Rockets vs. Wizards Preview - November 22, 2002

TALE OF THE TAPE
VS. 6-4 RECORD 6-5 L1 STREAK L1 6-4 LAST 10 6-4 91.4 PTS. SCORED 93.3 89.2 PTS. ALLOWED 87.8 44.0 REBOUNDS 41.1 16.8 ASSISTS 18.9 .438 FG% .445 .427 OPP. FG% .419

Rockets vs. Wizards
November 22, 2002
Compaq Center, 7:30 p.m.
TV: KNWS Channel 51
Radio: SportsRadio 610 (English); KYST 920 AM (Spanish)

by Trevor Mitchell, rockets.com

For what may very likely be his final appearance in Houston, Michael Jordan leads a young Washington Wizards team into Compaq Center to battle the Rockets. While the Rockets will be playing their fourth game in six days, Jordan and the Wizards have had plenty of opportunity to rest. The Wizards have not played since they lost 100-84 to Philadelphia on Sunday. In that particular contest Jordan and guard Jerry Stackhouse were the only double figure scorers for Washington, combining for 48 points.

Second-year forward Kwame Brown has also performed well for the Wizards. He has made much improvement in his play compared to his horrendous rookie campaign. By acquiring Stackhouse from Detroit in an offseason trade, Jordan does not have to carry the load on his bad knees every night. Furthermore, he can regulate his minutes and save his stamina and possible heroics for the end of games.

PROBABLE STARTERS
ROCKETS WIZARDS THOMAS 8.5 ppg F RUSSELL 7.0 ppg GRIFFIN 11.0 ppg F BROWN 10.0 ppg YAO 8.9 ppg C HAYWOOD 5.1 ppg FRANCIS 26.5 ppg G HUGHES 9.8 ppg HAWKINS 3.4 ppg G STACKHOUSE 23.9 ppg

The Rockets come into tonight’s contest with a bitter taste in their mouths due to a big defeat against the Dallas Mavericks last night. Although the Rockets played well in spurts, no one could knock down his shots consistently in the fourth quarter. The Rockets were carried offensively by a surprising source. Rookie Yao Ming exploded for 30 points and 16 rebounds in 33 minutes. After checking in late in the first quarter, Yao immediately scored seven straight points to keep Houston close. Steve Francis and Glen Rice also had solid games posting 22 and 16 points, respectively. At times Francis and Yao played the two-man game really well. However, Houston could not contain the hot shooting of Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley down the stretch.

Tonight the Rockets will need a total team effort to keep up with the Wizards' fresh legs, especially with Cuttino Mobley sitting this one out with a sprained ankle. Starting forwards Kenny Thomas and Eddie Griffin did not play many minutes last night and will be called upon to have more of an impact tonight. Yao’s presence in the paint has recently been attracting double teams, leaving the outside jumper wide open. However, when the big man is rolling like he was last night, the Rockets must feed the post and not settle for the three-point shot. Maurice Taylor also looks to rebound from a rough outing last night. Mo was just 2-of-10 from the field.

The key to stopping the Wizards will be containing athletic point guard Larry Hughes. Although Hughes isn’t asked to be a scorer, he does have the ability. Stackhouse is their main man and will shoot until he eventually gets hot. Houston is deeper and simply a better team than the visiting Wizards. The Rockets should try to disrupt the Wizards offense by curtailing Hughes and limiting Washington’s bench production. Jordan will get most of his minutes and shots in the fourth quarter. And if he and Stackhouse heat up at the same time, it may be déjà vu for the Rockets.

Rockets - Yao Ming is on fire, making 31 of his last 35 shots. He set NBA career highs of 30 points and 16 rebounds last night ..... Steve Francis is 4th in the NBA in scoring at 26.5 ppg ..... Glen Rice made five of his 10 three-point attempts against Dallas.
Wizards - Jerry Stackhouse is currently 6th in scoring averaging at 23.9 ppg ..... Michael Jordan is coming off a 19-point performance against Philadelphia ..... The Wizards only allow 87.8 points per game ..... Washington is currently ranked 5th in free throw percentage.

Rockets - The Rockets remain ranked 28th in the NBA in assists ..... Cuttino Mobley missed all eight of his field goal attempts against Dallas ..... Maurice Taylor struggled making only 2-of-10 shots ..... The Rockets are 27th in the steals category ..... Starting forward Kenny Thomas scored just two points with one rebound Thursday against Dallas.
Wizards - The Wizards are 24th in the league in rebounding and assists ..... Bryon Russell only had three points in his last outing ..... Charles Oakley has scored just two points this season in four appearances ..... Starting point guard Larry Hughes averages just 2.6 assists per game.

GLEN RICE VS. MICHAEL JORDAN Tonight Rockets forward Glen Rice will see some time against arguably the greatest basketball player ever, Michael Jordan. Years past their prime when they would battle for Eastern Conference scoring titles, these two players now play vital roles off the bench for their respective teams. On any given night both Jordan and Rice can unleash the scoring touch that made them perennial NBA All-Stars. Tonight both scorers add another chapter to their saga. If Rice can minimize Jordan's points off the bench and still contribute offensively with his smooth jumper, it will be that much easier for the Rockets to pull out a win.

Keep up to the minute on all the latest Rockets injury news by visiting our Injury Report page. We get daily reports directly from the basketball staff, giving you the inside scoop on who's playing and who's sitting every night.