Blast off… The Rockets are soaring

The Rockets won their 10th straight game by double digits which ties an NBA record last set by the Nets back in 2004. They also won their 13th at the Toyota Center, the longest home-court winning streak since the 1985-86 team, which won 20 straight.

Tracy McGrady had 19 points on 6-14 shooting and Houston destroyed the unsuspecting New Jersey Nets 91-73 on Monday night. That brings their current streak to19 victories, matching the third-longest winning streak in league history and. the league’s longest run of consecutive wins since the 1999-2000 Lakers won 19 in a row (to start their run of three straight NBA titles).

Nets shot a dismal 30 percent (24-of-79) from the floor for the game and were 9-for-43 (21 percent) in the first half only putting up 28 points – a season low. Vince Carter scored 13 and Richard Jefferson had 12 and the Nets have lost six in a row. Meanwhile, Houston shot 46 percent (34-of-74) and dominated the Nets on defense while outrebounding them 41-29, to boot.

Of course, Houston coach Rick Adelman is bearing most of the pressure.

According to the AP, Adelman told his players, “they have a double whammy going,” Adelman said. “Not only do you have a chance to do something remarkable and get this streak going and keep it going, but also, every time you win, you keep shortening the season and you keep that lead that you have over other people and you’re moving up the standings.”

Streaks and records are unimportant, though, as the Rockets have closed within one game of the L.A. Lakers and San Antonio Spurs for the top seed in the Western Conference.

And guess what? The Lakers play in Houston on Sunday.

Think there is going to be hype? Well, aside from the fact that Houston can match the second-longest victory streak in NBA history with a win in Atlanta on Wednesday night. They have a chance to move into sole possession of 2^nd longest all-time with a win at Charlotte on Friday.

McGrady told the AP, “In this league, one thing you’re going to have is off nights on the offensive end,” McGrady said. “One thing you can control is how you play defense, and that’s every night. As a team, we really understand that.”

The only knock on Houtson is that they have beaten only eight teams with a winning record during this streak. Adelman doesn’t seem to care. He went on to tell the AP, “You know what?” he said. “Everybody in this league plays the same schedule. If it’s that easy, why hasn’t somebody else done it? I don’t see the problem saying, ‘You know? That’s pretty remarkable what they’ve done.”’

But Shane Battier told the AP the Rockets are trying for the playoffs, not for the record books.

“At this point, we’re fighting for the playoffs,” he said. “That’s all we care about right now.”