Houston coach Rick Adelman unhappy with Rockets’ ‘utterly ridiculous’ holiday schedule

Adelman rips league for ‘ridiculous’ schedule

HOUSTON — Houston Rockets coach Rick Adelman criticized the NBA on Monday for setting up an “utterly ridiculous” schedule for his team that includes four back-to-back games over the next two weeks.

The Rockets face Detroit at home on Tuesday, then must fly to Denver to play the first-place Nuggets on Wednesday. They visit Dallas on Friday and return home to face Oklahoma City on Saturday — then have to play two games on consecutive nights twice more during Christmas week.

“We have a horrendous stretch here,” Adelman said. “I don’t know if the league really understands that they gave us four straight back-to-backs. It’s awful.”

NBA spokesman Tim Frank said in an e-mail that the league had no comment on Adelman’s statements.

Houston plays the Los Angeles Clippers at home on Dec. 22 and Orlando on the road on Dec. 23, followed by road games against New Jersey (Dec. 26) and Cleveland (Dec. 27).

“It’s utterly ridiculous,” Adelman said. “But that’s the schedule we have, it’s just the way it is and we’re just going to have to respond to it.”

Adelman said the schedule gives his team little time to practice, and even less time to spend with their families for the holiday.

“Every team should have a chance where they’re home a little bit,” he said. “We have no chance. This is the most ridiculous schedule I’ve ever seen.”

The Rockets are 5-0 in the second games of back-to-backs this season, but 1-4 in the first games. They have 10 road games in December, but by the All-Star break, they will have played 26 road games and 25 at home.