vs.
POSTGAME QUOTES
DECEMBER 20, 2002


On the bad stretch:
"Well, it’s kind of funny that it happened this way. Sometimes you have to take a step backwards (in order) to move forward. We were not the team that we’ve been. We weren’t on the boards. I don’t think the ball moved like it should. We had a good talk about it at halftime."

On the good stretch:
"We played better defense, but moving the ball was phenomenal. Really, this is as happy as I’ve been with our offense all year. Our players would take the ball, drive it in and somebody would slide over and we would flip to somebody else, and that person would have a wide-open look. We got everybody involved and the difference was phenomenal."

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On the Rockets turnaround:
"We huddled up right before we went on the floor (to start the second half) and said we had to be a little more aggressive. We weren’t aggressive in the first half, we were a little slower getting into our offense. We didn’t pass the ball like we should have. The third quarter was like night and day. We were aggressive. We passed the ball more. We played like the normal Rockets."

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On the Rockets' second half run:
"That was one of the best displays of us moving the ball. That’s fun basketball and winning basketball. It gives us a look at what is possible."

On Glen Rice’s hot shooting in the second half:
"It was definitely a turning point in the game. They (Atlanta) had to decide whether to play us honest, straight up or if they were going to double down low. Glen was open and hit some big shots for us."

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On the game:
"Today, watching everybody get their shot off was like watching fireworks all over the sky. It was coming from everywhere. We got stronger in the second half. We were able to use a lot of our players and in the second half. We had more resolve."

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On the game:
"Defensively in the first half we were very sharp and the third quarter was a totally different world. Houston shot the ball well and made us pay for it. We didn’t get any stops or boards in the third quarter. What we did the first half was very good. We are disappointed with the final result. We have to build on the positives."

On the Rockets and their play:
"The Rockets are a very tough team to defend with their inside-out game. This is a very good basketball team."

On Yao Ming:
"He is remarkable. What he has done in only a month is just fantastic. He has a great attitude and approach to the game."

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On the key to the game:
“The zone bothered us and they got very hot. We over committed on defense and we have to learn to play a full game like we did the first half."

On his injury:
“It was a very hard fall and as the game went on my back stiffened up. I’ll get some early treatment tomorrow and we'll see how I feel tomorrow."

On Yao Ming:
“Any time you are that big you will have success in this league. The boy can score down low. Nobody is going to block his shot."

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On the game:
"They put a snag on us with the zone in the third quarter and we couldn’t throw it in the ocean. Houston was hitting a lot of big shots in the third quarter."

On Yao Ming:
"He’s a big body and a very skilled player. If he gets home cooking like he did tonight, his confidence will be sky high."

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On the game:
"It was a contrast of two halves. The second half we didn’t do any of the stuff we did well in the first half."

On Yao Ming:
"I’ve played against him before in the Olympics. I thought he would be fine over here. He is 7-5, very athletic, has good hands and good moves and knows how to play the game. He has a bright future."

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On the key to the game:
"It was the three-point shooting for Houston and on defense they made the big stops."

On Yao Ming:
"I really like him. He’s a very good player. He is a great example of hard work and he is a really fast learner to make the adjustments he has so quickly."