Rockets vs. Hornets Preview - December 6, 2002

TALE OF THE TAPE
VS. 10-7 RECORD 13-6 W1 STREAK W2 6-4 LAST 10 6-4 89.1 PTS. SCORED 95.7 87.0 PTS. ALLOWED 91.2 43.8 REBOUNDS 42.0 17.6 ASSISTS 22.4 .440 FG% .442 .418 OPP. FG% .441

Rockets vs. Hornets
December 6, 2002
New Orleans Arena, 7:30 p.m.
TV: KNWS Channel 51
Radio: SportsRadio 610 (English); KYST 920 AM (Spanish)

by Andrew Ware, rockets.com

The Rockets tonight will be looking to do what no other visiting NBA team has been able to accomplish since 1979 - win in New Orleans.

Following their move from Charlotte prior to the start of the 2002-03 season the New Orleans Hornets have yet to lose in New Orleans Arena, running off a perfect 10-0 mark in their new home. The last team to inhabit the city of New Orleans was the Jazz franchise, which moved to Utah after the 1978-79 season. The Rockets are probably a little disappointed to see the Hornets move away from Charlotte Coliseum, where Houston won 10 of the 15 all-time meetings with Charlotte.

PROBABLE STARTERS
ROCKETS HORNETS RICE 9.1 ppg F MASHBURN 21.5 ppg TAYLOR 6.5 ppg F BROWN 11.7 ppg YAO 10.4 ppg C MAGLOIRE 9.7 ppg FRANCIS 23.9 ppg G DAVIS 16.7 ppg HAWKINS 4.4 ppg G WESLEY 14.5 ppg

Despite entering tonight's game well-rested after a couple days off following their big 89-75 win over the Spurs on Tuesday, the battle with the Hornets will not be an easy one for the Rockets in the Big Easy.

First they'll be dealing with a Hornets club full of confidence and playing with a sense of invincibility on the heels of its long winning streak. Secondly, with a host of gunners such as Jamal Mashburn, David Wesley, Baron Davis and Courtney Alexander all of whom can heat up on a moment's notice, New Orleans (currently third in the NBA in three-point percentage) is always a threat. On the flip side, a team that relies too much on perimeter jumpers can also shoot itself right out of a game if the outside shots aren't dropping. And with the way the Rockets have been playing defense of late (77.2 points per game allowed over the last five), New Orleans could be in for a long night if its first few shots don't go down.

On Houston's offensive end, Yao Ming is certain to see plenty of double-teams in the post after his dominating performance against San Antonio's big-man tandem of Tim Duncan and David Robinson on Tuesday. Look for the Rockets to try and establish Yao underneath the basket early on to test the Hornets defense. If they do indeed come with the expected double-teams, the 7-6 big man should be able to use his deft passing ability to find his teammates for some wide-open perimeter looks.

Glen Rice and Maurice Taylor figure to benefit the most from the double-teams. Rice is coming off a 1-of-5, two-point performance against the Spurs, but he should get plenty of shot opportunites against his former team in tonight's contest. Taylor, who has struggled with his shot through the early part of the season, is due for a breakout game and that could happen tonight with a few open looks. Taylor and Yao had great chemistry when both were on the second unit during the first few games of the season, and that duo could once again prosper tonight.

Of course all eyes will be on the point guard duel between Steve Francis and Baron Davis. These two have had some great battles over the past couple of seasons and tonight should be no exception. Davis is nursing a bad back, which forced him to miss the first two games of his young career last week, but he did return Wednesday and appeared to be back to his usual self during New Orleans' win over Toronto. Expect Francis to attack Davis on the offensive end, especially if the Hornets take away the inside game of Yao Ming.

The outcome of tonight's game will boil down to one word - defense. How will the Rockets react to the Hornets' defensive pressure? Can Yao have another big evening despite the added defensive attention? Will the Rockets have enough offensive firepower to pick up the slack if Yao is grounded? On the other end, if Houston can shut down the New Orleans perimeter game, the Rockets should be able to steal a win. If the Hornets shooters are able to get on a roll, it could be a long night for the men in pinstripes.

Sit back and enjoy this one. It should be quite entertaining to see what develops.

Rockets - Rockets D - opponents shooting just .418 from the floor, fifth-best in the league ..... Rockets stand fourth in the NBA with 6.53 blocks per game ..... Yao Ming comes off second double-double of the season (27 points, 18 boards) in Tuesday's win over the Spurs ..... Houston is allowing just 77.2 points per game over its last five contests ..... Moochie Norris has posted back-to-back season high scoring totals in his last two games - Sacramento (13) and San Antonio (16).
Hornets - New Orleans Arena - the Hornets have yet to lose a home game, compiling a 10-0 mark ..... Jamaal Magloire is averaging career highs of 9.7 points and 8.3 rebounds ..... Baron Davis ranks No. 3 in the NBA in steals (2.29) ..... Reserve Courtney Alexander has nailed 10 of his 14 three-point attempts ..... Hornets are the third-best three-point shooting team in the NBA (.394).

Rockets - The Rockets force a league-worst 12.8 turnovers a game ..... Maurice Taylor was held scoreless Tuesday against San Antonio and is averaging just 6.5 points per game ..... Juaquin Hawkins is shooting 37 percent from the field ..... Eddie Griffin is avergaging only 14.8 minutes per game over his last five outings.
Hornets - Baron Davis averages just 1.9 free throw attempts per game ..... Elden Campbell sees just 16 minutes a game off the Hornets bench ..... David Wesley was shut out (0-for-8 from the floor) in Wednesday's win over Toronto.

STEVE FRANCIS VS. BARON DAVIS Although his scoring is down slightly from his 2001-02 breakout campaign when he established himself as one of the best young players in the NBA, Baron Davis remains capable of exploding for 35-40 points on any given night. Plus with the natural rivalry he's developed with Steve Francis since the two were selected back-to-back in the 1999 NBA Draft, this matchup between two of the NBA's top point guards promises to be an entertaining battle. Francis dropped 30 points, eight boards and eight assists on Davis and the Hornets in his only appearance against then-Charlotte last season, and the Rockets will need a similar effort tonight if they have hopes of snapping New Orleans' perfect 10-0 home mark.

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