In celebration of 10,000 views of the thread, I've put together the top 10 moments of the dynasty thread. Here they are:
10. The Acquisition of Brad HalsteadIn the 2010 NBA Draft, the Rockets did not have any roster space for their second round pick, it being the 60th pick. They pulled out a desperation trade, trading Aussie Forward/Center David Andersen to the Memphis Grizzlies, along with their 60th draft pick. In return, the Rockets received the 38th overall draft pick, Brad Halstead. This would ultimately end up being a huge steal for the Rockets, since Brad Halstead was just a triple-double waiting to happen.
Of course, with his arrival, Halstead was upset at the fact that he would not get any playing time; the Rockets were just too deep at the forward positions. With this, he began to whine, and Kevin Martin shut him up. This would ultimately start a big feud between the two, lasting quite a few months. The Rockets had to send Brad Halstead down to the NBA D-League to separate him from causing any harm to the team chemistry. After a tragic incident to Donte Greene, Halstead was called up to the Houston Rockets, and in his time with the roster again, Shane Battier taught him how to behave, and eventually, Halstead and Martin were on the same page.
9. Double Overtime Loss at Los AngelesNow you may be asking, why would I put a loss to the team I hate the most in the top 10? One word. Epic. It was a very close game all the way, with Kobe Bryant and Kevin Martin having a scoring duel. The Lakers prevailed with a three-pointer from Jordan Farmar, who had been bricking his shots all game. The Lakers won 129-126.
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I remember that game very well. The crowd was all out against us, and you could tell Kobe wanted revenge from the previous year. The fact that I missed the free throw that could've sealed the game in the first overtime still gets to me, but I calm myself down when I remind myself that I won my second championship that year." -
Kevin Martin8. Yao's 20-20 GameIn Game 2 of the 2010 playoffs, the Rockets faced off against the New Orleans Hornets. Yao Ming was awarded the performer of the game honor, who had monstrous numbers. 22 points, 21 rebounds, two assists, and three blocks in a convincing win against the Hornets. Yao kept that same consistency throughout the rest of the playoffs, and would lead to the Rockets' third franchise championship.
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It felt like every rebound came to me. It was like I was a magnet, and the ball just kept coming down. Credit also has to go to my teammates who were forcing all of those misses, hence all of the rebounds. That had to be one of the top 10 games of my career." -
Yao Ming7. 12-0 Start in the 2009-10 SeasonWhen everyone was ruling the Rockets to be an above-average team, nobody expected a 12-0 start to the season. They challenged their own franchise record of 15-0 set by the '93-'94 Rockets. The teams that fell victim to the Rockets were the Portland TrailBlazers (x2), the Golden State Warriors, the Utah Jazz, the Los Angeles Lakers (x2), the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Dallas Mavericks, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Sacramento Kings, the Phoenix Suns, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. The streak would ultimately end in Atlanta, where the Rockets trailed by as many as 23, managed to get the margin down to five in the fourth, but just couldn't come away with the win.
6. Kevin Martin's Clutch Buzzer-Beater at CharlotteAfter trailing the whole game, the Rockets found their way back in the fourth quarter, pouring in 53 points in the second half. Kevin Martin hit a
three at the buzzer to tie the game at 92. In overtime, both teams were still neck and neck, and with 30 seconds remaining, Kevin Martin held the ball in front of the halfcourt line. He attempted an off-balance shot, which missed, but Yao was there for the rebound, and kicked it back out to Kevin Martin. He scored the
game-winner."
Yes, I remember that as if it was only yesterday. I was frustrated with my teammates all game for allowing second chance points, but we got our act together in the second half. Those two big shots had to have been the one of the best I've ever taken, especially with the smothering defense that the Bobcats had at the time." -
Kevin Martin5. Kevin Martin Goes 18 Games With 30+Kevin Martin put together a streak of 18 games with 30+ points. This streak was the longest in franchise history, edging out Moses Malone's previous streak at 13. This all included a 40 point game against the Grizzlies, in which Kevin Martin battled OJ Mayo in an epic scoring duel, Mayo scoring 43 himself.
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Putting together a streak that big is just a huge accomplishment. At the end of the day, that doesn't matter if the team's not winning, but that wasn't the case then. The team lost only three games in that stretch, so you can say that with good teammates, I managed to snag a great record like that." -
Kevin Martin4. Kevin Martin Scores 58A tremendous individual performance for K-Mart against the Denver Nuggets. He dropped 58, on 19/37 shooting, and a franchise record of most free throws made without a miss, 19/19. Kevin Martin had exactly half of the Rockets points, and was the main key towards their comeback win against the Nuggets.
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It's one thing to have a hot hand, but I had a scorching hand that game. True, there were some no calls in the game, but to pass the 57 points record previously set by Calvin Murphy is just an excellent feeling. Definitely one of the best games of my career." -
Kevin Martin3. Rockets' RepeatThe reason this is lower than the first championship of the dynasty is because this championship was acquired much easier than the first. Yes, the Rockets went 16-1 like in the 2010 playoffs, but they had a much easier time in all of their games.
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Being a part of a championship team is excellent. Contributing to a championship team is an out of this world experience. I feel like I contributed as much as I could to all of the Rockets' championships in my time there. With excellent teammates, there was no way we could lose." -
Aaron Brooks2. 16-Game Win StreakThe Indiana Pacers, the Toronto Raptors, the Boston Celtics, the Miami Heat, the Memphis Grizzlies (x2), the Los Angeles Clippers (x2), the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Portland TrailBlazers, the Charlotte Bobcats, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Detroit Pistons, the Chicago Bulls, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Sacramento Kings all fell victim to this period of dominance by the Rockets. The streak however, came to an end at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. A 30-20 game by Kevin Durant, and a 20-point game from LeBron James contributed to that. Still, a win streak that big deserves a lot of merit, as it was the second longest win-streak in franchise history.
1. Rockets' First ChampionshipUnlike the second championship, the first championship was a bit harder to win for the Rockets. They had some pretty close games in the first two rounds, and lost one game to the Lakers. They swept the Bulls, but it didn't come easy. The fact that Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah seemed to be the only ones trying contributed much to that. But despite the lack of effort from the role players, the Bulls were still able to push the Rockets towards close games.
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They say defense wins championships. But as a coach, I wasn't known for that; I was best known for my offense. Anyone can play defense, as long as you set your mind to it and focus. That's exactly what the Rockets did in my time as their coach." -
Rick AdelmanThere, the top 10 moments of the thread. I only mentioned the first two seasons, and did not mention anything about the epilogue, since I didn't experience those events first hand. Feel free to discuss the order, or the snubbed moments that didn't show up.