Rockets notes:Lowry will be missed

Lowry will be missed

Though Rockets coach Rick Adelman said guard Kyle Lowry's value has not been seen just in statistics, one stat seems to do a good job.

Lowry, who is out at least a week with a sprained left knee, is by far the Rockets' leader in plus/minus scoring, with the Rockets' second team a key to many games.

“In the next two weeks, the second unit, we're going to have to keep doing what we've been doing,” reserve guard Chase Budinger said. “We're going to have to keep on running. We know how much Kyle loves to run, to push the ball. The rest of us are going to have to keep that up.

“Kyle's a player you really can't replace. The rest of us are really going to have to pick up his slack. He gets a lot of hustle plays, a lot of rebounds, which a lot of us are going to have to make up for in his absence.”

Deficit reduction

Although the previous Rockets-Suns meeting had extreme swings, with both teams leading by as many as 16 points, the Rockets have been susceptible to opponents' runs in the games since.

The Rockets have trailed by at least 10 in the first half of five of their past six games.

Against the Suns, the league's top-scoring team, coach Rick Adelman said the Rockets cannot allow that tendency to continue.

“We've had too many lapses where they take advantage of it,” Adelman said. “This team (Suns) is the best offensive team in the league. If you don't keep your concentration in this game, they'll run you right off.

“We've been ahead in both games we played them going into the fourth quarter and they've kind of taken it to us. It's a matter of our guys stepping up.”