Houston Rockets

Rockets players say Hack-a-Andre did them no favors in ugly loss

Published Jan. 21, 2016 1:36 p.m. ET

Jeff Caplan

Houston Rockets coach J.B. Bickerstaff resorted to the old Hack-a-tactic because his team had no other means for stopping Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond.

Drummond finished the 123-114 victory on Houston's home floor with the very unusual stat line of 17 points with only two made field goals. That's because the Rockets fouled, fouled and fouled him. They opened the second half fouling him five times in nine seconds. Drummond went to the free throw line a total of 36 times, but missed 23, breaking Wilt Chamberlain's record for futility from the foul line in a single game.

The strategy sort of worked in that it forced Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy to take Drummond out of the game. But he would come back in, and anyways, the Rockets had no answer defensively and ultimately the Rockets would lose the game.

Afterward Houston players sounded off, via the Houston Chronicle, saying the fouling strategy did them no favors.

And:

The Rockets are on the other end of the equation most often with Dwight Howard. The Rockets center left the game early with an ankle injury, leaving the interior a free-for-all for the Pistons. Then came the hacking. And the Rockets lost anyway.