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Positive Rockets notes

Some positive notes about the Rockets:

Stingy Defense: The Rockets are still dealing the defense this season, ranking fourth in the NBA in points allowed per game (93.7) through Dec. 9. Houston has been especially stingy at home, limiting its opponents to 91.3 points per game (730 TP) over eight outings at Toyota Center.

Triple Double: Tracy McGrady recorded 17 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds vs. Memphis (12/5/07) for his third career triple-double (22 points, 11 assists, 11 rebounds on 2/23/02 vs. Philadelphia and 46 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds on 2/23/03 at New Jersey). The last time a Rockets player had a triple-double was Steve Francis with 13 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds at Golden State (3/21/03).

Never Looking Back: The Rockets scored the first four points of the game at New Jersey (12/7/07) and did not drop behind the Nets the rest of the night, which marked the third time this season where Houston never trailed in a contest (others: 11/3/07 vs. Portland and 11/24/07 vs. Denver).

Notable player notes

NBA News – Among sophomores, Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge is tied for first in scoring (18.6 ppg) with Memphis’ Rudy Gay, while the Trail Blazers’ Brandon Roy ranks third (17.8 ppg). Aldridge is first among second-year players in rebounds (7.7 rpg) and double-doubles (six); Roy is second in assists (5.3 apg).

After averaging 0.8 and 0.5 blocks in his rookie and sophomore seasons, respectively, Milwaukee’s Andrew Bogut is swatting 2.3 shots per game this year.

Dallas’ Josh Howard is averaging 17.5 first-half points over the last six games and teammate Dirk Nowitzki has hit 58 of his last 60 free throw attempts.

New York’s David Lee has recorded two point-rebound double-doubles in as many days. Lee has also scored in double digits the last four games.

Atlanta’s Marvin Williams has scored in double figures in 17 of 18 games, including the first 12 of the season — the longest stretch of his career.

Minnesota’s Al Jefferson finished with 32 points and 20 rebounds in Saturday’s win over Phoenix, becoming the second player in franchise history to collect at least 30 points and 20 rebounds in the same contest. Kevin Garnett had eight such efforts while playing for the Timberwolves.

Philadelphia’s Andre Miller has recorded at least 10 assists in each of the past three games after not recording more than nine in the first 17 games of the season. Miller did not record double-digit assists in more than two consecutive games in 2006-07.

Trail Blazers assign Taurean Green to D-League

The Portland Trail Blazers assigned rookie guard Taurean Green to the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League, it was announced Monday by Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard.

“This is a great opportunity for Taurean to get some more playing time and in-game experience at a professional level,” said Pritchard. “We’re grateful to have a partnership with Idaho and the D-League to help us develop our young players.”

Green, 21, is averaging 2.3 points, 1.3 assists and 6.0 minutes in four games with the Trail Blazers this season after being selected by Portland with the 52nd overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

The 6-0, 177-pounder spent three seasons at the University of Florida, where he guided the Gators to back-to-back NCAA National Championships as the team’s starting point guard.

Green becomes the 17th NBA player assigned to the D-League this season, and the fourth in Trail Blazers history.

This is the first season the Trail Blazers are affiliated with the Boise-based Stampede.

Pistons assign Cheikh Samb to D-League

The Detroit Pistons announced today that they will assign rookie center Cheikh Samb to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, on Monday, December 10. The Mad Ants are scheduled to play Dakota on Thursday, December 13 at 7:00 p.m.

Samb was acquired by the Pistons on draft day from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Maurice Evans on June 28, 2006. Drafted by the Lakers with the 51st pick in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft, Samb spent the 2006-07 season playing overseas with WTC Cornella in the Spanish LEB2 League.

The 7-foot-1, 215-pound center made his NBA debut with the Pistons at the L.A. Lakers on November 16, scoring two points with four rebounds and two blocks in 15 minutes. In two games this season, Samb is averaging 1.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 10.5 minutes per game.

No timetable has been set for his return.

Ben Udrih puts name on map

SI.com’s Ian Thompson reports: Beno Udrih (Sacramento Kings) has gone from a 5.2-point scorer over three in-and-out years with San Antonio to a 14.3-point starter in his brief time with the Kings. The 25-year-old point guard has added 4.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals in his 35.2 minutes as the Kings have gone 6-5 since his Nov. 10 debut (though the return of Ron Artest from a season-opening suspension of seven games has a lot to do with it, too). While sidelined with a broken finger in the preseason, Udrih was traded by San Antonio and waived by Minnesota before arriving in Sacramento for the minimum $826,046 as a replacement for Mike Bibby, who underwent preseason thumb surgery. The 6-3 Udrih showed he had recovered from the loss of Gregg Popovich’s confidence in him by haunting San Antonio with a career-high 27 points in a 112-99 Kings’ win last week. If Udrih keeps this up, he’ll make it easier for the Kings to eventually trade Bibby and further hasten their rebuilding.

Rudy Gay stepping up

SI.com’s Ian Thompson reports: Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies — He ranks second among NBA sophomores in scoring with 18.1 points, a mark that leads the Grizzlies and represents a big hike over the 10.8 points he averaged as a rookie. Memphis has amped up the tempo to 103.8 points (sixth highest in the league) and the 6-9 Gay is their arrowhead, a versatile athlete who is improving his decision-making with the ball. “He’s picking up the whole idea of seeing what are they giving me,” coach Marc Iavaroni said. “If the defense says you should be going to the basket, then you should be going to the basket. If they give you a shot, then it’s your duty to take that shot.”

Devean George happy to finally play

MavsCourtsideView reports: Devean George felt good about his first appearance of the season Thursday night. The veteran swingman returned to the lineup against Denver and played in short spurts totaling seven minutes. “I was trying to be active, but at the same time knowing my timing was off and not really trying to do too much,” he said today. “Not try to force the issue and slowly get my way back in.”

Jarrett Jack feels left out

Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan and guard Jarrett Jack recently had a discussion, as reported by the Oregonian:

The gist of the conversation was Jack’s involvement in the team’s offense lately. While the second unit has flourished recently behind the dynamic play of Travis Outlaw (18.4 points, 7.2 rebounds the past five games), the hot shooting of James Jones (11-of-14 over the past two games) and effective play from Sergio Rodriguez (18 assists, five turnovers the past six games), Jack has drifted into anonymity.

Jack said he feels his best attribute is driving to the basket, but he has had fewer and fewer opportunities to take advantage that strength as the ball has increasingly been put in either Brandon Roy or Sergio’s hands. In the past seven games, Jack is 17-for-47 (36.2 percent) from the field, during which his scoring average has gone from a season-high 12.2 points a game to 10.5.

This season through 19 games, Jack is playing 26.2 minutes per game, down from 33.6 last season. He’s averaging 10.5 points and 3.3 assists per game, down from last season’s 12.0 points and 5.3 assists. However, his rebounding, field goal and three-point field goal pecentages are virtually identical.

David Noel out 4-6 weeks

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports: The Milwaukee Bucks announced before Friday’s game that forward David Noel would be out for from four to six weeks with a sprained right wrist. Noel underwent an examination under anesthesia by Dr. Donald Bynum at the University of North Carolina Orthopedics in Chapel Hill, N.C. The diagnostic arthroscopy confirmed a right wrist sprain.

Bulls waive Thomas Gardner, sign Demetric Nichols

The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has waived guard Thomas Gardner. In a subsequent move, the team also announced that it has picked up forward Demetris Nichols on waivers.

Gardner (6-5, 225), an undrafted rookie out of the University of Missouri, appeared in four games with the Bulls this season and averaged 5.3 ppg (9-23 FG) and 1.0 rpg in 11.3 mpg. He shot .391 from the field and .250 from behind the arc. Gardner signed with Chicago prior to training camp on Oct. 1.

Nichols (6-8, 215) comes to Chicago after spending time with New York and Cleveland earlier this season. In three games this year, he has scored two points and grabbed one rebound in 14 minutes. Originally selected by Portland in the second round (53rd selection) of NBA Draft 2007, Nichols enjoyed a four-year collegiate career at Syracuse where he averaged 10.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 1.1 apg.

Nichols will join the team tomorrow when the Bulls host the Boston Celtics. With his signing, Chicago’s roster now stands at 15.