ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Pacers 1/23/2004

I'm not sure the officiating was "bad" in that respect... so much as it was simply NBA officiating.

NBA officials, more than the officials in any other league or sport, call the "star" fouls. Jermaine O'Neal got them... our players didn't.

 

Great game. It was exciting, especially at that one point when players were diving all over the floor trying to get to the ball. SF eventually got it and he won the jump ball.

The Rockets are the first Western Conference Team to win in Indiana this season! Whooop!!


Let's go Rockets! You guys rock!!

 

This is as exciting a game as it can be. The biggest leader was 6/7 pt(?) the entire game? Other than the first qtr, both team played very good defense.

This probably is the turning point of this Rockets team! An identity has been defined for this team now.

Steve made a few silly errors, but he was fabulous for the most part of the game, especially the 1st qtr. This is the Steve I have been expecting, penetration & dish, set up offense. This is the best game I have seen him playing this season.

I predicted a tough game for Yao because he always had trouble with the kind of defenders like Foster. I'm really glad he came through with more aggressive plays to the hoops, especially the board work. The only problem I have with him is the fade-away shots he took over Foster. Come on, you have more than half a foot over the guy, just go up strong, and shot over him.

No one talks much about JJ and his contributions, but he was huge with some deadly 3 pointers. His defense on Artest was very impressive as well.

Cat made some nice shots, but forced some ill-advised ones as well. Hopefully, continue winning by the team will make him think twice before taking those shots.

Great win tonight. IF Yao's stamina can hold up in the second half of the season, the Rockets will have a very good shot to move to the 2nd round of playoff this year.


--daoshi

 

lets see...

we play the lakers when they were the best team in the nba.

we win.

we play the timberwolves when they were considered the best team in the nba.

killed em.

now the new poster team for the nba is indiana.

money in the bank.

whos next.

apparently we play very well in underdog situations. we also play well against teams we should beat. but we have trouble with the teams that r even with us, memphis, portland, dallas to some extent. this is good since we r a garanteed underdogin the playoffs.


unless of course we get 4th seed and have to play memphis..

 

The refs generally give the edge to the home team, that's called home court advantage. This game was not too bad in that regard, Gene Peterson must exaggerated a bit here. Here are the foul calls for this game,

----------- Foul----Free Through
Rockets---25---------16
Pacers----19----------23

The Rockets won the game on the board where they had the advantage of 49 to 37.


--daoshi

 

BTW, question: was it Francis or Mobley that hugged Yao from behind after he hit that 2 and got the 5th foul on O'Neill?

I'm pleased, either way. Spontaneous, genuine happiness for a teammate... great . Tells me a lot more than all the newspaper quotes in the world.

 

It was #5..so that would be Mobley

 

Yes. That reminded me of St. Louis Rams games a few years ago, back when the media used to salivate over Kurt Warner. They just kept showing his wife. It was like a horror film but it was real: every five minutes one of the most gruesome sights you'll ever see. "Touchdown Kurt Warner!" I would brace myself. Then the camera flashes to Isaac Bruce in the end zone and I relax, thankful that the we are spared that buzz-cut of ugliness. But just when I think I'm safe they show her! The greasy hair, the tired eyes, the sagging skin! The face that turns a man to stone! It feels like vomit oozes down the skin of my back.

[slapping myself in face, snapping out of flashback.] Right. Back to the Rockets. Statistically, there have been better games. We've had blowouts. But this game is the biggest win since the Lakers game LAST year. I'm impressed with their late-game execution, something we didn't see against Memphis just days before. Oh, and how about the crisp passing in the first half?

Here's what's scary. Our defense is alredy top-notch. Imagine what can happen if in the second half of the year, our offense finally starts to kick into high gear, which we're getting glimpses of now? Who hoo!!!!!!!!!!!

sorry for the incoherent post. i'm frikkin' giddy.

 

are we getting spoiled or what? Yao has 17 pts/ 12 rebs and thats only ok.. thats average for alot of good players in the NBA.. haha

my analysis of the Rox lately.. we have turned a corner and beat team no one expects us to beat. aka the hottest teams in the league *Lakers/ Indy/ TWolves/ Knicks (they were on a win streak before us)

and we lose to teams even to us (in standings) that go on a real hot streak like Detroit/ Memphis etc etc. I dont feel to bad about our standings right now. SF had a great game and Yao made his presence felt even without the points but 12 rebs and JJ has been solid for awhile. I like the way JVG is working in the bench and giving everyone a chance to play to see what they can do. I also think JVg uses certain players in certain situations like Padgett/ Boki depending on who we play.

I hope the Rox can keep this momentum going to Orlando and Miami and who knows we might have a very good Jan. I think we are 8 - 10 right now which is great! whooo hoooO!

J

 

That was Stevie. The picture was used by the Chronicles.

 

Has somebody noticed how many turnovers our BIG3 made last 4 minutes in 4th Quarter?

Here is my Stat check:

SF: 3 TO, 1 stupid foul on R Miller(his FG% is 91%+)means two points present to him.
Yao: 2 TO, 1 avoidable foul and fouled out with Rox 74:72, a few seconds left.
Cat: only 1 To,but a deadly TO which nearly kill us in last 34 seconds.

It's lucky Pacers also got turnovers in the key point.

To sum up: Super lucky win!

 

Man, I hope you're right. I say we send George up tomorrow...

Onward! To Mars!

 

Prepare to be amazed Count Dookie...

 

Hey kaiser Roll... it don't matter...

take a gander at this:

the first Western Conference team to win at Conseco Fieldhouse this season.

 

blow me...

 

As obvious as the lack of "D" in the WNBA?

whoa... that could have two meanings... hehe...

 

Gee... I hope you're right Mr...

*takes a bow*


goodnight

 

I like it when brock stripper posts.. it usually means we won.

im wondering if WNBA / AStain and ZRB all say negative things just to help us win.. you know for luck? I notice when the BBS expects us to win we lose and when were underdogs we win? interesting isnt it?

J

 

As a previous poster stated, there has definitely been a playoff-like intensity in the last few games ... the hectic pace of the Memphis game, the hoopla around the Knicks game, and then this defensive grinder. It feels good to be a Rockets fans right about now.

Steve played okay, but can we please call a moratorium on those silly plays where he drives to the hoop, leaps and then blindly passes it behind him to the perimeter? So many TO's in the second half were caused by that play. You can see that STevie really wants to be a PG that finds the open man, but sometimes it's to a fault. He either needs to finish those drives and score/draw a foul, or pass earlier. It's very frustrating to see him make the same mistake over and over again.

P.S. Yao dropped a couple f-bombs tonight! You could tell he was into it.

 

I hope it's the king!