LOS ANGELES - The Rockets do not consider themselves to be a great - or even a very good - defensive team. Not yet. They have not been defending this well long enough or consistently enough for that. Though they did quickly add the "not yet."

When given a chance to predict what they will become, however, their most veteran player did not hesitate.

"Ohhhhh, man. Special," Francisco Garcia said. "Special. Special, especially when we have the big lineup in. And then, when we have the small lineup in, everybody is switching, switching, switching. Pretty good."

For now, the Rockets have shown signs. Until Saturday, they had not kept Dwight Howard and Omer Asik on the floor together for long stretches. They still have not faced the sort of offensive team they will Monday, when they test themselves against the Clippers, the league's top scoring team at 113 points per game.

The Mavericks, however, come close. They are third in scoring and points per possession, held down by their one game against the Rockets in which they scored 105 points, nine below their average in other games, on 38 percent shooting.

More Information Rockets update Saturday: Rockets 104, Jazz 93. Record: 3-0. Today : At Los Angeles Clippers, 9:30 p.m. TV/radio: CSNH, NBA TV; 740 AM, 790 AM and 850 AM (Spanish).

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The Rockets lead the NBA in net rating, outscoring teams by an average of 13.8 points per 100 possessions. They led the NBA in the preseason, too, but know the schedule gets tougher immediately.

"The thing about us is we've won three games, but I don't think we've played well in any of those three games," guard Jeremy Lin said. "That's good and bad, I guess."

Even with three-time Defensive Player of the Year Howard joining their best defender of last season, Asik, the Rockets considered their defense a work in progress. They changed their 3-point coverages and asked Howard to go to the perimeter as he never has. Progress was slowed when Asik missed most of the preseason with a groin injury.

When they speak of potential on defense, however, the Rockets quickly cite the pairing of Howard and Asik that they have only begun to use.

"Well, you know, 'O' didn't play with us in the preseason, so it's really these three games we're playing together now," Garcia said. "The more we play with him, the more we play together, we're going to be scary."

The Rockets' strides defensively have been about more than the story of "O," although the improvements began roughly when Asik returned. In those games - the final three preseason games and first three regular-season games - the Rockets held opponents to an average of 86.7 points on 37.8 percent shooting.

Until Saturday's second half, that was primarily from having a top defensive center - Howard or Asik - on the floor at all times, rather than the brief stretches they had been together. Beginning with the start of Saturday's third quarter, however, they locked down the lane and boards, holding the Jazz to 37 second-half points on 32.4 percent shooting.

"Especially with the starting lineup we have, we have the potential to be a very good defensive team," forward Chandler Parsons said. "With those two big guys we have behind us, it gives us the confidence we haven't had. It makes us want to be more aggressive."

Though Lin, Parsons and James Harden have cited a renewed emphasis on their individual defense since the start of camp, they have only begun to test what they can do with Howard and Asik behind them.

"I was getting out in the passing lanes," Parsons said of Saturday's defensive effort. "Even though I didn't get it, it makes them rush their offense, makes them uncomfortable. We have to continue to do that."

Even after spotting the Jazz a 56-40 halftime edge, the Rockets are second in opposing field-goal percentage and third in opposing 3-point percentage.

The league's second-leading scoring team last season, the Rockets don't yet think of themselves as a team that can shut down opponents long enough for the offense to get in gear, the formula in the season's first week. Trying to be polite about a question's premise, Lin took a long pause before acknowledging, "That takes longer than three games.

"I think we think we can be a really good defensive team," Lin said. "I don't know if we're at that point yet."

He made sure, however, to add the "yet."