How do you play 14 minutes of action, score 13 points, hit 6-9 shots, grab 10 boards (including 7 offensive) and swat a pair of shots? I don't know. Ask Carlos Rogers. He seems to do that often. Look at the list -- there's Bryce Drew clanking 13 of 18 shots. Cat Mobley going 2-9. Barkley 1-7. Walt Williams 3-11. Francis 1-5 before being ejected. This is an awful shooting ballclub... one that surprises if they shoot over 40%. If the Rockets aren't running or getting more motion for easy baskets, you can forget winning games from the outside.

We've asked in the past if things could get much worse for the Rockets, but now we really wonder -- these are rough times in Rocketville.

The Rockets went to Dallas and calmly staked their place in this league as a lottery-bound ballclub, getting soundly thumped by the Dallas Mavericks 114-95 in Dallas.

6 Mavericks scored in double figures (and 2 more had 8 points each), led by Michael Finley with 28 points, 13 boards and 7 assists.

The loss drops the Rockets' record to 2-7, and included more bad news. Steve Francis was ejected late in the second quarter after flagrantly fouling Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, and was ejected after throwing what will probably be viewed as a punch in the direction of Steve Nash after Nash grabbed Francis.

If that's the case, Francis will miss his matchup Thursday against Jason Williams and the Kings.

How bad were things for the Rockets?

Bryce Drew led the team with 15 points... and it took 5-18 shooting to get that.

The Rockets let the Mavs shoot over 52%, and shot just 37% themselves (piss-poor 63% from free throw line), including 5-20 from three-point range. Drew and Walt Williams were a combined 2-14 from beyond the arc.