[Chron] Fans can get early jump on a new rep

Fans can get early jump on a new rep

By JOHN P. LOPEZ
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle


The question being whispered at Toyota Center after Wednesday's Rockets practice session was the same one some have wondered about for several days.

Which is going to arrive first?

Houston fans to their seats? Or the start of the second quarter?

Standard policy in this space traditionally has been, who cares if the fans show up or not? Let the Rockets' marketing department worry about all those empty seats.

But the home-court advantage, or lack thereof, has become a part of the Rockets' playoff story. They know they stole two games in Dallas. But they know no team is more vulnerable at home than they are.


Value of fans questioned

Rest assured, Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy has thought about the crowd for tonight's Game 3, and wondered just how much of an advantage there will be, although he downplayed it when asked.

"The fans can help you if you play well down the stretch of a game," Van Gundy said. "But they're not going to bail you out of 45 minutes of bad basketball. I've been around long enough to know that home, road, whatever ... you have to prepare and play."

Still, in the locker room Rockets players have talked about it, too. They know that when this warm and fuzzy playoff series turns physical and mean — and it will — they're going to have to respond and find a way no matter if the arena is flat and the energy level low.

Will it be? Players have wondered.

Will the Rockets be able to rely on the energy and pick-me-up from the crowd, when the embarrassed and cornered Mavericks do what every desperate playoff team does?

The Rockets are up 2-0 in the series. But in two significant ways the playoffs begin today.

First, the Rockets know the Mavericks are going to come at them with hard fouls, maybe too hard.


Long list of grievances

They're a desperate team, embarrassed and angry about everything from Jon Barry nicknaming Ryan Bowen, "The German-ator," to their horrendous defense against Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, to Dirk Nowitzki's offensive struggles.

They know the formula for reversing such fortunes always has been playing much more harassing defense, allowing no layups or dunks, knocking down opponents and bringing a rougher, harder edge to every possession. That's what the Mavericks will do.

And as much as we would just as well stay away from fandom as subject matter, the Rockets know lively crowds can only help elevate emotions. The Rockets know they have to be prepared, physical and playing at their best. They know it should not matter whether the crowd is loud.

But when has it not?

More than a few Rockets believe part of the disappointment over their mediocre home record this season was seeing hundreds, sometimes thousands, of empty seats until the start of the second quarter at the earliest.

Put it this way: If home-crowd advantage early in games decided the series, the Mavericks would have swept.

Rockets players don't feel unloved, just unwatched. And they're almost literally behind the eight ball.

When one Rocket was called to the Toyota Center's Lexus Lounge for an interview Wednesday afternoon, he responded, "You mean the place where fans go to play pool and miss the start of the game?"

Fans have been conspicuous by their absence all season. Now, the series promises to get hotter than ever.

We should expect the self-proclaimed second-best center in basketball, Erick Dampier, to try to take it hard to Yao, or perhaps some other Mavs big man challenging him with harder hacks and violent shoves in the post.

The biggest adjustment we should expect from Mavs coach Avery Johnson for Game 3 is a more severe risk-reward proposition any time Yao tries the paint.

As much as McGrady has dominated, the Mavericks are tired of Yao having his way low on the block. Game 2 was a beauty for Yao, of course, with 13-of-14 shooting. But even in Game 1, when Yao was not a big factor because of foul trouble, he was establishing himself low and scoring almost at will against overmatched Dallas big men.

The Mavs are sure to double-team more, sending body after body at Yao, taking their chances with him at the free-throw line.

Against McGrady, they are sure to use Josh Howard much more, relying on Howard's athleticism. They'll also grab, reach, scratch, whatever it takes as much as possible. The Mavericks are mad and just don't want to take it anymore.

The Rockets know what is coming.

"The intensity level is going to be up," Barry said. "We don't come down and straight post Yao a whole lot. We like to get the ball to him in situations where he can shoot quick. But they're going to make it as difficult as they can on him. They're probably going to go at him early and real hard on the other (defensive) end, too."

Said Yao, knowing he will be the target of probably the most physical game of the series thus far: "If I start the game physical and stay like that, I will get more calls. If I start not too physical and get physical later in the game, it won't be good."

The Rockets have played two superb games on the road. At home, they are expecting an emotionally charged attack from the Mavs.

"One thing we know is, you can't think just because you come home, you win," Barry said. "We have to play better defense and rebound better.

"We have to do a lot of things better. I think the crowd will help, too. I think they'll be into it."

At least by the second quarter, anyway.

john.lopez@chron.com



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