The Rockets only shot 38.7% from the floor tonight and they were outrebounded 47-37, but they somehow still beat the Raptors. Kyle Lowry led the way for the Rockets tonight with 26 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists. Luis Scola also had a solid game with 15 poitns, 10 rebounds and 1 steal. Kevin Martin only shot 3 of 15 from the floor but he still finished up with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Samuel Dalembert pitched in with 10 points, 3 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. The Rockets are now 21-14 on the year.

The Houston Rockets had a rock solid first half this year as they finished with a 20-14 record which has them in 3rd place in the in Southwest Division. They are also tied for fifth in the Western Conference right now with the Los Angeles Lakers. Here is a look at the players that made the biggest impacts in the first half for the Rockets in my opinion:

Team MVP: Kyle Lowry: 25-year old point guard Kyle Lowry is they guy who makes the Rockets go on both ends of the basketball court. He has played in 32 games (all starts) for the Rockets so far this year and he is averaging 35.5 minutes, 15.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

Biggest Surprise: Chandler Parsons: 23-year old small forward Chandler Parsons was a second round pick in last June’s NBA Draft, so the Rockets weren’t expecting much out of him. Parsons has played in 33 games (27 starts) for the Rockets so far this year and he is averaging 25.9 minutes, 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He bumped Chase Budinger out of his starting job and he will keep it if he continues to play well.

Biggest Disappointment: Jonny Flynn and Hasheem Thabeet: 23-year old point guard Jonny Flynn and 25-year old center Hasheem Thabeet have been awful for the Rockets so far this year. Flynn has played in 7 games (0 starts) for the Rockets so far this year and he is averaging 11.6 minutes, 3.1 points, 1.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Flynn is only shooting 26.1% from the floor so far this year. Hasheem Thabeet has only played in 4 games (0 starts) for the Rockets so far this year and he is averaging 5.0 minutes, 1.5 points and 1.0 rebound per game.

The Rockets outscored the Sixers 32-22 in the 4th quarter to pull away from them last night. Luis Scola (19 points, 10 rebounds and 1 assist) and Kevin Martin (16 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists) led the way for the Rockets in this game. Kyle Lowry did a solid job of running the offense, as usual, with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 blocked shot. Patrick Patterson (12 points), Chandler Parsons (12 points) and Goran Dragic (11 points) also chipped in last night. The Rockets are now 20-14 on the year.

The Rockets outscored the Grizzlies 21-17 in the 4th quarter to surge to victory last night. Kyle Lowry led the way for the Grizzlies last night with 24 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals. Kevin Martin also had a solid game with 21 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists and 1 steal. Luis Scola only played 21 minutes in this game but he still finished up with 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 blocked shot in 21 minutes on the floor. The Grizzlies are now 19-14 on the year.

The Rockets shot 51.4% from the floor and they outscored the Jazz 56-39 in the second half to pull away for an impressive home win last night. Kyle Lowry (32 points, 1 rebound, 9 assists and 1 steal) and Luis Scola (26 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal) led the way for the Rockets last night. Kevin Martin pitched in with 11 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. The Rockets are now 18-14 on the year.

24-year old power forward Jordan Hill will be out until at least the All-Star Break due to a strained MCL. He has played in 29 games (7 starts) for the Rockets so far this year and he is averaging 15.1 minutes, 5.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. With Hill on the shelf, look for Patrick Patterson to see a bump in P.T. I don’t think that’s a bad thing for the Rockets as Patterson has played pretty well so far this year. Patterson has played in 29 games (0 starts) so far this year for the Rockets and he is averaging 21.6 minutes, 7.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.

28-year old shooting guard Kevin Martin has played in 29 games (all starts) for the Rockets so far this year and he is averaging 32.2 minutes, 18.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. But, in February he is starting to lose P.T. to 26-year old Courtney Lee. Martin has played in 10 games (all starts) so far in February and he is averaging 25.4 minutes, 13.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Courtney Lee is pushing Kevin Martin for P.T. and I have a hard time understanding why. After all, Martin is the leading scorer on the Rockets so far this year. Lee has played in 10 games (0 starts) so far in February and he is averaging 27.5 minutes, 11.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Lee has now played in 23 games (2 starts) for the Rockets so far this year and he is averaging 25.3 minutes, 10.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game. It’s odd that Martin is essentially in Kevin McHale’s Dog House, as he is the best offensive player on the team.

The Rockets were outrebounded 44-26 and they didn’t play any D as the T-Wolves shot a scorching 55.8% from the floor and it did them in. Chandler Parsons (18 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists), Kyle Lowry (17 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists) and Courtney Lee (17 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals) led the way for the Rockets last night. Kevin Martin also had a somewhat decent game with 16 points, 3 assists and 1 steal. Luis Scola pitched in with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot in this game. The Rockets are now 17-14 on the year.

The Rockets only shot 38.5% from the floor and it did them in last night in Memphis. Kyle Lowry led the way for the Rockets last night with 24 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. Courtney Lee had a decent game as he finished up with 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot. Goran Dragic pitched in with 11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot in this game. The Rockets are now 16-13 on the year.

The Rockets outrebounded the Warriors 47-35 last night but it didn’t matter as they were outscored 30-23 in the 4th quarter and it did them in. Kevin Martin led the way for the Rockets in this game with 28 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot. Luis Scola also had a solid game with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists in this game. Chandler Parsons (11 points), Courtney Lee (11 points) and Kyle Lowry (10 points) also pitched in for the Rockets in this game. The Rockets are now 16-12 on the year.