The Rockets' summer league team was given mop-up duty for the season, but if that was not enough to ensure the Rockets would go down in flames, the few that actually made the trip only occasionally tried.
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The Rocky Mountain News | Apr 16, 2002
The Denver Nuggets play their last home game of the season against the Houston Rockets.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 16, 2002
DENVER -- Now that they have taken the controls, the Rockets' rookies might wish this season were not almost over.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 15, 2002
Now, as the Rockets prepare to play their final home game of the season tonight at Compaq Center against Memphis, a season that began with such high hopes has left the franchise struggling to redefine itself both on the court and off.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 15, 2002
Chron: The Rockets owe the Grizzlies a first-round pick this season or next as part of the trade in which the Rockets acquired Steve Francis.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 15, 2002
They filled the night with another collection of injuries and illnesses, shot badly but scrapped enough to keep the game close before losing another last-second decision, 98-95 to the Memphis Grizzlies before 10,893 Sunday night at Compaq Center.
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| Apr 14, 2002
At last, the ugliness will be no more.
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Star Telegram | Apr 12, 2002
Dirk Nowitzki was listed as probably for last night's game against Houston but didn't play, writes Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 12, 2002
The Rockets came back from a 20-point deficit to force Dallas into overtime, where they surprised the playoff-bound Mavericks 98-95 on Thursday night before a sellout crowd of 20,098 at American Airlines Center.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 11, 2002
Despite being 6-10, Griffin is rarely asked to make anything but a token appearance in the paint.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 10, 2002
Despite spectacular individual performances from Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kenny Thomas, and gritty efforts from all concerned, the Rockets came up short in double overtime against Miami, falling to the Heat 120-117 at the AmericanAirlines Arena in front of a crowd of 15,223 on Tuesday night.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 9, 2002
One thing no one was willing to argue about was Tracy McGrady's taking over when it was time to do so and the fact there was little the Rockets could do about it.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 8, 2002
Gasol and Battier each posted a double double, combining for 53 points and 24 rebounds, to lead the Grizzlies to a relatively easy 99-81 win over the Rockets before an announced crowd of 14,188 at the Pyramid.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 8, 2002
Dan Langhi has wanted to be a part of the Rockets' rotation.
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San Antonio Express-News | Apr 5, 2002
Rose fortunately has a couple of other skills that have helped him earn an NBA paycheck for the past six seasons.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 5, 2002
For three quarters and part of a fourth Thursday night, the Rockets were the team of Rudy Tomjanovich's imagination -- hustling, resourceful, a play or two (and a player or two) away from contention.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 4, 2002
The Rockets suddenly have become big Toronto Raptors fans.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 4, 2002
The Rockets' Kevin Willis, now a veteran of 18 NBA seasons, isn't yet ready to call it quits.
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Seattle Post-Intelligencer | Apr 3, 2002
The Sonics lost a heartbreaker in Houston last night but luckily for them, Utah screwed up as well.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 3, 2002
Several players from Maryland and Indiana will be in NBA next season, including Terrapins senior guard Juan Dixon who was MVP of the championship game.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 3, 2002
Gary Payton, the normally heady star and guiding force for the playoff-bound Seattle SuperSonics, gave his own team the boot Tuesday night when he put his worst foot forward in the last moments of a two-point game and kicked the basketball some 30 yards, about 12 rows up into the end-zone seats at Compaq Center.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 2, 2002
But as the Rockets huddled, Francis wasn't seeing things.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 2, 2002
The final 10 games of the regular season can't end any quicker for the Rockets.
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Houston Chronicle | Apr 2, 2002
The Rockets were well on the way to a record-low 29.
