Rockets vs. Spurs Preview
San Antonio, TX – An offseason focused on sharpening his skills seems to be paying off for Spurs forward Richard Jefferson. The Houston Rockets might benefit from getting back to basics as well.
Jefferson and the Spurs look to match their best start since 2007-08 when they face the winless Rockets at the AT&T Center on Saturday night.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the Spurs –6.5 point spread favorites for Saturday’s game against the Rockets. Current NBA Public Betting Information shows that 67% of more than 638 bets for this game have been placed on the Spurs -6.5.
Jefferson struggled in his first season with the Spurs, averaging 12.3 points and shooting 31.6 percent from 3-point range in 2009-10. San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich took steps to avoid a repeat performance this season.
“We worked him all summer long on basic fundamentals to get some rust off of him and get him back to the solid habits he had at (the University of) Arizona,” said Popovich, whose team also opened 3-1 in ’07-’08.
Jefferson now looks far more comfortable in Popovich’s system, leading the Spurs (3-1) with 20.0 points per game and going 8 of 15 from beyond the arc.
“Coming here, the offense is different and you have to learn how to be aggressive in this offense,” Jefferson said after scoring a season-high 28 points and hitting four fourth-quarter 3s in a 112-110 win at Phoenix on Wednesday. “That’s something that last year was tough. (Now) I know where I’m supposed to be and you can focus on different things.”
The Rockets (0-4) have plenty to focus on, most notably their defense. They are surrendering 114.5 points per game – 62.3 in the second half – and opponents are shooting 50.0 percent in the final 24 minutes compared to 40.6 before the break.
Leading at halftime for the fourth straight game, the Rockets allowed 64 second-half points in a 107-99 loss to New Orleans on Wednesday.
“There’s no easy answer,” said coach Rick Adelman, whose team split four games with the Spurs last season. “We just have to keep working at it until we break through.”
Houston last started 0-5 in 1999-2000.
“We have to learn the good things from the bad things,” said center Yao Ming, averaging 12.7 points and 7.3 rebounds. “We need to figure out where we need to improve. It’s not too late to turn the season (around).”
Averaging just 22 minutes per game due to his surgically repaired left foot, Yao will have to contend with Tim Duncan, who passed George Gervin for second in team history in points with a season-high 25 versus the Suns.
Duncan is 81 points shy of moving past franchise leader David Robinson (20,790).
Point guard Tony Parker missed the last two matchups with the Rockets last season due to injury, but he is healthy and signed a four-year, $50 million extension last week.
Rockets point guard Aaron Brooks would like to regain his form from 2009-10, when he averaged a career-high 19.6 points with 5.3 assists and was named the league’s most improved player.
While Brooks is averaging 6.3 assists, his scoring is down (16.0) and he’s shooting 40.7 percent. He averaged 21.8 points and 4.3 assists versus the Spurs last season.
Houston leading scorer Kevin Martin will play his first game in San Antonio in a Rockets uniform. He was sidelined with injuries for both contests at the AT&T Center in 2009-10.
These Southwest Division rivals have split the last eight meetings in San Antonio since the Spurs’ 17-game home winning streak in the series.