Ready for an escapade, we hopped in his Escalade and rocked out to some sweet jams as he drove me – off the beaten path – to this remarkable hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese restaurant on the outskirts of downtown Houston. We enjoyed invigorating conversation, delectable Vietnamese dishes and fine Chinese beer.
As we entered the center, a man in red directed us to “the wooden double doors.” I felt super VIP as we sauntered into this fancy bar-and-lounge area! I paused for a moment, to take it all in. But just wait, it gets better…
We proceeded towards the court, and descended the stairs – two by two, because we both have exceedingly long legs and because it seemed like we still had a long way to go and because, let’s be honest, I was pretty dang excited – until we arrived at our destination for the remainder of the evening… the third row. True story. We sat in the third row! I was shocked to have such incredible seats. I mean, I knew we were going to the game, but I guess I just figured we were more likely to sit with the knows bleeders, ya know?
Our close encounter with this game was sure to be nothing short of exhilarating... Oh, and it was!
From the pre-game hoopla to the post-game celebration amidst the long strips of multi-colored confetti raining from the halogen-lit ceiling, each and every moment was delightfully entertaining. And that’s all I have to say about the date.
Now for the portion of this post where I play game day commentator, just for a minute:
Losing Yao Ming – for the season – to a hairline fracture in his left foot during game three of their second round series against the Lakers was definitely a bum deal. Yet fortunately, it has not deterred the Houston Rockets from winning. In fact, they are 4-0 since the inopportune falling of their Chinese star from the game day roster.
And tonight, the Houston Rockets “made history” with their 117-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers. I am thrilled to have witnessed this franchise-record-breaking 16th straight win (Houston's last 15-game winning streak was in the Rockets’ championship season of 1993-94, which was also pretty awesome, IMO). What’s more, the Rockets own the longest winning streak in the NBA this season.
Tracy McGrady, who scored a solid 25 points tonight, was on the court a few feet away from me, but I’m not really a reporter – at least not the legitimate kind that’s handed a Press Pass and allowed to waltz onto the court like it ain’t no thing. But anyway, in his interview with the real reporter lady on the court, Tracy said, "This was a big win for us, we were trying to make history."
They certainly succeeded. The question now is, “How long will this gripping streak of triumph last?” The Rockets are off to Dallas to face the Mavericks tomorrow and then back home to host New Orleans on Saturday, so we shall see...