Rockets showing signs of righting ship

HOUSTON – The Rockets have bounced back from a slow start to the new season.

Injuries and the experiment with Carmelo Anthony didn’t help the cause, but now they are looking like the team that advanced to the Western Conference Finals last year and took the Warriors to seven games.

"It’s just good. Biggest thing is we started so bad. Now (we're) just two games out in loss column to get back to where we need to be, which is a blessing because, in the West, we could have been mathematically out of it by now. We have to take advantage of it, but 13 other teams are probably saying the same thing,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said.

The Rockets are now rolling and above .500 with a record of 8-7.

They have won seven of their last 10 games and are currently on a four-game winning streak. The offense is showing signs of life and now the defense is stepping up. These are all signs that a consistent run is on the way.

“You have to have faith in these guys. I know they are professional and good,” D’Antoni said after practice Tuesday. “You worry, pull your hair out, but in the end they will come back to who they are. Who they are is pretty good.”

The Rockets host Detroit on Wednesday and then begin a road trip at Detroit, Cleveland and Washington.