Rockets' Mike D'Antoni plans to keep experimenting with lineup

Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni gestures during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, March 20, 2018. The Rockets won 115-111. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes) less Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni gestures during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, March 20, 2018. The Rockets won 115-111. (AP ... more Photo: Steve Dykes/Associated Press Photo: Steve Dykes/Associated Press Image 1 of / 30 Caption Close Rockets' Mike D'Antoni plans to keep experimenting with lineup 1 / 30 Back to Gallery

In the Rockets 71st game of the season, with wins in 26 of the previous 28, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni used a lineup he never had before. He saw a need to change things up, had the reserves to do it and most of all, did not have to worry about anyone’s feelings.

D’Antoni put together a combination of Joe Johnson, Gerald Green, Luc Mbah a Moute, Eric Gordon and Chris Paul to end the third quarter, with P.J. Tucker in at center instead of Johnson to start the fourth as D’Antoni mixed things up though he had every regular healthy with no one in foul trouble.

The Rockets played the final four minutes with their starters on the floor, but D’Antoni said he was most impressed with the attitude that allows him to experiment, as he will through the regular-season’s final 11 games.

“I told our guys – and going forward it’s going to be like this – it could be tonight you might get five minutes, you might get 15 minutes,” D’Antoni said. “Ryan (Anderson) was good. The match up was better if P.J. was in the game. Joe was good. But I needed and Gerald gave us a little athleticism we needed. We got 13 guys. And I didn’t use Nene.

“We might play 10. We might play eight, depending on how it goes. The biggest thing is everybody stays in the game mentally and participates. It could be you; it could be him. This is about the Houston Rockets. It’s not about any individual.”

Recommended Video:

SMITH: Harden, Rockets never have been better together

The Rockets used 10 players on Tuesday with Green, who had replaced Johnson in the rotation on Sunday, playing 10 ½ minutes. But D’Antoni raved about the mentality that allows him to change roles without concerning himself with how players will feel about it.

“That locker room is the best I’ve ever seen,” he said. “There’s nobody pouting or down. We have a mission. Everybody is on board totally. They’re great, great teammates.”