ClutchFans Game Thread: Blazers @ Rockets 4/20/2014 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 1)

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Shaq scorching DHoward on TNT. Shaq is so right. Being guarded by Robin Lopez! DHoward should be so much better.</p>&mdash; Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSkipBayless/statuses/458077568168902656">April 21, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

of course he chimes in

 

I expect the game to be totally different the 2nd half and the Refs to change their tune. H & H will wake up

 

TNT found the perfect highlight

 

Shaq is right. 3 jump hooks and a free throw. How hard is that.

 

WORST OFFICIATING!!! EVER!!!

 

This is the game now...they've killed the power center. You gotta be finesse now to be a center and be the focal point of a offense. Ppl forget Shaq wasn't even a better post player than Yao. Yao had more post moves and even Big Al does...but Shaq in his era would just power through guys like most of the time.

I'm not saying Shaq would be like Howard is now...because tbh Shaq was more competitive than what Howard seems to be, but he would not have been one of the greats if every time he goes strong they call a offensive foul on him and he was forced to try and be Hakeem instead of just a power post player.

That's why nowadays the prototype center is a guy like Lopez or Noah...thin, agile, etc etc...

In the 90s you had to have strength to play that position, now it doesn't even matter because the refs can neuter you.

 

highly support. What a disappointing half for Howard! Seems not ready for the game.

 

Maybe D12 should post up a bit higher so he can use his speed to go by Lopez. Lopez is too long and strong. Should attack his weakness. Gotta bury these guys before Lillard and LMA settle down.

 

Because I'm working right now(I live in China so it's morning), I just got a chance to check the box score. I don't know which I am more surprised about.

1. That the Rockets have no FTA and the Blazers have nearly twenty.
or
2. That we're still winning despite this and only 33% 3pt shooting.

My goodness. From the Box Score it seems like everything that can go wrong for us has gone wrong. Howard and Harden combining for pretty crappy line and 3 pointers not really working. Yet we still lead by 1?

 

Fans at the Toyota center need to get on the refs

 

Shaq has a point that if Howard focused even more on rebounding and actually ran the floor, he'd get a lot more easy points. If the Rockets fall in the 1st round to Portland, the players (not the coaches or management) need to confront him and get him to embrace his strengths - pick and rolls - and give up his obsession with trying to be a post player like Hakeem. Because that's just not going to happen.

 

He hasn't been himself since the ankle injury. Hope he pulls it together. Harden too. Clutch three at the end but he still played really bad that half.

Most of all the refs need to stop bending us over like that.

 

Lets be real. Dwight has never been Shaq. Hes not gonna dominate Lopez because he never was that kind of player. Also he hasnt gotten many balls plus most of the time he was playing against LMA. So, his argument of crushing Lopez is bull****.

 

any link other than 1st row?

 

MCHALE'S HALFTIME ADJUSTMENT SHOULD BE:

1) ATTACK THE EFFING BASKET

2) REPEAT

3) PROFIT

 

3 jump hooks and 1 FT doesn't seem like a lot. Can be done when your on Lopez.

 

DH on Lopez should be a dunk or FT just about every time.

 

Dwight can't do what Shaq expects because the defender will flop and Dwight will get a foul.

 

Dwight can't use power anymore due to floppers and offensive fouls, basically think Shaquille vs divac and brad miller

 

shaq like a grumpy old frustrated man. he always wants it to be about him...