After Houston's loss to the Sixers earlier this week, a calm Jeff Van Gundy said the Rockets have just two players ? Juwan Howard and Ryan Bowen ? that make inspiring effort plays and that the team is "uninspirable."

Van Gundy then went one step further, according to the Houston Chronicle, saying it would be wrong to assume the Rockets even want to make the playoffs.

"You would have to ask them that," he said a day later when asked if the long-shot chance at the playoffs could be motivating. "It's hard to generalize. Some players it may be motivating to. Other players it may be de-motivating to, that they may have to work an extra period of time.

"You would have to ask them, but the only way you can really know, just watch how we play."

Afterwards he said he was surprised to find anyone surprised with all he said.

"You know what's funny," he said. "I love when you're asked a question, you give an honest answer and it's 'ranting.' If you don't want an honest answer, don't ask. Just say, everything was great, everything is fine, well-competed against the Sixers. Boy that was great, giving them 50 points in the paint and giving them 25 fast-break points. Gee our guys, it's hard being a NBA player.

"No rant. It's just honest. I never understood why anyone would ask a question and then judge the answer other than that's how I see it."