PHOTOS: Rockets vs. Kings
Houston Rockets forward Gary Clark (6) celebrates James Ennis III's (8) successful fourth quarter of the NBA game against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in Houston. The Houston Rockets defeated the Golden State Warriors 107-86.
>>>See more game action from the Rockets' fourth straight win on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018 ...
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PHOTOS: Rockets vs. Kings
Houston Rockets forward Gary Clark (6) celebrates James Ennis III's (8) successful fourth quarter of the NBA game against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center on Thursday, Nov.
... more
Photo: Yi-Chin Lee/Staff Photographer
PHOTOS: Rockets vs. Kings
Houston Rockets forward Gary Clark (6) celebrates James Ennis III's (8) successful fourth quarter of the NBA game against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, in Houston. The Houston Rockets defeated the Golden State Warriors 107-86.
>>>See more game action from the Rockets' fourth straight win on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018 ...
lessPHOTOS: Rockets vs. Kings
Houston Rockets forward Gary Clark (6) celebrates James Ennis III's (8) successful fourth quarter of the NBA game against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center on Thursday, Nov.
... morePhoto: Yi-Chin Lee/Staff Photographer
When the Rockets on Tuesday gathered for practice after two off days, the standings had become far more bunched in front of them than when they left on Saturday with a four-game winning streak. There were four teams – the Trail Blazers, Clippers, Warriors and Grizzlies – tied for the best record in the Western Conference.
The ninth-place Rockets, having climbed much of the way out of the hole they dug with a 1-5 start to the season, began Tuesday just 2 ½ games out of first place, but with a thick pack of teams in their path.
“We started off so bad, but if you look at the standings, we’re two games in the loss column from being back where we need to be, which is a blessing in itself,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “In the West, we could have almost been mathematically out of it by now. We have to take advantage of it. The bad thing is 13 other teams probably saying the same thing. So everybody is bunched up and we have to take care of business.”
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D’Antoni said he was confident that the Rockets would bounce back, but their four game winning streak going into Wednesday’s game against the Pistons was enough to move them just one game better than .500.
“You have to have faith in our guys,” D’Antoni said. “Our guys are professional and they’re good. You worry about it. You pull your hair out. But in the end, they’re going to come back to who they are. Who they are is pretty good.”