Led by a career-high 31 points and eight 3-pointers from veteran point guard Rafer Alston, the Houston Rockets finished off the longest winning streak in team history at 22 games on March 16, 2008, versus the eventual Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers (box score).
The 104-92 victory gave the Rockets what was then the second-longest streak of consecutive wins in NBA history. (It’s now the fourth longest.)
All-Star center and future Hall of Famer Yao Ming was already lost for the season with a foot injury, and backcourt star Tracy McGrady scored only 11 points on 4-of-16 shooting (25.0%) amid frequent double-teams.
But strong defense from Shane Battier limited Lakers star Kobe Bryant to just 24 points on 11-of-33 shooting (33.3%), while Alston connected on 8-of-11 (72.7%) 3-pointers as the Rockets made history at Toyota Center.
Bobby Jackson scored 19 points off the Houston bench on 7-of-9 shooting (77.8%), and his +15 in 20 minutes was the best of any player.
The statement victory temporarily moved the Rockets (46-20) ahead of the Lakers (45-21) for the No. 1 spot in the West standings. The 22-game streak came to an end on March 18, 2008 versus the Boston Celtics, who went on to win the 2007-08 NBA championship.
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(Editor’s note: With the 2019-20 season on hiatus due to the NBA’s coronavirus-induced shutdown, we’re looking back at key moments in franchise history. We’ll have more of our Rockets Rewind series coming up, since the league’s stoppage is expected to last at least 30 days.)