Long Road Trips

LONG ROAD TRIPS wear down professional athletes. At the start of the 1993 National Basketball Association season, weariness finally ended the Houston Rockets’ winning streak.

The Rockets triumphed at the beginning of the season with 15 consecutive wins, the 15th victory coming against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The following day, however, found the Rockets in Atlanta for an encounter with the Hawks at the Omni.

Atlanta also entered the contest on a roll, reeling off nine straight wins. Before 16,368 hometown fans, Mookie Blaylock continued the Hawks’ torrid pace, scoring 16 first-quarter points to fuel a 38–27 edge. In the second quarter, former Rocket Craig Ehlo came off the bench and grabbed three key steals to intensify the pressure on Houston. Mario Elie’s broken hand allowed Ehlo to ignore the Rockets forward’s shooting and to play the ball. Turnovers resulted in Atlanta’s 30–19 scoring advantage, boosting the Hawks’ halftime lead to 68–46.

Strong defense thwarted Houston’s leading scorer and rebounder, Hakeem Olajuwon, who totaled only 17 points and 7 rebounds. Vernon Maxwell keyed the Rocket offense with 26, but Atlanta matched the Rockets over the second half and coasted to a 133–111 victory. With the loss in game 16, Houston’s 15-game winning streak tied the NBA’s best opening record, set by the Washington Capitols in 1948.

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POINT The basketball season lasts a long, long time. Teams begin playing in November and move through 82 regular season games. Four playoff rounds await the top teams. The NBA champions continue the sport into June. Depending on playoff wins, a team could compete in 97 to 108 games.

The Houston Rockets’ 15-in-a-row wins to start the year represented quite an accomplishment. But they grew weary and eventually lost. Great teams pace themselves for the long term.

We also must pace ourselves in life. The apostle Paul reminded the Galatians that we sometimes burn out doing too many positive things. But if we pace ourselves and make wise choices, our good works will pay off.

GOAL! Examine your calendar and your activities during the upcoming holidays. Be careful not to schedule so many things—even if they’re all good—that you grow weary. Ask God to help you pace yourself.