For those that think we had better chance agianst the queens, please realize we suck against small ball, Seattle, Dallas, Sac, Heat, you name it. Laker's game is probably the type of game we want to play, one on one inside.
Amen, brother! I'm looking for Cat to up his "D" on Kobe. He might not be able to fully stop him, but he should be able to contain him and minimize Kobe's effectiveness by scoring along with him. Drive to the basket, Cat!!
The Lakers Are Going Down I've been a Rockets fan since the late 70's and mark my words -- the Lakers are going down. Anyone remember that Ralph Sampson miracle shot with no time left on the clock? The Rockets have that bad playoff voodoo against the Lakers. History is about to repeat itself.......and I couldn't be happier about Karl Malone's ankle......the bad voodoo has already begun.......Rockets in Six.
Dream match up guys, I think if we beat the Lakers this will be our championship for this season. We all know most likely we would get kicked out in later series, but beating the Lakers would be huge. I really think Steve will shine and be a man possesed in the playoffs. He really hustled and played great at the end, and you all know how the Lakers bring the best in him.
As much as I may dislike Francis and Gundy, I pray to who ever is up there that the Rockets win because my hate for Shaq, Phil Jackson, and the Devil himself(Stern) is too great. That being said, everyone realizes how well the Rockets must play against an 8-man defense right.....
Laker is my favorite team. I hope F4 can win their ring this year. But the worst thing is I am a YOF. What can I do now?
http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-firstlook15apr15,1,6574671.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-nba-lakers First Look By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer No. 2 LAKERS (56-26) vs. No. 7 HOUSTON ROCKETS (45-37) The game's most-analyzed one-on-one matchup is a telestrator's dream: Shaquille O'Neal vs. Yao Ming. They essentially played to a draw in four regular-season games, Yao getting the early edge but O'Neal playing better in their most recent meeting. It will be tough to look past the paint and to the periphery, but the Rockets have given the Lakers problems with guards Cuttino Mobley and Steve Francis. A closer look at the matchups: FRONTCOURT Yao has become much more consistent in his second season. Swingman Jim Jackson can still shoot from the perimeter, and Kelvin Cato and Clarence Weatherspoon will be thrown at O'Neal as needed. Former Clipper Maurice Taylor is better than last season, when he averaged only 8.4 points, but he doesn't play nearly as big of a role in Houston as he did with the Clippers. BACKCOURT Francis (sprained wrist, inflamed elbow) and Mobley (bruised shoulder) sat out the Rockets' last two games, although it would be hard to envision them missing Saturday's game. Eric Piatkowski, another former Clipper, dipped to a career-low 4.1 points per game, but he is still dangerous from three-point range. HEAD TO HEAD: Series tied, 2-2 • Dec. 25 at Staples Center: Rockets 99, Lakers 87. Unhappy holidays: Shaq-Yao was basically a draw, but the Rockets' guards did in the Lakers. Francis had 22 points, Mobley had 15, and the Lakers got outscored in the fourth quarter by 10. • Feb. 11 at Toyota Center: Rockets 102, Lakers 87. Advantage: Yao. Twenty-nine points and 11 rebounds overshadowed O'Neal's 24 on five-for-12 shooting. Francis and Mobley again hurt the Lakers with 21 points each. • March 3 at Toyota Center: Lakers 96, Rockets 93. Yao outscored O'Neal, 33-28, but Kobe Bryant had 18 points and a season-high 13 assists to tilt the score in the Lakers' direction. The Lakers outscored the Rockets in the fourth quarter by 12. • April 1 at Staples Center: Lakers 93, Rockets 85. O'Neal scored 18 and regained the big-man edge by holding Yao to six points on three-for-15 shooting. Yao did not take an offensive rebound and had half as many personal fouls — three — as points. • Last playoff meeting between the teams: The Lakers defeated Houston, 3-1, in the first round of the 1999 playoffs. The Lakers were swept in the next round by the San Antonio Spurs. • Fast fact: The Rockets and Lakers have split six playoff series. The Lakers won in 1990, 1991 and 1999 and Houston won in 1981, 1986 and 1996. SCHEDULE LA TIME • at Lakers...Saturday, 7:30 p.m. • at Lakers...Monday, 7:30 p.m. • at Houston...April 23, 6:30 p.m. • at Houston...April 25, 12:30 p.m. • at Lakers...April 28, TBA* • at Houston...May 1, TBA* • at Lakers...May 3, TBA* http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~28541~2084775,00.html L.A. gets Houston in opener By Ross Siler Staff Writer It took a miracle 3-pointer by Kobe Bryant with 1.1 seconds left in regulation and an equally miraculous victory over the Sacramento Kings by a Golden State Warriors team missing three starters and set to begin summer vacation today. But the Lakers went into double overtime of their regular-season finale Wednesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers finally in control of their playoff seeding. And then Bryant hit a shot even more improbable than any they could have imagined. Bryant's second buzzer-beating 3-pointer sent the Lakers to a 105-104 triumph, the No. 2 seed and into a first-round series with the Houston Rockets beginning Saturday at Staples Center, the start of the first Yao Ming-Shaquille O'Neal playoff showdown. It was the most fortunate outcome for which the Lakers could have hoped, especially after San Antonio beat Denver by 26 points earlier Wednesday night. Now the Lakers will face a Houston team that ended a losing streak at five games Friday, scored just 69 points against Utah on Saturday and started Bostjan Nachbar in Wednesday's 92-89 loss to Dallas. The Rockets had the worst second-half record (15-15) of any of the Lakers' possible first-round playoff opponents and the worst home-court record (27-13) of any Western Conference playoff team. Houston also enters the playoffs with less-than-perfect health. Steve Francis is nursing an injured elbow, Cuttino Mobley has been bothered by a bruised shoulder and Yao recently complained of fatigue. The Rockets started Mark Jackson and Jim Jackson at guard Wednesday. The Lakers split their four-game season series against the Rockets, most recently posting a 93-85 victory April 1. O'Neal held Yao to just six points on 3-of-15 shooting in that game. For the year, O'Neal averaged 23.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in four games against Houston. Yao averaged 21.5 points and 8.8 rebounds against O'Neal. Bryant will be part of another marquee matchup against Francis, a fellow All-Star. Most significantly, the Lakers will not have to fight their way from the No. 4 seed to the finals. That honor now belongs to the Kings, who lost 97-91 to Golden State, and will open the playoffs against Dallas. Since the NBA expanded the playoffs to 16 teams in 1984, a No. 4 seed never has won the championship. The seed has been a nightmare for teams, with No. 4 seeds going just 17-23 in first-round series and then 0-17 in the conference semifinals. The best-of-seven series with Houston will be a rematch of the 1999 first-round series, which the Lakers won 3-1. The Rockets play a defense-oriented style believed to be more favorable than the up-tempo style the Mavericks have perfected late in the season. Dallas has averaged 116 points in its past 11 games since switching to a small lineup starting Antoine Walker at center and undrafted rookie Marquis Daniels at guard. The Mavericks boasted the league's best home record but the Lakers were able to dodge them thanks to Bryant's shot. The Lakers would play the Spurs in the second round, should they advance, and could wind up with the winner of a Sacramento-Minnesota series in the Western Conference finals. San Antonio would have home-court advantage in a second-round series against the Lakers by virtue of a better regular-season record.
I cant wait until Saturday night at 9:30pm. Its been so long since we have had playoff excitement, it feels like a first date. Would have rather played the T'Wolves, but Lakers were my second choice. Malone is hobbled, which will help. Ironic thing is that the last time in the playoffs we faced the Lakers in the first round, hopefully we will have a different result this time. GO ROCKETS!!! CLUTCH CITY RETURNS!!!
For houston, its a lot easyer to play agains lakers than kings... but, as i said before, WELCOME BACK 99' ROCKETS
Remember Rockets-Sonics '96. We had two championships and a multiple MVP, but they matched up well against us. It's better to have the matchups than the experience. I'm shocked and happy.
I woulda preferred to face the T-Pups, but this should be an exciting series. I think the Rox can pull out a couple of games and lose in 6. Either way, it will hopefully help mature some of the players
I think this is the most informed statement on this entire thread.....AMEN buffalo.....fact is we all knew that getting out of the first round was next to impossible no matter who we faced. This team, though they say otherwise, is happy that they made it into the playoffs...period. They will try no doubt to get through the first round, but we barely had enough gas to get out of the regular season. Not only that but the Lakers finished strong and are hungry for more. I say we win 1 home game and 1 road game and thats it. I hope I am wrong and we see a different Rox team come Saturday but I think we all know the truth. One thing is for sure though...the Refs decide this series more than anything else. And since the NBA somehow got its dream matchup to happen don't be surprised if the refs cause the series to stretch to all 7 games. I am very glad we are not playing the Kings..we just do not have enough offense to keep up with them. GO ROX!!!!
I'm pumped, Down with the fakers!!! I really think this is the best match up for the Rockets especially since poor Karla severley sprained his ankle. I'm also anxious to see if Francis will step up his game come playoff time. I think the game rests on Yao hitting his outside shots pulling shaq out of the lane and then take shaq to the basket taking it up strong and getting him in foul trouble.
I remember back in March ESPN is talking about Kobe is going to miss a couple of first round playoff game because the trial, can anyone confirm that. If Karl and Kobe both miss some games in the first round, who know what is going to happen.
Also if we're gona go down, might as well be in a BANG!! I bet Bill Walton is gona **** in his pants & the NBA wil have higher ratings in this first round mach up than the intier playoffs
But the thing is the Lakers Match up well against everyone. Kobe, Malone, Payton, and Oneal are better than anyone we've got. So they match up well against us. Not the other way around. We lose the one matchup we have on every other team in Yao. Oneal is better. Plain and simple. My prediction is still 4-0 Rockets in a romp.
