ClutchFans Game Thread: Knicks @ Rockets 1/21/2004

The guy made more shots than he missed, and he was defensed in a way that allowed the other team to their impose their will upon the Rockets. I wouldn't have cared if they had won the game, but this was an important game from a division standpoint. The Grizzlies are now up 2-0 on the Rockets. If they win again this season, they will have the tiebreaker advantage in terms of making the playoffs. If getting Yao the ball a few more times would have made the difference, the team failed to do it. It may have been Yao not creating enough space between the fronting defender and himself, but the passer into the post didn't even attempt to make a lob. How can he get the ball if they don't even try to pass? They need to work on passing much more.

 

you are only half right...

Rockets win...at home and on Nat TV
SF continues to improve on involving his teammates in the offense(like he has been the last week or so)...Mobley does not have twobad games in a row....and Yao bounces back from a weak game to dominate NY.

and anyone who posts first in the game threads is a dumbass.


hey Sam,

Its a waste of time calling out Yetti..
one thing I have noticed about calling out Yetti is that he never responds to it..must suck only liking one player on the team and not being man enough to defend your position.

 

I know, but sometimes I just can't help myself.

 

Knicks are hot and scoring like crazy. We need this win badly especially with the Pacers coming up on Wednesday who whooped us last time on the road. Now they'll have the crowd and home calls behind them while quite possibly being the hottest team in the NBA. Damn I hate being such a pessimist sometimes.

 

why all the bickering? No matter who our favorite player is we all support the Rox and of course you want your favorite player to do well that just makes common sense. Who would root for the Bulls to win in their heyday but MJ to be a non-factor.

im also tired of people labeling someone as a YOF or a SOF that stinks... just let people enjoy their game and rooting for their fav. player whomever that may be.

I want the Rox to win dont you? So hopefully we can all root together and enjoy the game.

Yao's breakout game.. (ummm.. ive been waiting 30 games now so its due)

30 pts/ 18 rebs/ 10 blks! hehe

SF 20 pts/ 10 assists/ 10 rebs

whooo hoooo 2 players with triple doubles!

Go Yao! Go Rox! Go Super Duper Backup Bench Brigade!

J

 

Yes, I can imagine, Eisenhower in the whitehouse and Coach Yetti patrolling the sidelines.


Amazing that a man of your advanced age is so internet savvy.

 

With the way the Knicks is playing, I don't think we stand a chance in this game.

The Knicks have very good outside shooters in Houston & Van Horn, with the way Marbury dishes the ball right now, they will shoot the light out tonight. We just don't have enough scoring power to count them.

The Rockets' defense probably will keep the game close unless Francis get into 1on1 with Marbury.

Knicks: 92
Rockets: 78



--daoshi

 

NYK are playing well and we came out of a tough loss in Memphis...

I predict the Knicks over the Rockets 92-87

 

Yesssss! The neighbor came through with the give-away corporate seats! I'll be putting on my blue oxford shirt, kahki chino's and tassell loafers so I'll fit in with the rest of of Section 108. I may show up late and leave early.

(not really, I know I owe it to my less fortunate ClutchFans to rowdy-up the bowl)

 

This is a test for the Rockets. The Knicks certainly seem to think this is a test for them to see if they've improved. Obviously, I hope we whup their a$$. I just wish we could find some consistancy.

Here's a New York Times article that's good reading for those who might not be registered there. (didn't see it here )


January 21, 2004
The Knicks Will Know Where They Are Going After Playing Houston
By STEVE POPPER

REENBURGH, N.Y., Jan. 20 — It was less than two weeks ago that Stephon Marbury made his debut with the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. But the cheers soon changed to chants calling for the firing of Don Chaney when the Houston Rockets scored 21 consecutive points.

Since then, the Knicks have won five of six games, including the last four. But as the Knicks prepared for their game against the Rockets on Wednesday night, the first true test of what they hope is now a different team, they remembered the loss.

They remembered the 23-2 deficit and the humiliating 111-79 defeat. Marbury remembered how the Rockets took advantage of him when he barely had time to learn his teammates' names, much less the Knicks' system. Rockets Coach Jeff Van Gundy sent a big man out to double-team Marbury when he crossed halfcourt, forcing him to try to pass to teammates he could not find.

"I hope he does that tomorrow," said Marbury, who was named the Eastern Conference player of the week on Tuesday after averaging 22.5 points and 12.3 assists in four games last week. "I wasn't as aggressive playing against them, because I didn't know where guys are going to be."

Marbury anticipated that in the coming game, "They're going to have to play straight up."

Marbury and the Knicks do not believe they have reached their final destination just because of the progress they have made since the loss to the Rockets 12 days ago.

"We're not where we want to be," Marbury said. "We're not playing like a team like Detroit. When you start winning like that, that's when you can say, `We are there.' Right now, we're still learning each other, still playing off each other."

Lenny Wilkens, who is 3-0 as the Knicks' coach, said of the recent success: "We don't want to get fooled by it, but we feel we've taken a step in the right direction. But we got several more steps to take, so we have to keep working at what we have to do."

While the game with the Rockets could serve as a measuring stick of how much the Knicks have improved, they dismissed the loss to Houston as an aberration.

"We were a bad team then," Marbury said. "We play with way more confidence. We play better defense. The way we see the game is totally different.

"I think when we go into a game now our confidence, as far as winning, it definitely went up. We feel like we can win every game."

The Knicks know that for every day that they move forward, there is the distinct possibility that the roster could be shaken up again. The team's president, Isiah Thomas, has worked two deals already and has made no secret of his desire to do more. And the players, despite the stability that they sacrifice, back his efforts.

"That's what it's all about," Marbury said. "The only thing that you can do is try to get to the point where you've got things playing the way how you want them to be playing, and having the guys fit in all the pieces of the puzzle."

Allan Houston said: "We'll continue to look forward. We don't want to keep thinking about, `We have to get to this, we have to get to that.'

"We look at the standings. We look at the possibility of even maybe winning the division. We don't know. But at the same time you have to look at here and now, how to make improvements now."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/21/sports/basketball/21KNIC.html?pagewanted=print&position=

 

Ha ha ha, let Marbury try too hard again. He always tries to make it personal vs. Houston and be superman, the result?

Five straight losses and counting, and would've been 0-6 if the rox had hit a jumper at the buzzer or their FT's last Nov.

 

Ya know it's pointless arguing about whether Yao should take more shots. Whether your a YOF or a Rockets fan, you know he should. Whether your a FOF or a Rockets fan you know he should still take as many shots as he should. They're both our franchise players. I think that's what gets on Yetti's nerves. Yao doesn't get enough touches, or shots in the game. For a guy that's supposed to be our franchise center and one of the most dominant in the game we sure don't treat him like one when he only gets 15 FGA attempts or more for 7 games out of the 40 we've played so far. It's even worse thinking about it since we're 6-1 when he does take that many attempts. And it's a fact we play so much better when our big guy is involved more in the game. We went 3-0 last week as proof of it. When Yao got his touches he was playing with confidence, was hustling for rebounds, playing excellent defense, and really was playing like our center of the future.

 

I second that

 

That Marbury article sounded intimidating... but it seems like he got poked with the 10 foot wide ego stick...

103 to 79 Rockets win...

 

WOW Clutch...you ROCK!

I love your recaps, and now you do previews!!!


I hope we can beat them again. Home game, on National TV. We've gotta win this one.

Sure the Knicks have won 3 in a row with their new coach in place, but they have played no bodies.

The Rockets have to bring it to them.

Walton is doing a preview right now.

86-71

 

Everyone here knows about the Suns trade of Marbury, but some might not know that Marbury was seen as impeding the progress of Amare's development. It goes to show where the Suns organization sees the future of the franchise is heading. Marbury commented that he was surprised that his former teammates had badmouthed him saying that he was a ballhog. Of course, noone is going to say someone is a ballhog when he is still on the team. Scoring point guards haven't been the the foundations for championship teams. That's not to say the Rockets should build around Yao. I think it's important like the Kings to build the entire team up with an emphasis on everyone contributing to the pie. Focusing on 1-2 players for production is not a good strategy unless they are named Shaq, Kobe, Duncan, and Garnett.

I think Marbury was hurt by the comments made his former teammates. This is why he is going out of his way to make sure his new teammates get a lot of passes in the flow of the offense. They've been playing very well lately, and their offense has consistently scored high numbers.

 

I know one thing I'm going to pay attention to will be Mobley getting the ball to Yao. I've seen so many posts saying he refuses to pass down low to Yao at practically any time. We'll see if I can keep up and figure out if this is true (I have no doubt it is).

Pugs

 

The game at the Garden was Stephon's debut, and Steve made him look like a punk in that game. This is a game he has circled on the calendar.

 

lets hope that steve plays a team game and doesnt fall back into his habit of making it a 2 man game between him and starbury. If he plays that game and is on fire, we will win, but if his game is off we are screwed