(63-19) First Round Wraps Up [4-0]

[Axel The Great]

Mark., #thierry, thanks for your input, guys. I'm strongly considering starting this new story. I will do what I can to speed this story up and wrap it up so I can finally start the next one. I have so many ideas on things I want to do with it.

[Axel The Great]

February Recap

Players of the Month

Player	Conference	Statistics
LeBron James (MIA)	East Player	28.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 6.2 apg, 2.0 spg, 1.3 bpg, 50.0% FG, 37.2% 3P, 79.6% FT
Chris Paul (NOH)	West Player	21.8 ppg, 9.3 apg, 4.6 rpg, 2.8 spg, 49.0% FG, 37.1% 3P, 86.5% FT
Enes Kanter (MIL)	East Rookie	11.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.9 bpg, 42.5% FG, 72.4% FT
Kyrie Irving (SAC)	West Rookie	16.7 ppg, 5.4 apg, 3.2 rpg, 45.5% FG, 34.9% 3P, 84.4% FT

Players of the Week

Week	East Player	West Player
January 29-February 4	LeBron James (MIA)	Kevin Martin (HOU)
February 5-11	LeBron James (MIA)	Kobe Bryant (LAL)
February 12-18	LeBron James (MIA)	Tyreke Evans (SAC)
February 19-25	LeBron James (MIA)	Chris Paul (NOH)

NLSCer Stats

Xavier Nelson (LAL)
58 GP | 58 GS | 14.4 ppg | 6.5 apg | 2.3 rpg | 1.7 spg | 36.4% FG | 30.4% 3P | 81.3% FT | 31.7 mpg

Justine Jones (CHA)
59 GP | 59 GS | 13.8 ppg | 6.6 rpg | 3.3 apg | 39.3% FG | 31.2% 3P | 71.7% FT | 28.6 mpg

Thierry Tirieux (MEM)
59 GP | 0 GS | 12.8 ppg | 4.6 apg | 2.6 rpg | 43.4% FG | 29.2% 3P | 68.9% FT | 24.6 mpg

Zee Otoo (WAS)
31 GP | 0 GS | 4.2 ppg | 1.9 rpg | 35% FG | 47.5% 3P | 74.3% FT | 9.5 mpg

George Koukoulis (GSW)
62 GP | 0 GS | 4.9 ppg | 2.2 rpg | 1.2 apg | 39.1% FG | 25.6% 3P | 69.9% FT | 9.5 mpg

Willie Lewis (UTA)
45 GP | 5 GS | 2.8 ppg | 1.7 rpg | 39.8% FG | 62% FT | 6.5 mpg

Liam Washburn (POR)
40 GP | 0 GS | 2.8 ppg | 0.9 rpg | 0.9 apg | 41.3% FG | 33.3% 3P | 87.8% FT | 5.6 mpg

Valdis Iesalnieks (SAS)
32 GP | 29 GS | 1.2 ppg | 1.9 rpg | 36.1% FG | 48.1% FT | 7.3 mpg







Team Stats

[hova-]

Rockets on pace with the Heat and Martin on pace with Durant - this D is a good thing for all Rockets fans

[Axel The Great]

hova-, that it is. Real happy to see Martin in first place in scoring. It would be super sweet to win him the scoring title and win a championship!

[Axel The Great]

Part II

[45-16] Houston Rockets 103-109 Oklahoma City Thunder [39-20]


Kevin Martin had an uncharacteristically poor shooting game. | Kyle Lowry shot poorly, but had a double-double.

Kevin Durant's poor shooting game hampered the Thunder. | But James Harden's amazing game led them to the win.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets are the elite teams in the Western Conference, but throughout this game, it seemed as though it was not the case. From the get-go, the Thunder raced out to a double-digit lead, taking advantage of Houston's sloppy ballhandling and poor shooting. This led to a 34-20 first quarter, as the Rockets were put in a very unusual situation.

Behind Kevin Martin, whom had a team high 28 points, the Rockets began to snap at the Thunder's heels, trimming the margin down to single digits and locking down on Kevin Durant. Durant, the league's top scorer leading up to this game, had 22 points on a poor 7/25 shooting. Oklahoma City's lead was as big as 15, but the Rockets, during the third quarter, managed to tie the game and retake the lead for a couple of brief periods. The game was tied heading into the fourth and final period.

The fourth quarter was a lot of back and forth action, but the Thunder were able to gain a relatively comfortable margin midway. As the game was winding down, Houston staged another comeback effort, and that was when James Harden stepped up. Harden had a game high 29 points on 12/23 shooting and 5/9 from downtown. Three of his five three-pointers came in the final period, as his scoring outburst helped the Thunder pull away to move one more game closer to the first seeded Rockets.

The biggest contributor to the win? Rebounding. Oklahoma City had 54 rebounds, 13 of them offensive, while Houston only had 42. The Thunder also shot 10/24 from downtown despite shooting 40% from the field. Houston meanwhile, shot 7/19 from three-point land and shot 45% from the field.

"They simply wanted the ball more than we did. They were getting second chance points all game, and it seemed to demoralize all of us to where we just couldn't keep up with them anymore," said Shane Battier, whom contributed nine points, three rebounds, and two assists in the loss.

On a more positive note, after this game, Martin surpassed Durant for leading scorer in the NBA, his average being 0.1 points higher at 29.6 points. With this in mind, will we finally see the first Rockets scoring champion since Elvin Hayes back in the 1968-69 season?

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 28 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 steal, 11/25 FG, 3/9 3P, 3/3 FT
Yao Ming - 20 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4 blocks, 9/14 FG, 2/2 FT
Kyle Lowry - 12 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 3/9 FG, 2/4 3P, 4/5 FT
Patrick Patterson - 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 4/8 FG, 2/2 FT
Shane Battier - 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 4/7 FG, 1/1 3P
Courtney Lee - 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 block, 3/9 FG, 3/3 FT

Thunder:
James Harden - 29 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 12/23 FG, 5/9 3P
Kevin Durant - 22 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 7/25 FG, 3/9 3P, 5/6 FT
Russell Westbrook - 17 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 5/13 FG, 7/8 FT
Serge Ibaka - 12 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 5/7 FG
Nate Robinson - 9 points, 7 assists, 1 steal, 3/10 FG, 2/5 3P

20 30 23 30 103
34 21 18 36 109

[46-16] Houston Rockets 111-90 Sacramento Kings [29-32]

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 27 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 9/14 FG, 3/4 3P, 6/6 FT
Luis Scola - 21 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 8/16 FG, 5/7 FT
Yao Ming - 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 4/6 FG, 4/5 FT
Patrick Patterson - 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 4/5 FG, 2/5 FT
Courtney Lee - 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2/5 FG, 6/6 FT
Goran Dragic - 9 points, 5 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 3/3 FG, 2/2 FT

Kings:
Kyrie Irving - 19 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 5/16 FG, 1/6 3P, 8/10 FT
Jason Thompson - 16 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 3/8 FG, 10/13 FT
DeMarcus Cousins - 14 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 5/9 FG, 4/5 FT
Tyreke Evans - 11 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, 1 block, 5/12 FG
Jeff Green - 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, 3/7 FG

25 23 36 27 111
30 18 21 21 90

[kibaxx7]

Martin is shooting well man. And Yao still a force. I forgot about him.

[Axel The Great]

[46-17] Houston Rockets 113-98 Cleveland Cavaliers [21-40]

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kyle Lowry - 22 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 8/14 FG, 2/4 3P, 4/4 FT
Kevin Martin - 21 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 8/16 FG, 1/7 3P, 4/6 FT
Luis Scola - 17 points, 5 rebounds, 6/12 FG, 5/5 FT
Yao Ming - 14 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 7/8 FG
Patrick Patterson - 13 points, 1 rebound, 1 block, 4/8 FG, 5/6 FT

Cavaliers:
Ramon Sessions - 21 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 6/17 FG, 9/10 FT
Baron Davis - 15 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 6/8 FG, 3/4 3P
Anderson Varejao - 13 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 5/8 FG, 3/4 FT
Antawn Jamison - 12 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 3/5 FG, 1/2 3P, 5/9 FT
Kawhi Leonard - 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 4/11 FG, 1/4 3P, 2/2 FT
Richard Jefferson - 11 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 5/9 FG, 1/2 FT

36 26 24 27 113
25 27 31 15 98

[47-17] Houston Rockets 114-98 Golden State Warriors [28-32]


It was a total team effort that led to the Rockets' dominance. | Andrew Bogut led his new team the Warriors in scoring.

The Golden State Warriors, a team known for their offense, were kept relatively at bay in this game, as the Houston Rockets held them to 41% shooting. The Rockets meanwhile, shot 52%, and had an impressive display of passing the ball, assisting on 36 of their 43 field goals.

"Fate decided today that the twelve of us were not going to do any wrong. It was an awesome day," said Shane Battier. Indeed, after the game was tied at 31 through one quarter, the Rockets began the second quarter on a 13-2 run, and never looked back from there. Kevin Martin led the Rockets with 28 points, eight boards, and five assists on 10/20 shooting. Luis Scola had an excellent shooting game shooting 8/9, good for 18 points and eight boards. Kyle Lowry notched a double-double of 11 points and 12 dimes.

For Golden State, Andrew Bogut top scored with 26 and notched a double-double with 13 rebounds. However, Bogut's efficiency was limited by Houston's interior defense, shooting a mediocre 13/28 from the field. Dorell Wright had 19 points to support Bogut. The key for Golden State was Stephen Curry, whom only had 10 points on a horrifying 4/19 from the field.

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 28 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 10/20 FG, 2/5 3P, 6/6 FT
Luis Scola - 18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 8/9 FG, 2/2 FT
Yao Ming - 14 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 5/7 FG, 4/4 FT
Kyle Lowry - 11 points, 12 assists, 5 rebounds, 3/9 FG, 1/3 3P, 4/4 FT

Warriors:
Andrew Bogut - 26 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 13/28 FG
Dorell Wright - 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 9/20 FG, 1/4 3P
Delonte West - 12 points, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2/2 FG, 8/8 FT
Tracy McGrady - 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 4/13 FG, 1/5 3P, 2/2 FT
Stephen Curry - 10 points, 8 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 4/19 FG, 1/8 3P

31 31 27 25 114
31 20 17 30 98

[48-17] Houston Rockets 118-93 Phoenix Suns [20-41]

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 29 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 10/18 FG, 5/9 3P, 4/4 FT
Kyle Lowry - 19 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 6/10 FG, 3/7 3P, 4/4 FT
Yao Ming - 18 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 blocks, 7/10 FG, 4/5 FT
Shane Battier - 13 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 5/8 FG, 2/2 3P
Goran Dragic - 11 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 4/5 FG, 3/4 FT
Luis Scola - 10 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4/12 FG, 2/2 FT

Suns:
Vince Carter - 20 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 6/14 FG, 3/6 3P, 5/5 FT
Anthony Randolph - 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 block, 7/13 FG, 4/4 FT
Mo Williams - 16 points, 6 assists, 1 rebound, 2 steals, 5/12 FG, 3/6 3P, 3/3 FT
Jared Dudley - 8 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 3/5 FG, 2/4 3P

35 23 40 20 118
26 20 24 23 93

[Axel The Great]

Martin is shooting well man. And Yao still a force. I forgot about him.

Yeah it's easy to forget about Yao these days. But still, him and K-Mart are an excellent inside-outside duo.

[Martti.]

K-Mart + Yao > T-Mac + Yao.

[Axel The Great]

[49-17] Houston Rockets 120-94 Memphis Grizzlies [25-40]


Brad Miller sighting! | Rudy Gay fought an uphill battle for his struggling squad.

Rudy Gay of the Memphis Grizzlies fought as hard as he could to keep his team in the game. In the first half, his efforts weren't going to waste as Memphis found themselves trailing by only nine, 61-52. He had 21 points on 6/9 shooting in the first half, including 3/4 from downtown. However, in the third quarter, Houston went on a backbreaking 21-6 run to bust the game open and run away with it. Gay finished with a game high 35 points on 15/28 shooting and he would not make another three-pointer in the second half.

For Houston, Kevin Martin top scored with 29 points on 10/20 shooting. Yao Ming and Luis Scola chipped in 19 each, and Kyle Lowry had a double-double of 11 points and 11 assists to down the Grizzlies.

Notes: Memphis shot 44% from the field, but it was Houston's scorching 55% shooting that busted the game open. Houston also had 31 assists, one more than the Grizzlies had at 30. With a playoff spot and a 50-win season clinched, Houston look to be in great shape as the playoffs loom near.

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 29 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 10/20 FG, 3/6 3P, 6/6 FT
Yao Ming - 19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 8/11 FG, 3/3 FT
Luis Scola - 19 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 9/13 FG, 1/1 FT
Kyle Lowry - 11 points, 11 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 3/8 FG, 6/6 FT
Thabo Sefolosha - 8 points, 3 rebounds, 3/5 FG, 1/2 3P, 1/1 FT

Grizzlies:
Rudy Gay - 35 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 15/28 FG, 3/8 3P, 2/2 FT
OJ Mayo - 17 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 4 steals, 6/21 FG, 3/7 3P, 2/2 FT
Marc Gasol - 12 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 6/14 FG
DeJuan Blair - 9 points, 10 rebounds, 4/6 FG, 1/2 FT

31 30 31 28 120
26 26 21 21 94

[50-17] Houston Rockets 117-91 Phoenix Suns [21-43]



Unlike last game, this game was never in the balance. Houston came out strong offensively in the first quarter, while holding the Suns to poor shooting. Phoenix's offense would remain stagnated for almost the entire game.

Kevin Martin scored a game high 28 points, while Vince Carter scored 24 for the Suns. Houston's biggest lead was 29 at one point, as they easily took this one by 26.

Notes: Houston shot 54% from the field, while Phoenix shot only 41%. Houston dominated the boards 56-38, while also accumulating assists with 33. It is worthy of note that the Rockets hold Phoenix's first round draft pick for the upcoming draft, which could end up being the first overall pick.

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 28 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 11/21 FG, 1/6 3P, 5/6 FT
Kyle Lowry - 17 points, 8 assists, 1 rebound, 2 steals, 7/10 FG, 3/5 3P
Luis Scola - 14 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 4/7 FG, 6/6 FT
Goran Dragic - 14 points, 7 assists, 1 rebound, 6/10 FG, 2/3 3P
Yao Ming - 12 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 5/9 FG, 2/2 FT
Shane Battier - 8 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3/7 FG, 2/3 3P

Suns:
Vince Carter - 24 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 9/18 FG, 3/7 3P, 3/4 FT
Chris Kaman - 18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 9/17 FG
Aaron Brooks - 12 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 5/17 FG, 2/9 3P
Mo Williams - 12 points, 7 assists, 1 rebound, 5/14 FG, 2/7 3P
Jared Dudley - 9 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 4/11 FG, 1/5 3P

32 28 28 29 117
20 22 21 28 91

[51-17] Houston Rockets 125-117 Atlanta Hawks [35-31]

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 23 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 7/11 FG, 2/5 3P, 7/7 FT
Yao Ming - 22 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 blocks, 8/13 FG, 6/7 FT
Kyle Lowry - 20 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 6/9 FG, 1/4 3P, 7/9 FT
Goran Dragic - 19 points, 5 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 7/9 FG, 3/5 3P, 2/4 FT
Shane Battier - 15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 7/14 FG, 1/6 3P

Hawks:
Al Horford - 26 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 6/10 FG, 14/17 FT
Josh Smith - 24 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 10/13 FG, 4/5 FT
Joe Johnson - 20 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, 8/19 FG, 4/4 FT
Jamal Crawford - 17 points, 1 rebound, 5/11 FG, 1/4 3P, 6/7 FT

37 30 30 28 125
29 23 30 35 117

[Axel The Great]

K-Mart + Yao > T-Mac + Yao.

Yep. We've been as far as the Conference Finals, whereas T-Mac never got us out of the first round.

[hova-]

Good to see you keep rolling. Playoffs will be very interesting.

[Axel The Great]

Playoffs will definitely be interesting. The West continues to be strong, so it will be hard to advance to the Finals.

[Axel The Great]

[52-17] Houston Rockets 114-101 New Jersey Nets [28-38]



Despite Deron Williams's recent return from injury, the Nets have continued to struggle. It was apparent in this game, as Williams was held to just seven points. However, he did have 12 assists. Shannon Brown led New Jersey in scoring with 32 points, and Zach Randolph rounded it all out with a double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds.

Kevin Martin top scored for the Houston with 24 points accompanied by an all-around stat line of seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and a block. Patrick Patterson had a great game off the bench with 19 on 9/11 shooting, and Luis Scola and Kyle Lowry scored 17 and 16 respectively.

Houston's lead was as big as 26 at one point, as they just ran away with this one. The Rockets shot 52% from the field, while New Jersey wasn't too far behind at 48%. Houston had a great game from three-point land, shooting 10/24.

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 24 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 9/20 FG, 3/7 3P, 3/3 FT
Patrick Patterson - 19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 9/11 FG, 1/1 FT
Luis Scola - 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 7/10 FG, 3/3 FT
Kyle Lowry - 16 points, 8 assists, 1 rebound, 5/9 FG, 5/5 3P, 1/2 FT
Courtney Lee - 13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 5/11 FG, 1/5 3P, 2/2 FT
Yao Ming - 12 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 6/6 FG

Nets:
Shannon Brown - 32 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 13/25 FG, 4/11 3P, 2/2 FT
Zach Randolph - 19 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 8/16 FG, 3/3 FT
Brook Lopez - 14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 6/7 FG, 2/2 FT
Gerald Wallace - 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 7/13 FG
Damion James - 13 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 6/9 FG, 1/2 3P
Deron Williams - 7 points, 12 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 3/15 FG, 1/5 3P

39 29 26 20 114
26 23 22 30 101

[53-17] Houston Rockets 121-108 Portland TrailBlazers [37-32]




After a high scoring and competitive first quarter, the Portland TrailBlazers fell off, scoring a meager 13 second quarter points. The Houston Rockets were up 16 at halftime, and it looked as though this would be a runaway game.

Brandon Roy top scored for Portland with 37 points, including 4/9 from downtown. Nicolas Batum supported his efforts with 19 points, 3/7 from downtown. Even though Portland went a decent 9/24 from three-point range, they had a mediocre game from the charity stripe, shooting 17/24. LaMarcus Aldridge also spent most of the game in foul trouble, only managing eight points but on an excellent 4/6 shooting. That hampered their comeback effort, because at one point they were able to chip the margin down to eight.

Kevin Martin put Portland away with an incredible game, for he had a game high 39 points. He also played a distributing role, for his 10 assists gave him the double-double. He seemingly did everything, but he had great support from his frontcourt. Luis Scola had 21 points and 10 boards, while Yao Ming had 19 points and six boards, with four blocks.

Houston shot 54% from the field, Portland shot 49%. That's been the story in recent games for Houston; they don't put much regard for defense, because they outscore every team.

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 39 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, 14/25 FG, 4/6 3P, 7/7 FT
Luis Scola - 21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 8/12 FG, 5/5 FT
Yao Ming - 19 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 4 blocks, 8/13 FG, 3/3 FT
Kyle Lowry - 11 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 4/8 FG, 1/2 3P, 2/2 FT

TrailBlazers:
Brandon Roy - 37 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 14/26 FG, 4/9 3P, 5/8 FT
Nicolas Batum - 19 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 8/13 FG, 3/7 3P
Andre Miller - 13 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 4/8 FG, 5/8 FT
Greg Oden - 12 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 5/11 FG, 2/2 FT
LaMarcus Aldridge - 8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4/6 FG

32 31 32 28 121
34 13 33 26 108

[54-17] Houston Rockets 104-96 Los Angeles Lakers [38-33]




Both teams struggled to find their rhythm early on as they shot below 40% to start the first quarter. Kevin Martin started the game 0/5 on his field goals, and after a long string of high percentage shooting games, Houston looked like they were in trouble.

Things went back and forth throughout the first half, with the Lakers leading by one at halftime. However, Houston came out in the second half to go on a backbreaking 23-6 run, as they outscored Los Angeles 35-25 in the third quarter, leading by nine going into the final quarter. Taking advantage of Kobe Bryant's long third quarter rest, Houston's bench upped the tempo to tire out the Lakers. Goran Dragic scored 10 points and four assists off the bench to lead the efforts of the second unit.

In the fourth quarter, the Lakers were manned by Bryant, as on many an occasion he'd trim the margin to an uncomfortably close number, making Houston have to answer his play. Bryant finished with a game high 37 points, but his effort was not enough. Houston was led by Kevin Martin's 30 points and all-around stat line to secure the win, their tenth in a row to be specific.

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 30 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 10/21 FG, 3/5 3P, 8/10 FT
Yao Ming - 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 7/11 FG, 2/2 FT
Luis Scola - 14 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 5/13 FG, 4/4 FT
Goran Dragic - 10 points, 4 assists, 4/10 FG, 2/4 FT
Kyle Lowry - 10 points, 12 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, 3/7 FG, 2/5 3P, 2/2 FT

Lakers:
Kobe Bryant - 37 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 14/35 FG, 2/4 3P, 7/7 FT
Pau Gasol - 16 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 7/11 FG, 2/2 FT
Metta World Peace - 12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 4/8 FG, 4/7 3P
Andrew Bynum - 9 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 4/9 FG, 1/1 FT

20 24 35 24 104
22 25 25 25 96

[55-17] Houston Rockets 105-93 Washington Wizards [28-44]

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 32 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 8/18 FG, 4/9 3P, 12/12 FT
Luis Scola - 16 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 6/8 FG, 4/6 FT
Shane Battier - 15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 6/10 FG, 1/1 3P, 2/2 FT
Kyle Lowry - 13 points, 8 assists, 2 steals, 5/11 FG, 3/3 FT
Thabo Sefolosha - 9 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 4/7 FG, 1/1 3P

Wizards:
Rashard Lewis - 25 points, 8 rebounds, 8/14 FG, 6/9 3P, 3/3 FT
Nick Young - 15 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 6/6 FG, 2/2 3P, 1/2 FT
Derrick Williams - 13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 4/8 FG, 1/2 3P, 4/4 FT
John Wall - 13 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 4/12 FG, 1/4 3P, 4/6 FT
JaVale McGee - 9 points, 6 rebounds, 3/6 FG, 3/6 FT
Andray Blatche - 9 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks, 4/8 FG, 1/2 FT

32 27 26 20 105
28 22 18 25 93

[56-17] Houston Rockets 110-116 New York Knicks [38-34]




The New York Knicks were red hot in this game. They converted on 12 of their first 15 field goals, and the offensive massacre didn't stop there, as New York shot 59% in the first half, 55% for the game. Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with a team high 40 points on 18/33 shooting.

Houston was far behind New York's level on offense, but it wasn't mediocre either. They shot 48% from the field for the game, but they just had no answer for the Knicks' hot shooting.

Facing at 17-point deficit, the Rockets got back into it by back-to-back threes from Shane Battier. This gave them momentum, as they chipped the margin down to five.

It was not meant to be however, because for every run Houston put on the table, New York answered it with another hope-crushing one.

"I think we did what we could on defense. We were forcing them to take tough shots, we played the passing lanes well, and anything else you'd ask for. They just had it going, and while it's frustrating when that happens, there's nothing to be done about it," Battier said, crediting his teammates while still acknowledging New York's amazing game.

Kevin Martin led Houston's futile effort, with a game high 41 points. He beat Anthony in almost every aspect of this game, except in rebounding and getting the win. Both teams had excellent ball movement, as New York had 29 assists while Houston had 27. Houston shot 8/19 from downtown, a key stat that prevented this game from being a blowout.

Despite the disappointing loss that ended their 11-game win streak, the Rockets don't have much to worry about. They've clinched the Southwest division, and are about a couple of games away from clinching the Western Conference.

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 41 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 13/23 FG, 2/4 3P, 13/13 FT
Yao Ming - 16 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 7/12 FG, 2/2 FT
Shane Battier - 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 4/7 FG, 3/5 3P, 2/2 FT
Luis Scola - 12 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 5/8 FG, 2/2 FT
Goran Dragic - 7 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 3/6 FG, 1/2 3P

Knicks:
Carmelo Anthony - 40 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 18/33 FG, 2/9 3P, 2/2 FT
Ronny Turiaf - 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 7/8 FG
Amar'e Stoudemire - 15 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 7/11 FG
Steve Nash - 15 points, 14 assists, 1 rebound, 4/10 FG, 7/7 FT
Landry Fields - 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 6/11 FG
Kelenna Azubuike - 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 4/9 FG, 2/4 3P

27 29 28 26 110
39 22 34 21 116

[56-18] Houston Rockets 107-84 Toronto Raptors [25-49]

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 23 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 10/18 FG, 3/6 3P
Kyle Lowry - 23 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 5 steals, 8/13 FG, 1/2 3P, 6/9 FT
Shane Battier - 16 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 5/9 FG, 2/4 3P, 4/5 FT
Luis Scola - 12 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 5/11 FG, 2/2 FT
Yao Ming - 8 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 4/11 FG

Raptors:
Jose Calderon - 14 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 4/6 FG, 3/4 3P, 3/5 FT
Leandro Barbosa - 13 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals, 4/12 FG, 2/6 3P, 3/3 FT
Ed Davis - 11 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 5/15 FG, 1/2 FT
Andrea Bargnani - 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 3/8 FG, 4/4 FT
Brandon Knight - 9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 4/13 FG, 1/2 FT

28 20 34 25 107
26 18 21 19 84

[kibaxx7]

Go for Dwight man, I think Yao doesn't have much fuel left

[Axel The Great]

Would be nice to get him, but as I've said before, this is most likely my last season with this story. Besides, I have a lottery pick which I am hoping becomes the #1 pick to draft Anthony Davis.

I am currently leaning towards starting a 2K13 association, but I'm not sure about it at this time. Anyways, March recap coming up next!

[Axel The Great]

March Recap

Players of the Month

Player	Conference	Statistics
LeBron James (MIA)	East Player	27.9 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 6.2 apg, 1.9 spg, 1.3 bpg, 50.5% FG, 38.4% 3P, 78.4% FT
Kevin Martin	West Player	29.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.4 apg, 1.5 spg, 52.4% FG, 46.6% 3P, 92.8% FT
Kawhi Leonard (CLE)	East Rookie	12.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.1 spg, 40.9% FG, 30.0% 3P, 78.1% FT
Kyrie Irving (SAC)	West Rookie	17.3 ppg, 5.2 apg, 3.5 rpg, 1.0 spg, 44.4% FG, 33.1% 3P, 86.5% FT

Players of the Week

Week	East Player	West Player
February 26-March 3	Carmelo Anthony (NYK)	Stephen Curry (GSW)
March 4-10	LeBron James (MIA)	Kobe Bryant (LAL)
March 11-17	LeBron James (MIA)	Chris Paul (NOH)
March 18-24	Derrick Rose (CHI)	Kevin Martin (HOU)
March 25-31	LeBron James (MIA)	Kobe Bryant (LAL)

NLSCer Stats

Thierry Tirieux (MEM)
75 GP | 0 GS | 12.6 ppg | 4.7 apg | 2.5 rpg | 44.7% FG | 28.0 % 3P | 70.4% FT | 24.3 mpg

Justine Jones (CHA)
74 GP | 53 GS | 12.3 ppg | 6.3 rpg | 3.5 apg | 40.3% FG | 30.9% 3P | 69.8% FT | 27.0 mpg

Xavier Nelson (LAL)
76 GP | 76 GS | 12.3 ppg | 5.4 apg | 2.0 rpg | 1.3 spg | 36.6% FG | 31.3% 3P | 81.5% FT | 26.2 mpg

George Koukoulis (GSW)
78 GP | 0 GS | 5.0 ppg | 2.1 rpg | 1.1 apg | 40.4% FG | 26.5% 3P | 72.4% FT | 9.6 mpg

Zee Otoo (WAS)
31 GP | 0 GS | 4.2 ppg | 1.9 rpg | 35% FG | 47.5% 3P | 74.3% FT | 9.5 mpg

Willie Lewis
58 GP | 5 GS | 2.6 ppg | 1.7 rpg | 37.3% FG | 64.5% FT | 6.4 mpg

Liam Washburn (POR)
54 GP | 0 GS | 2.7 ppg | 0.8 rpg | 0.9 apg | 41.0% FG | 31.3% 3P | 87.5% FT | 5.7 mpg

Valdis Iesalnieks (SAS)
46 GP | 29 GS | 1.1 ppg | 2.1 rpg | 34.0% FG | 48.8% FT | 7.1 mpg







Team Stats

[Axel The Great]

[57-18] Houston Rockets 103-116 Memphis Grizzlies [33-42]

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 29 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 10/17 FG, 1/4 3P, 8/9 FT
Luis Scola - 18 points, 11 rebounds, 8/13 FG, 2/3 FT
Kyle Lowry - 13 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 6/8 FG, 1/1 3P
Patrick Patterson - 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5/7 FG, 2/4 FT
Thabo Sefolosha - 10 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 3/6 FG, 1/1 3P, 3/3 FT

Grizzlies:
Rudy Gay - 36 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 12/17 FG, 1/3 3P, 11/12 FT
OJ Majo - 22 points, 4 rebounds, 8/17 FG, 2/5 3P, 4/4 FT
Thierry Tirieux - 11 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 3/10 FG, 1/2 3P, 4/4 FT
Michael Conley - 11 points, 13 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 4/10 FG, 3/5 FT
Marc Gasol - 8 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 2/7 FG, 4/4 FT

29 23 23 28 103
34 25 17 40 116

[57-19] Houston Rockets 126-90 Orlando Magic [43-33]


Houston's bench erupted for 59 points. | Dwight Howard disappeared amid the rout.

After losing only their fourth home game this season against the Grizzlies, Houston came out and just routed the Orlando Magic, whom were riding a seven-game win streak. After a relatively close first quarter, Houston's bench came out and took care of business, having an easier time than the starters putting the ball in the basket. Courtney Lee and Goran Dragic led the second unit with 13 points apiece, and were followed closely by Thabo Sefolosha who had 12. The Rockets could not have played any better, as they shot 56% from the field, 10/17 from downtown, and had 34 assists. Their bench united for a 59-point game.

Meanwhile, the Magic were in the other end of the spectrum, as they shot 40% from the field, and insisted on chucking 31 three-point attempts, converting on only nine. Jason Richardson top scored for Orlando with 22, and Gilbert Arenas, the only efficient double-digit scorer, had 21 on 8/16 shooting. Dwight Howard was almost a non-factor; despite logging 37 minutes, he attempted only seven field goals, converting on four. He had nine points and ten boards. Many predicted the Magic's win streak would end in Houston, but not in this demoralizing manner.

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 31 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 14/22 FG, 2/4 3P, 1/1 FT
Yao Ming - 13 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 5/6 FG, 3/3 FT
Courtney Lee - 13 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 5/8 FG, 1/2 3P, 2/4 FT
Goran Dragic - 13 points, 8 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 5/7 FG, 3/3 3P
Thabo Sefolosha - 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 3/5 FG, 2/3 3P, 4/4 FT
Luis Scola - 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3/8 FG, 4/4 FT
Patrick Patterson - 10 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, 4/8 FG, 2/2 FT
Kyle Lowry - 9 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 4/7 FG, 1/2 3P

Magic:
Jason Richardson - 22 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 9/24 FG, 3/12 3P, 1/2 FT
Gilbert Arenas - 21 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 8/16 FG, 3/5 3P, 2/2 FT
Hedo Turkoglu - 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 5/20 FG, 2/7 3P, 2/2 FT
Ryan Anderson - 9 points, 3 rebounds, 4/6 FG, 1/2 3P
Dwight Howard - 9 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 4/7 FG, 1/2 FT

28 34 34 30 126
20 25 20 25 90

[58-19] Houston Rockets 118-104 Golden State Warriors [33-43]

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 23 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, 6/14 FG, 3/5 3P, 8/8 FT
Luis Scola - 21 points, 14 rebounds, 10/13 FG, 1/2 FT
Kyle Lowry - 18 points, 10 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 block, 7/11 FG, 2/4 3P, 2/2 FT
Yao Ming - 14 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 5/7 FG, 4/4 FT
Shane Battier - 12 points, 2 rebounds, 4/8 FG, 2/4 3P, 2/2 FT

Warriors:
Stephen Curry - 30 points, 9 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 13/24 FG, 2/6 3P, 2/6 FT
David Lee - 22 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 6/15 FG, 10/12 FT
Andrew Bogut - 15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 6/9 FG, 3/6 FT
Tracy McGrady - 12 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 5/10 FG, 2/2 FT
Dorell Wright - 10 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2/8 FG, 1/4 3P, 5/7 FT

20 34 33 31 118
25 30 21 28 104

[59-19] Houston Rockets 109-108 New Orleans Hornets [39-38]


Kevin Martin making a final push to lock in his first scoring title. | Kyle Lowry quietly contributed to the win.

Chris Paul, overshadowed by others, top scored. | Trevor Ariza was big during New Orleans' fourth quarter push.

Houston, having clinched the Western Conference and New Orleans still fighting for playoff contention, one would've assumed New Orleans to fight hard in this one. However, after the first quarter, New Orleans seemed to have depleted their energy. Houston's lead grew as big as 13 in the second quarter, before the Hornets went on a run before halftime.

Chris Paul led New Orleans' comeback effort with 21 points and nine assists, but his supporting cast overshadowed him, especially in the fourth quarter. Trevor Ariza scored 19 points, grabbed five boards, and hit three out of five from downtown, two of those in the fourth quarter. Jarrett Jack scored 16, dished four assists, and shot 6/9 off the bench. David West had a double-double of 16 points and 11 boards, but had a quiet fourth quarter.

The blame that must be put for New Orleans' early struggles, is free throws. The Hornets went 16/23 from the line, making it the key difference maker in the game since Houston knocked down all of theirs, at 24/24.

Trailing by 10 going into the fourth quarter, New Orleans sparked an unexpected comeback, as they scored six unanswered to start, and forced Houston to four consecutive misses. A three by Ariza gave the Hornets their first lead since the first quarter at 94-93, making it a 15-4 run. Both teams traded buckets from that point on. Many times throughout the final stretch it seemed as though the Hornets were put away; Kevin Martin (game high 37 points, seven boards, five assists) scored a three with about four minutes left to put Houston up 100-96. However, Ariza answered right back, pulling back to within one. Kyle Lowry (15 points, six assists) retaliated on the other end with a consecutive triple to make it 103-99. Two Luis Scola (10 points, eight boards) free throws made it 105-99. New Orleans pulled to within three with another triple, and then a bucket by rookie Tyler Honeycutt made it 105-104. They would gain the lead for a brief period, at 106-105, but surrendered it after a jumper from Scola.

The score 107-106, Martin was fouled and knocked down two clutch free throws to put Houston up by three. New Orleans forced a turnover after failing to convert, and Ariza scored a breakaway slam to make it 109-108. Houston failed to put the nail in the coffin, giving New Orleans a full 24 seconds to score the go-ahead bucket. One thing led to another, and Honeycutt forced up a difficult shot over Scola, which hit rim and went out. Martin grabbed the rebound, and landed on his feet just as the buzzer sounded, giving New Orleans no time to foul. Houston, facing their potential first round opponent, barely held on to clinch the first 60-win season in franchise history.

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 37 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 9/20 FG, 3/7 3P, 16/16 FT
Yao Ming - 15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 7/10 FG, 1/1 FT
Kyle Lowry - 15 points, 6 assists, 1 rebound, 6/11 FG, 3/5 3P
Luis Scola - 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 5/8 FG
Shane Battier - 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3/6 FG, 1/2 3P, 2/2 FT

Hornets:
Chris Paul - 21 points, 9 assists, 2 rebounds, 7/16 FG, 7/7 FT
Trevor Ariza - 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 8/16 FG, 3/5 3P
Jarrett Jack - 16 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 6/9 FG, 1/1 3P, 3/3 FT
David West - 16 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 7/13 FG, 2/4 FT
Tyler Honeycutt - 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 5/14 FG, 1/4 FT

32 27 30 20 109
26 26 27 29 108

[Axel The Great]

[60-19] Houston Rockets 102-89 Sacramento Kings [37-43]

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 36 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 13/20 FG, 5/5 3P, 5/6 FT
Yao Ming - 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, 4/8 FG, 6/6 FT
Shane Battier - 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 5/7 FG, 1/1 3P, 3/3 FT
Luis Scola - 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 3/6 FG, 3/6 FT

Kings:
Tyreke Evans - 29 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 10/20 FG, 1/4 3P, 8/9 FT
Kyrie Irving - 19 points, 5 assists, 1 rebound, 5 steals, 1 block, 4/10 FG, 1/2 3P, 10/11 FT
Beno Udrih - 12 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 5/5 FG, 2/2 3P
Marcus Thornton - 9 points, 4/5 FG, 1/2 3P
DeMarcus Cousins - 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 3/6 FG, 2/2 FT

25 25 26 26 102
19 24 23 23 89

[61-19] Houston Rockets 105-96 Dallas Mavericks [50-30]


Kevin Martin appears to have the scoring title locked up. | Kyle Lowry providing substantial help to secure the win.

Jason Terry launched a barrage of triples. | Dirk Nowitzki was rendered useless, and eventually fouled out.

Dallas didn't have such a good start to this game, as Houston came out of the gates ready to play lockdown defense. They were limited to 19 points in the first quarter. That wouldn't have been so bad if Kevin Martin hadn't gone berserk. Martin scored 21 points in just the first quarter, leading the Rockets to 34 points in the opening period.

At one point, Houston's lead ballooned to 22. Dallas was settling for mediocre looks from mid-range. Dirk Nowitzki had a sub-par shooting game. He scored 22 points on 10/29 shooting, but he did secure a double-double as he had 15 boards. Jason Terry scored a team high 25 and knocked down five triples as he led a comeback effort in the second half.

Dallas shot much better in the fourth quarter, as Houston's 15-point lead began to evaporate to just single digits. Upon this, Rockets coach Rick Adelman subbed in his starters. Dallas managed to get within seven a couple of times throughout the fourth, but thanks to Martin, who scored 15 points in the second half, helped keep the Mavericks at bay. Martin finished with a game high 38, dished out six dimes, and grabbed five boards. Kyle Lowry subsidized Martin's effort with 16 points and seven assists.

Houston shot 45% from the field, while Dallas shot 43%. The disparity in free throws, 12/14 for Dallas, and 27/29 for Houston, shows Dallas's lack of aggressiveness, and quite possibly the referees' willingness to swallow their whistle.

Despite having clinched homecourt for the entire playoffs, the Houston Rockets aren't taking it easy on any team down the stretch. Could this possibly be their championship year?

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 38 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 12/21 FG, 2/5 3P, 12/12 FT
Kyle Lowry - 16 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 7/12 FG, 2/4 3P
Yao Ming - 14 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 6/11 FG, 2/2 FT
Shane Battier - 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3/6 FG, 3/3 FT
Luis Scola - 6 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2/7 FG, 2/2 FT

Mavericks:
Jason Terry - 25 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 9/20 FG, 5/8 3P, 2/2 FT
Dirk Nowitzki - 22 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 10/29 FG, 2/2 FT
Caron Butler - 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 5/8 FG, 4/4 FT
Shawn Marion - 12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 5/5 FG, 2/2 FT
Rodrigue Beaubois - 12 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 5/13 FG, 1/6 3P, 1/2 FT

34 25 21 25 105
19 20 25 32 96

[62-19] Houston Rockets 131-127 Minnesota Timberwolves [29-52]

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 40 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 13/23 FG, 3/6 3P, 11/11 FT
Yao Ming - 24 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks, 8/14 FG, 8/9 FT
Goran Dragic - 13 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 5/7 FG, 2/3 3P, 1/2 FT
Patrick Patterson - 12 points, 2 rebounds, 4/7 FG, 4/5 FT
Luis Scola - 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 5/10 FG

Timberwolves:
Jonny Flynn - 27 points, 7 assists, 10/14 FG, 7/7 FT
Kevin Love - 25 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 6/12 FG, 12/12 FT
Corey Brewer - 18 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 6/9 FG, 1/2 3P, 5/5 FT
Jonas Valanciunas - 14 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 4/9 FG, 6/6 FT
Michael Beasley - 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 5/12 FG, 1/2 3P, 2/2 FT

36 36 30 29 131
37 32 27 31 127

[Lamrock]

Congratulations on finishing the season! You'd better hope you don't run into the Trail Blazers, though.

[Axel The Great]

Thanks, Lamrock. The TrailBlazers are the 7th seed, so unless they achieve the impossible and make the Conference Finals, my hopes can remain high in not having to face them.

[Axel The Great]

April Recap

Players of the Month

Player	Conference	Statistics
LeBron James (MIA)	East Player	27.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 6.4 apg, 1.9 spg, 1.3 bpg, 50.1% FG, 77.8% FT, 38.4% 3P
Kevin Martin	West Player	29.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.4 apg, 1.5 spg, 52.7% FG, 47.3% 3P, 93.2% FT
Kawhi Leonard (CLE)	East Rookie	12.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.1 spg, 41.5% FG, 77.8% FT
Kyrie Irving (SAC)	West Rookie	17.2 ppg, 5.1 apg, 3.5 rpg, 1.0 spg, 44.1% FG, 86.3% FT, 33.8% 3P

Players of the Week

Week	East Player	West Player
April 1-7	Deron Williams (NJN)	Kobe Bryant (LAL)
April 8-14	Carmelo Anthony (NYK)	Kevin Martin (HOU)

NLSCer Stats

Thierry Tirieux (MEM)
82 GP | 0 GS | 12.6 ppg | 4.7 apg | 2.5 rpg | 44.5% FG | 28.0 % 3P | 70.0% FT | 24.3 mpg

Justine Jones (CHA)
82 GP | 53 GS | 12.3 ppg | 6.0 rpg | 3.5 apg | 40.6% FG | 31.2% 3P | 70.5% FT | 26.6 mpg

Xavier Nelson (LAL)
82 GP | 82 GS | 11.6 ppg | 5.2 apg | 2.0 rpg | 1.3 spg | 36.4% FG | 30.3% 3P | 81.3% FT | 25.0 mpg

George Koukoulis (GSW)
86 GP | 0 GS | 5.0 ppg | 2.1 rpg | 1.0 apg | 41.5% FG | 26.5% 3P | 72.5% FT | 9.6 mpg

Zee Otoo (WAS)
31 GP | 0 GS | 4.2 ppg | 1.9 rpg | 35% FG | 47.5% 3P | 74.3% FT | 9.5 mpg

Willie Lewis
66 GP | 5 GS | 2.6 ppg | 1.7 rpg | 39.1% FG | 65.8% FT | 6.3 mpg

Liam Washburn (POR)
61 GP | 0 GS | 2.8 ppg | 0.9 rpg | 0.9 apg | 40.9% FG | 39.0% 3P | 86.7% FT | 5.8 mpg

Valdis Iesalnieks (SAS)
53 GP | 29 GS | 1.2 ppg | 2.3 rpg | 36.0% FG | 53.1% FT | 6.9 mpg







Team Stats


Metric Stats

[Axel The Great]

The Season In Review

Posted by Axel Gomez, Sunday, April 15, 2012
After the sound of the final buzzer concluding the Houston Rockets' 131-127 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves this Friday, the Rockets' 2011-12 regular season campaign concluded. This season was threatened by the possibility of a lockout, but thankfully, everything went as planned. At 63-19, this has by far been the Houston Rockets' best regular season in franchise history. After equaling the franchise record in wins at 58-24 last season, the Rockets have bested last season's successful campaign by five wins. The Rockets clinched the best record in the league, and ultimately have homecourt advantage all throughout the playoffs.

With the playoffs around the corner, Rockets fans have never been so optimistic about their team as they are right now. With a balanced offensive team, the Rockets have all the makings of a championship team. After last season's disappointing downfall at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals, you can bet the Rockets are primed to avenge last season's elimination by securing a trip to the NBA Finals.

But before we look ahead to the playoffs, let's analyze the keys to Houston's success in the regular season. Like I did last year, I'm going to point out the key components that helped build this 63-19 season for the Rockets.

Health

Like last year, health played a major role towards the Rockets' success. Most notably, Yao Ming was able to play in all 82 games this year, averaging almost 30 minutes per game. After missing the entire 2009-10 regular season, it is safe to say Yao is back to form. Analysts say that the reason he's been able to maintain his health is because he no longer has to carry the team on his shoulders. It is notable in the decrease in his numbers; he went from being a perennial 20 points, 10 rebounds player to a 15 points, eight rebounds player. Why the decrease in numbers you may ask? Well, during the 2009-10 season, the Rockets trade for Kevin Martin, and during the 2010-11 season, made a strong impact by having a career year. With Martin now carrying the team, Yao now plays a supporting role in the scoring load, even though defensively, he's still the prime presence inside.

The only player to miss games due to injury was Shane Battier, whom suffered a minor lower back strain early in the season. He only missed two games, and aside from other minor injuries that hampered other players, including Yao, the Rockets remained relatively injury-free all season long.

As long as the Rockets remain healthy throughout the playoffs, they should be able to make a strong push towards the NBA Finals.

The Bench

There was a change in the starting lineup prior to the start of the season; Rockets Head Coach Rick Adelman started Kyle Lowry and benched Aaron Brooks due to the dip in his shooting numbers. Through the season, Brooks's production dropped significantly, and was consequently traded alongside Chase Budinger to the Phoenix Suns for Goran Dragic and a first round draft pick. That draft pick could end up becoming the first overall pick, because Phoenix finished dead last in the league with the worst record.

Anyways, Dragic's arrival bolstered Houston's bench, as they now had a solid scorer, playmaker, and defender off the bench. The primary scoring threats off the bench for Houston are Dragic, Courtney Lee, and Patrick Patterson. Also, the Rockets have Thabo Sefolosha, acquired in an offseason trade last year, as their defensive stopper off the bench, whom along with Chuck Hayes, may not be prominent in box scores, but both players can influence the outcomes and complexion of games. This solid bench was able to torch other teams' starting units this season, as any one player has the potential of going off. As a cohesive unit, Houston's bench averaged a little over 30 points per game. Lee and Dragic averaged 7.1 points per game apiece to contribute to Houston's successful 63-19 season.

In the playoffs, it is imperative for successful teams to have depth, and the Rockets have plenty of depth inside-out. In Houston's bench, there is no shortage of scoring, playmaking, rebounding, or defense. Most importantly, there is a surplus of hustle, and you can never have too much hustle in the playoffs.

Efficiency

The Rockets don't just play stellar offense, they play efficient offense. They led the league in field goal percentage (48.7%), three-point percentage (42.4%), and free throw percentage (85.3%). They led the league in scoring at 107.9 points per game. Their well-organized, up tempo offense was overwhelming for many teams. Top that with the fact that at home, the Rockets were near unstoppable, as they went 37-4, their best home record in franchise history. Their most efficient player, Kevin Martin, whom will be discussed in a bit, had eye-popping numbers that provided the bulk of Houston's efficiency.

"Offense wins games, defense wins championships" goes the old sports cliche. The Rockets have won games with offense, but if they are to win a championship, they must do so with defense.

Defense

In the past, the Rockets weren't known as a defensive team. In fact, at times it was difficult to watch other teams steamroll their defense. This season however, the Rockets changed that. They were fifth in least points allowed per game, at 96.8 points per game. That means they beat their opponents by a difference of 11.1 points per game. Beat? No, they beat down their opponents, as many of their games went to garbage time.

Even though they were 20th in blocks per game at 4.7, the Rockets were second in steals per game at 7.9, behind the Chicago Bulls. Through forcing bad shots and turnovers from the opposition, the Rockets were able to successfully express their defensive prowess, and punished opposing teams with their offensive display.

Defense wins championships, and surely the Rockets will be able to keep up their new defensive identity throughout the playoffs.

Kevin Martin

If you thought Martin's numbers last year, 28.0 points per game, 3.7 rebounds per game, 2.7 assists per game, 52.1% field goal shooting, 49.1% three-point shooting, 92.9% free throw shooting, was scary, check out his numbers this season. 29.8 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game, 4.4 assists per game, 1.5 steals per game, 52.7% field goal shooting, 47.3% three-point shooting, and 93.2% free throw shooting. He won his first scoring title this year, edging out last year's champion Kevin Durant by a margin of 0.9 points. Essentially, Martin developed an all-around game, as he significantly increased his rebounds and assists, while maintaining the status quo of efficient shooting.

Last season, he had a Player Efficiency Rating of 31.66. This season, his PER was 32.41, making it the best single-season PER in the history of the league. His True Shooting Percentage was 64.7%, coming in second to Ray Allen.

This was truly a season to remember for Martin. He won his first scoring title, made his first All-Star appearance, and led the Rockets to their best season in franchise history. Surely he makes a very strong case for the MVP award, and the only thing that can make his season truly legendary would be an NBA Championship.

Looking Ahead...

In conclusion, the Rockets are a heavy favorite to win the NBA Championship this year. After losing to the eventual champions the Dallas Mavericks last year, Houston has something they can build off of and a thirst for redemption to go as far as possible these playoffs. The first step towards achieving the ultimate goal is Game One this week against the New Orleans Hornets.

Comments: (0)

There are no comments at this time. Be the first to post a comment!

[hova-]

Very nice seeing you ending this season although I havent been following a lot recently due to exams and stuff. 63-19, another franchise record, that is great. Kevin Martin is really playing out of his mind, definitely not the turn his career took in real life.

Good luck in the Playoffs, even against my Mavs, as they already have their rings ... would be okay to see you take it all I guess.

Somehow I wished that Yao would be your number one player. It's really bad that he is not in the league anymore, really liked him.

[Axel The Great]

hova-, no problem, I understand what it's like to have a busy schedule. In reference to Martin, I'm a little bummed to see him fall from his 20 ppg scoring days, and I don't see that happening in Minnesota with a healthy Kevin Love. That said, I don't think he ever had the potential to be as good as he is here. I'm still amazed at the PER he got! With the success he's having here, I think it's understandable to have Yao take a backseat.

As for the Mavs, they did much better here than the Mavs from real life. They kept Tyson Chandler, but Jason Kidd retired. Either way, they are a team I need to keep my guard up against if I face them in the WCF.

Playoffs tree/preview coming in a few hours.