Rockets, Pacers collide tonight

THE Indiana Pacers form a conga line with Filipino special kids after a cage clinic at MOA Arena. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

More basketball history unfolds tonight.

In what has already been a banner year for Philippine basketball, the Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers battle in the first NBA preseason game in Southeast Asia at 7 p.m. at Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

“It’s the beginning of the journey. We understand that we’re just trying to get to the point that we’re clicking on the same page,” said Houston’s “Linsanity,” Taiwanese-American sensation Jeremy Lin.

“We have a lot to figure out. But it’s going to be a fun game. We’ll just go out there and play as hard as we can and enjoy the experience.”

As historic as the event may be—it also drew a stellar cast of the sport’s past and present superstars—both the Rockets and the Pacers know that real work lies ahead of them.

“We got to take it step by step,” said the 23-year-old Paul George, who banded with a cast of other young stars to power the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals last conference.

“We’re still in the preseason, so I’m not going to put expectations as far as where we’re going to be at. But we got a great team going this season.”

The Pacers, though, expect the Rockets to come out a lot stronger with the acquisition of superstar center Dwight Howard.

SPECIAL KID SOARS FOR A BASKET NBA players Orlando Johnson (right) and Lance Stephenson of the Indiana Pacers give a Filipino special kid a helping hand for a slam dunk at the MOA Arena in Pasay City on Wednesday. The game between the Pacers and Houston Rockets is scheduled for Thursday night at the Arena. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

“I’m looking forward to having a great year,” said Howard, who spurned the Los Angeles Lakers in favor of the Rockets last July.

“Not everything is going to be perfect right now, but we got to weather the storm and we got to learn how to play together. I think we’re going to have an unbelievable year. We’re definitely going to have a great year. With the injury I had, it takes some time, not just physically but mentally. I’m just happy to be out there.”

Both squads lost their first preseason match, with the Pacers bowing to the Chicago Bulls, 76-82, at home before leaving for Manila, and the Rockets narrowly losing to the New Orleans Pelicans, 115-116, in Houston.

“We’re going to be playing with physicality and toughness,” said Pacers coach Frank Vogel. “But we’re also a proven offensive team, so you’ll definitely see a lot of passes.”

The blockbuster showdown rolls off just when the Philippines is having a remarkable basketball year after the Gilas Pilipinas squad recently clinched a silver medal in the Fiba Asia championship to reach the 2014 World Cup in Spain next year.

Two national youth teams also pulled off historic feats with the 3×3 Under-18 team advancing to the Worlds after surprisingly bagging the Fiba Asia U18 3×3 gold and the U16 squad also clinching a Worlds berth after winning a silver in the Fiba Asia U16.

“We play against a good team and we’re also a good team,” said the Pacers’ Argentinian big man Luis Scola. “It’s going to be a lot of fun because we’re in a place where people really, really love basketball. It’s great that we’re giving one of the biggest basketball countries a treat.”