ClutchFans Game Thread: Pistons @ Rockets 12/6/2003

People were happy because nobody was expceting anything from that game and Yao gave us a surprise.

 

its ok to be poud of Yao.... but when you are more concerned about his stats(maybe not you but other posters on here) than the teams success, than I got a problem with you.

 

I won't say that you totally get it wrong but think you don't quite get the sense of humor of yao.

that's not because he is scared, JVG is not a monster, rather a nice and strict coach and friend who knows how to make his buddies feel easy when facing a fierce game.

that rather shows his respect to the coach, his sorry for being late (due to traffic jam) and willing to play a better game. that's typical behavior of an GOOD player.

not saying there's no cultural difference, just don't find it so great to overstate that.

 

how can they call this a sell-out game?

 

It's the warming time before the game, dude!!

 

I don't see any problem if the fans are concerned with the player's stats, they just wanna players do a better job so as to help the team with the success. WE ARE GLAD THAT YAO HAS BETTER STATS BUT ARE HAPPIER TO SEE A ROCKET-WIN. any problem?

and be tolerant with those who only are concerned about yao's stats, if any.

seems there's nobody else here are more concerned about the stats or about other's concern about the players' stats than you, Ts.

again, enjoy the game PLEASE, don't try to find problems.

and this time, too, is a man to man talk.

 

Thanks for the excellent pictures, tikwanleap. They are great quality! Looks like you got a heck of a view.

 

I'll tell you this, I am concerned of Yao's stats, and I am more concerned of team's win because if they lose the game, Yao's stat will be meaning less. So what, you got a problem with me?
Why should I give a damn to Rockets? I am not even living in Houston.

 

from Pistons fan forum
"This game illustrates why Joe drafted Darko. Nothing to do with Melo Anthony. But rather the fact that Yaos presence alone does so many things on offense and defense to make opposing teams scramble all night. This game is also indicitave of why Coach Brown refuses to play Darko until he learns to play like the Center he should be instead of a Dirk Nowitzki clone. Nowitzki is a great ball player but he just doesnt affect the game the same way a dominant center does. Imagine for one moment if Wilt Chamberlain would have came into the league thinking he was a guard, hanging out on the perimeter hoisting jumpers and despite his size, PLAYING SOFT! That is the reason for Coach Browns tough love of Darko and Mehmet. He sees the potential for these two to be UNSTOPPABLE! But ONLY if they play like real big men, with FORCE! When Mehmet plays tough he has good games but when he plays soft he looks like garbage. In a few years when Darko and Memo are winning us championships you all will be thanking Coach Brown for the groundwork he is laying down today!
"

 

yeah, i got a problem with you. And the dude who is steve francis fan and doesnt give a damn about the Houston Rockets, I got a problem with him too. We just may have to go. I'll take you and him on. anytime, anyplace, rubber face.

 

Good post from Pistons fans. I think this not only applies to Darko, but also to Yao. Yao has long way to go but we see the hope.

 

The fans of the rest of NBA teams DO NOT give a damn to Rockets, Steve or Yao. You'd better get a problem with them first instead of Yao's fans here.

 

You know what? I don't have any problem with SF fun. Why should I?
And who do you think you are?

 

Because every ticket was sold.

A significant number of people buy seats and then don't come to the game -- this happens at every sporting event, although it's a behavior that is completely unfathomable for most of the die hard types that keep a site like this alive and healthy. It might be more visible at basketball games because the seats are so much closer to the action (empty seats are a lot easier to identify in the background of a game action photo, for example), but it happens in every sport.

Of course, at any given time you take a photo, there's going to be a lot of people out on the concourse getting some food or using the facilities. The concourse and concession stands remain fairly well populated throughout the game.

We actually sold out Detroit several days ago except for some scattered single seats. And we only have a few tickets left for Thursday's game against San Antonio. Plenty left for Tuesday vs. Portland, though -- would love to see some of you out there. We've had 4 sellouts in our first 8 home games, and are on track for 5 out of the first 10. Would love to see that trend continue to improve.

Tim

 

Hey guys, can you just stop the meaningless controversy and avoid it becoming a racist discussion?

 

pretty much everyone is praising Yao and not the other Rocket players. In fact in a lost, they rarely point to Yao but to the other players (sometime fairly and sometime unfairly.) That could "hurt" some of these players. JVG is smart in praising and pointing out how the other players contribute. Plus, Yao does not really need the praise (he seems to be a self motivator) whereas other players might "need" this attention to stay motivated (and not be discouraged.)

 

bored2ru, tacoman82, yueyue33,

Are you telling me that Chinese pride doesn't influence your opinion on how the team should play? You mean to tell me that it wont effect the way some might suggests something like, "Give the ball to Yao" regardless if we win or lose? I mean, why do you root for Yao? Because you are a Houston fan?

Sooner or later this was going to be an issue. It has to be addressed. Houston fans, true Houston fans, wont be able to take it. They will speak against Yao-only bias. That's all that happening here. Bias clouds judgment.

Houston fans don't mind that Yao has fans that root for him only (not the team). But when it starts to affect game strategy discussion (here) it becomes a problem. I mean if you want to say, "Give the ball to Yao" then at least give some logical reason for it. Not just "he's good" or "he's my hero" or "he's better than Francis."

Just be warned. If you come here saying "Yao this, Yao that..." be prepared to defend you position on why you think that way. And it can't be Chinese pride reasons.

Talk the language of *BASKETBALL.* That's what we speak here.

 

I have a problem with you and your attitude and I bet every other Rockets fan does too. I'm sure the guy you are here to support has a problem with your attitude too. How would your boy Yao feel if you told him you don't care about his team? Why don't you get the hell out of here with your anti-Rockets attitude. I don't give a damn about all the other bickering that is going on, but crap like this pisses me off. Do yourself a favor and never post here ever again. Why don't you go and tell Yao how you don't give a damn about his team on his BBS while you're at it?

 

"Yao did a great job on the glass," Maurice Taylor said. "I told him before the game, because he was late for shootaround, I told him, `I expect a dominant game. You should give me 30 and 20. He gave me 20 and 20. I'll take it."



But Taylor reminded Yao that he had placed an order for 30 points with a side of 20 rebounds.

"You still owe me eight," he said.

With a "Yo, Yao" television commercial reference that would make his agents proud, Yao shot back, "I'll write you check."

Yao, however, did not leave much undone. His last rebound, speared with one hand in the final minute and the Pistons within eight, kept the Rockets safely ahead. His uncontested slam with the Pistons desperately pressing was meaningless with just 9.9 seconds left but nicely capped an eventful night.

"Yao Ming had a great game," Pistons All-Star Ben Wallace said. "A 20-20 is as good as it gets in the NBA."

It also is as good as it has been in Houston for a while. The last time a Rockets player went for 20 points and 20 rebounds, Hakeem Olajuwon did it to the Clippers in 1998.

"That is an honor," Yao said of matching Olajuwon. "It gives me a sense of mission and responsibility."

Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy would seem most encouraged by the word "responsibility." But on a night Yao was 45 minutes late, he conspicuously seemed careful not to mention Yao when talking about the Rockets' rebounding.

He did say "our whole front line, our three guys, played great last night, great effort and tonight again, great effort.

"I can't say enough about those three guys (Jackson, Yao and Kelvin Cato). They just played really hard the last two nights and got a lot done. So they did a great job, absolutely.

"(The Pistons) have a 3.1 rebound differential," Van Gundy said, citing a statistic that ranks fourth-best in the NBA. "As I was telling the team before the game, not known to most is that Mehmet Okur is a better per-minute rebounder than (Ben) Wallace. Wallace averages 13 in 40 minutes and Okur averaged eight in 24. Both are outstanding rebounders. They've got a lot of size and use it well. Same as last night, I thought we rebounded well against a very good rebounding New Orleans team. We need to be a gang-rebounding team."




"I told (assistant coach) Pat Ewing one time at the beginning of the (second half), we had like seven straight trips where we executed and got the bucket," Taylor said. "That's like a record for us."





But as valuable as a second win in as many nights was, Yao also learned a lesson.

When you're late, you have to dominate.

And stay off the Katy.

Rockets summary

Late arrival

Stuck in traffic that gripped parts of Houston on Saturday, Rockets center Yao Ming missed Saturday's shootaround and will be fined. Yao started and played his usual minutes.

Yao arrived in the Rockets locker room at 6:15 p.m., only about 15 minutes late for most home games. But on the second half of a back-to-back, the Rockets meet on their practice court at 5:30 for a walk-through.

Because the Southwest Freeway and part of Loop 610 were shut down on Saturday, Yao's long drive downtown took much longer. He did phone in so the team would know his where ........

 

Texas Stoke, stop here, you go to far now.