ClutchFans Game Thread: Blazers @ Rockets 4/23/2014 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 2)

This is the convenient answer. The real answer is the one you dont like to hear.

If they were fair they would call it, and players would stop bumping him. As long as they dont call it for him then players will continue to shove hi from behind when he shoots and hack him all the time. They think worse case scenario is dwight shooting 1 or 2 free throws.

You are admitting diwght deserves to be fouled more because? He has big muscles? Should he aim to look more like lamarcus aldridge or robin lopez to get the call? What are you really saying?

 

The Rockets are determined to make a fool out of Jeff Van Gundy.

 

Inb4 rockets becomes the first team to come back from 0-3

 

Nope, not saying that at all.

I'm just saying that's why the NBA does it. Not saying I agree with it.

Basically, in my opinion, it is to limit the dominance of DH, Yao, or Shaq because they're so much bigger and stronger than their opponents. It makes the games more "interesting" since they artificially 'balance it out', and that's good for the NBA ($$$).

 

That may not be a bad idea. Do something different for game 3. If McHale makes no adjustment for game 3 and we get blown out, then he is a goner. What have we got to lose? Lin scored 26 last time against Portland. Why not let him play pg? Perhaps play Troy Daniel too as the sure fire sniper, something which Portland won't be prepared for. Also put DMo on LMA, or have DMA doubled teamed or fronted to deny him with possession. Just do something different for goodness sake.

 

Never happen as long as McHales the coach. I anticipate no adjustments.

 

Damn, this is just heartbreaking.. HCA just plunged down the water

 

But doesn't the league, which benefits a great deal from having star players who can dominate the court, want more dominant players? There is no resemblance between yao who is 7-6 and dwight who is 6-9. The only way they are similar as displayed by tonight is they have the ability to take over and dominate the game on both ends of the court.....and they get called for a lot of moving screens. Other than that? Yao even changed up his game and started playing further out in the perimeter because he got fouled a lot inside and wanted to prolong his nba career. He dominated with the turnaround, as did mcgrady...but the push below the waist is the most unnoticed foul in the nba. But it is still a higher clip sometimes compared to what portland got away with on parsons when he drove to the basket.

The only answer i can give is the league does not want the players to have control of the outcome of the game. These guys are the best amongst the best, so a few bad calls should be the difference between who wins and who loses. Right?

 

We should do something crazy next game. Have the bench players start and give players that haven played yet some time. Anything. Just do something that isn't so predictable.

 

I don't understand why we have stopped doing what got us here... Barkley was sort of right at half time when he said we wouldn't win playing thru Dwight like we were, and that's not a shot at Dwight. We just gotta get something from Harden.

I have no problem with the way we played in the 1st half. But we should've come out in the 2nd half pick and rolling them to death! Harden has GOT to be more decisive and he needs to attack quickly. Portland has good defenders in Mathews and Batum, but if Harden is attacking quickly, they CANNOT stop him. Where he screws up is when he's indecisive. Not only does that allow the defender to set up, but it also gives their help time to get into position. We can't beat them unless Harden is attacking quickly. What we got from Dwight in the 1st half was great, but without Hardens offense it's wasted. We can win without Howard scoring, we can't win without Harden being aggressive.

As far as slowing Aldridge down, I'm effing stumped. Asik was playing

 

As far as slowing Aldridge down, I'm effing stumped. Asik was playing as good as you can ask anyone to play on him. He's just making incredible shots. I guess I may try to face guard him and force them to throw over the top to get him the ball. The be prepared to have the week side wing dive down and help/double team. Just gonna have to live with some open 3's, but that's a better bet than letting Aldridge continue torching one defender.

 

At least tonight's game provided some closure for me.

 

Game 2 is over and done with.

The question is, what can McHale do to change the DYNAMICS of this series? He has tried Howard, Asik and Parsons to no avail. Might as well try this:

1. Give D-MO a shot and see if his length can bother LMA.
2. Bring Daniels along with the 2nd team and see if can catch fire.
3. Play 94 feet of suffocating defense using almost available players the entire 48 minutes, and score points off the defensive pressure.

The bottomline, do something to change the status quo.

 

Bad news is we will get swept!

Good news is McFail finally will be fired!

 

No-defense basketball is ridiculous for Houston Rockets.

 

Miss Jeff V so much

 

PnR??? Seldom saw it in regular season.

 

If asiks length didn't bother him, why would Dmo's? In theory your right, but the way he's playing right now the only option is to double him. And be PHYSICAL with him. It's okay to get a flagrant called against us! He's gotta know that if he's gonna score, it's gonna cost him. Make him think about more than just the shot. Mainly though, we gotta double him and hope they miss open 3s.

 

Ummm, not sure what team you were watching. We ran PnR quite often.

 

I just dont understand why we dont play Lin through PG against Portland, he always plays against Portland. If this was OKC or any other team play the game through Harden and Dwight with Beverly starting. I really think this matchup is better off with Lin playing more time than Beverly. Any other team it would be better with Beverly getting more playing time and running everything through dwight and Harden.