Michael Murphy goes crazy...again

this guy goes luny every time they lose a game. i swear steve could have a quadruple double n he woulda givin him an F. he makes a few good points but giving the whole team Fs is silly.

Close losses deflating playoff hopes

by Michael Murphy


For the past couple of months the Rockets have been passing
themselves off as a playoff-worthy team. But they failed in what was
their biggest test to date, Sunday's 94-92 loss at Phoenix.

Prior to the game, the Rockets all discussed how important the night
was going to be, even calling it "a playoff game."

The Suns, one of the teams the Rockets are battling for the eighth
spot in the Western Conference field, rallied from a 16-point deficit
to win. And the Suns, a team that had coughed up a 28-point lead in a
loss to Sacramento, closed out the Rockets with a 12-3 run that was
capped by Tom Gugliotta's 18-foot jumper at the buzzer.

Faced with a team they had to beat, the Rockets melted like an ice
cube in the middle of a Phoenix freeway.

While Gugliotta's jumper was the killer, the autopsy report on the
Rockets was just as painful. They had 22 turnovers against a team
that is not exactly known for its defense and even worse, the Rockets
had a season-low-tying 12 assists, which means they have become
simply a one-on-one team.

It is the same story -- the Rockets can play with the Western
Conference powers, but can't figure out a way to beat them.

It doesn't help when you have to scratch your head over the strategy
employed, either. Maurice Taylor, having one of his better games of
the season, plays just 6:35 of the final period? Shandon Anderson,
who, after leaving with 9:37 to play, has to sit and watch Shawn
Marion kick their butts down the stretch (eight points) and then
finally re-enters and plays the final 22 seconds? Steve Francis
attempts just one shot in the final period while Walt Williams and
Moochie Norris combine to go 1-for-6?

The game merely illustrated a season-long problem for the Rockets --
their inability to execute down the stretch in close games. They
often get away with that against the lousy Eastern Conference teams,
but the teams in the West are simply too good to let the Rockets get
away with it.

The loss to Phoenix makes the Rockets 5-19 against the eight teams
ahead of them in the playoff chase (1-14 vs. the top five teams).
Their average margin in each loss is a mere 7.8 points -- and that
includes a 23-point butt whipping by Portland (111-88 on Nov. 11) and
a 12-point loss to Utah that went into overtime.

Of those 19 losses, 13 have been by eight-or-fewer points -- three by
two points, one by three points, three by five points, two by six
points, two by seven points and two by eight points.

Think that shows an inability to win the close games?

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS

Point guard: The Franchise takes just one fourth-quarter shot? Are
you kidding? Yeah, he finished with 22 points, 14 rebounds and four
assists, but one shot in the fourth quarter? Making things worse was
the fact that Jason Kidd's 16 assists was four more than the Rockets
got as a team. Grade: F

Shooting guard: Cuttino Mobley had 21 points and seven boards, but
monopolized the ball in the fourth quarter (nine shots) and could not
figure out a way to stop Marion (can't blame him for that one,
though, since Marion has about four inches on him). Gotta get more
than one assist in a game like this, too. Grade: F

Small forward: Shandon Anderson, assigned the task of stopping
Marion, didn't get any help from his teammates, who got him just one
shot. But that's the way it is every game -- Anderson does all the
ditch digging and his teammates don't let him in on the fun part of
the game. Grade: F

Power forward: Taylor had one of his best games, but was plopped on
the bench for almost six minutes of the fourth quarter. That is one
of the mysteries of the Phoenix game. He had 20 points and seven
boards, and probably deserves a higher mark, but since they lost such
an important game, everyone gets lumped in the same boat. Grade: F

Center: Against Phoenix, Kelvin Cato really struggled, finishing with
four points and zero rebounds in 18 minutes. Zero rebounds against
the Suns? Even Jake Tsakalidis had five boards in 13 minutes. Grade:
F-

Bench: Kenny Thomas provided some punch against the Suns, getting
eight points and nine rebounds and Williams finally got untracked
(kind of, anyway) with 12 points on 4-of-10. With the Rockets forced
to go with a smaller lineup, Carlos Rogers got just three minutes.
Norris was 2-for-7 (0-3 in the fourth quarter) and tied Francis for
team lead with four assists. Grade: F

Coaching: One shot for Francis in the fourth quarter? Keeping
Anderson and Taylor on the bench for huge chunks of the fourth
quarter? Grade: F

INJURY REPORT

Hakeem Olajuwon (right calf strain), is doubtful. Olajuwon's
availability for a late run is crucial, so the Rockets are going to
take their time with him.

Jason Collier (right quadriceps cartilage surgery) is out. Collier,
who will miss the rest of the season, will not be missed. When Cato
came off the injured list, the Rockets opted to perform the surgery
on Collier's ailing quadriceps, allow him to rehab and be ready to
play in the summer.

Matt Bullard (vertebral stress fracture) is out. The fracture was
found Thursday in a CT scan, and he will be out for another week or
so. Bullard is the only really effective perimeter threat they have,
so his loss is key.

WHO'S HOT

Taylor was killing the no-defense Suns, scoring 20 points on 8-of-13
shooting. But then Tomjanovich slapped the wood on him defensively
(put him on the bench).

Francis was having a good game, with 22 points and a staggering 14
rebounds, but went scoreless in the fourth quarter (did we mention
that he took just one shot?). But he needs to distribute the ball
more in a game of this importance.

WHO'S NOT

You have to figure something's wrong when Olajuwon -- back home in
Houston watching the game while his strained calf heals -- has the
same number of rebounds as the Rockets' starting center in the
Phoenix game. But that's Cato for you.



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--TEX