Drum roll please..... The referee's. For the first time this series Yao finally started to get the clutching, and grabbing calls on someone not named Oden. Yao has got the whistle on the opposing bigs...no doubt, but the calls led to the Blazers C's having to give up more often allowing Yao to play with them on his back.
That and Portland was hesitant with their sandwich defense. Glad the Rockets hit Yao when he was flashing.
No question about it...the reason Yao didn't get the ball in the post in the previous 2 games before tonight is that the refs allow the defenders to be overly aggressive...which is not correct. The defenders can never be overaggressive against an offensive player or it's going to be a foul every time. But the offensive player can be somewhat overly aggressive and still get away with it...that has always been the rule since i learned to watch basketball. Tonight, the refs didn't allow that and that's the right thing to do. I also think the Rockets teammates are more timely and they're looking for Yao more. So their execution is much better. The Portland players were sure scratching their heads why they get called foul for something they did the same in previous games. Well, it's too bad we don't get the same referee crews every time. So we'll see if Yao get the same treatment in the next game.
yea, the league needs to do something with flopping and grabing. after all, nba is not where boxing and punching happen. then jazz will be knocked out easily. however, big and kind guys like yao has to act more aggressively. do what u can do in a rational way. not just complainting.
Yao was racking up fouls on all three of their bigs: Pryzbilla, Oden and Aldridge. It was great to see. I might have been biased, but most of those fouls seemed legitimate and consistent.
Just to let you guys know Yao isnt the only one being defended very physically in this series. Artest is hounding Roy and at times straight mugging him. Grabbing his jersey, pulling his arm, anything to get an edge. Its the playoffs and its physical basketball the way its supposed to be. You cant have it both ways.
It's funny though, I watched the Yao block again to show my gf (she missed it) and clear as day, after Yao blocked Roy, the dude slapped yao on the arm across the inner part of his elbow. (trying toget the ball) omg I'm tired....night.
i was at the tc. not too great seats since i got them late. only saw garrison in there and i don't remember the other 2 refs. i like the younger generation refs in general than the old ones. the 2 quick fouls called on pryzbilla set the tone. it may have something to do with morey sending the tape to the league office and adelman complaining to the media. but i believe i have reasons to believe this likely will be a one-game wonder. hope i am wrong.
our guards need to do a better job at given him the ball the second he is open, 3 seconds.............
Scola had the ball that play. And Yao being more effective is two fold: Refs calling the fouls when they were committed. Blazers playing a more "honest" defense. Our role players have been killing them in game 2 and 3. If not for bad free throw shooting and poor defense in game 2 this series would now be over.
This guy must be a Blazer fan. Btw, can anybody explain to me why NBA keep hiring old refrees like crawford to officiate NBA games, i believe these guys are too old both physically and mentally to qualify to officiate highly competitive and quick tempo games as NBA Playoff games. The commmissioner should revamp the NBA officiating crew to younger generation.
I think there were a number of reasons. One of the reasons in the first half was that he ran down the floor and got set up before they could set up the fronting defense. I'd like to see that happen everytime.
Biggest reason is that he moved and became less predictable, some of it is defense some of it is Yao. DD
Honestly, I don't know what Portland is supposed to do in order to keep Yao off the low blocks. The way the refs called the fouls last night on Yao's defender, it seemed almost arbitrary.