The Houston Rockets started the season with a nine-game winning streak. They started the second half as streak breakers.
The Rockets are pointing to Thursday night's impressive 121-101 victory over the Utah Jazz as a launching point for a return to a high spot in the playoffs after struggling the first half of the season."Utah and San Antonio, too, caught up with us last season," coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "This year, we've got to catch them and we've got to start right now, one step at a time."
The Rockets, trailing Utah and San Antonio in the Midwest Division, have picked up some bruises trying to defending their title.
They were embarrassed by Minnesota, among the worst teams in the NBA, on Jan. 16 and played another dreadful road game in losing to Chicago on Jan. 22.
Tomjanovich expects more on the next road trip, which begins Sunday at Phoenix.
"Psychologically, I think we're better now," Tomjanovich said. "We've sorted things out since the Milwaukee game (115-99 victory on Jan. 24) and I feel we're on the right track."
Tomjanovich saw hope even in a loss to San Antonio on Jan. 26.
"We played a tough game at San Antonio, but we didn't play poorly," he said.
If the Rockets play the second half of the season as they did on Thursday against Utah, they will definitely be a factor in the playoffs.
Hakeem Olajuwon scored 41 points, and the Rockets blew the game open with seven 3-point baskets in a 46-point fourth quarter - their best single period of the season.
The Rockets polished off the Jazz in last season's Western Conference finals and they've taken a 2-0 lead against one of the hottest teams in the league this season.
The victory snapped Utah's 15-game road winning streak and kept the Jazz from tying the Los Angeles Lakers' 16-game NBA record. It also stopped the Jazz's 14-game winning streak.
The Rockets started last season 22-1 but struggled in the second half before making their championship run.
Now, the Rockets feel they are ready to take on the league.
"Everybody is counting us out in the media," Elie said. "But we've knocked down a big game, and I believe Sunday's game is pivotal. We've got to show what we have on the road."
Olajuwon didn't care about ending Utah's streak, just starting a Rockets streak.
"Their streak to me was a side issue," he said. "The main thing was to win and develop momentum."