ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Nuggets 12/23/2005

ryan bowen is a starter for us.... hahaha

 

How the Rockets won against the Lakers will ALWAYS be beyond me.

 

blah blah blah, do you guys think tmac is even trying? this guy has a work ethic problem, alot of comments about yao should be scoring 30+ points when tmac is out..at least yao tries hard to do his best..now tmac..i dont think he's trying to at with yao sitting out, he could score 20+ easily each game no matter how many guys is on him..but just watching him, he's is not even trying..what a dissapointment

 

Or kinda like Kobe finished 2-19 w/o Odom last season?

 

sign stockon and malone then cut them just before the playoffs.

 

JVG sucks. He better start Stephen Graham next game. The little of the game I saw was when Graham was guarding Carmelo. He did a great job and he made him beat him over the top. Stephen also had 9 points in 15 minutes.

 

Yay! And all 9 of our players scored!

 

its going to be interesting to see JVG's comments in the paper about this game tomorrow.

 

I am tired of JVG and his damn lies. In the start of the season, his says he is going make some tough decisions and playing his old guys less, never happen. Then after last game, he said there will be a change of course, didn't happen this game.

 

Yeah I think Graham can be pretty good. He's shown a glimpse of what he can do. I don't see a harm in starting him NOW over Bowen. Head has been very impressive this season, but he had an off night tonight....Dang'ol

 

Agree, he might try to give Graham more minutes in the next games. He did well tonight! Hopefully he can make some opens, and does a not too bad defense!

 

sit him out till Yao comes back...the team he has around him wouldn't even last in a hoop it up tourney.

Les has to learn from this season and let all these old players go. Then SPEND money to get quality players forget the luxury tax. We will make the money back in our championship years.

 

NACC = Northern Alabama Community College.

That's how bad the Rockets are right now.

 

The rule of the game has changed forever for the NBA. Before, the game is mostly one-on-one, now it is easy to take one player out of the game if that player has no support.

 

So you don't think it has anything to do with Tmac showing utter disinterest in these past couple of games?

 

Hmm, you want to inject accountability into the discussion. Interesting. Of course you know, that would mean we'd have to take a look at what players have been acquired and the person (or persons) responsible for their acquisition but that is probably a discussion for another time. By now it should be obvious even to the Rockets-Red Koolaid junkies that this is now a lottery-bound team. Oh, I'm sure company line "official excuse" will be that injuries have derailed any chance this team had for the season but truth be told, even if they had everyone healthy and available for play, this was still not a true contending team. All that the injuries have done is expose just how poorly this team was put together.

Injuries or no, on a nightly basis, it is simply far to easy for opposing teams on defense to simply ignore 2-3 Rockets players and concentrate their defense on Yao & TMac. In fact, now that Yao is out, TMac is getting an up front and concentrated dose of what Yao gets on a nightly basis. Until that is changed (meaning we somehow, someway get some better players in here), this team will continue to languish in mediocrity.

As for TMac, I don't know about the rest of you guys but tonight for the first time, he looked like he had checked out for the game. While I can't really blame him given the wretched performance of his "teammates", I just hope he hasn't checked out for the season.

 

When you score 76 points and won, you know you're more lucky than good. Everything went wrong for Lakers in 3rd quarter. And One good quarter was just enough to overcome 3 bad quarters on that particular day.

 

We had Deke for most of the laker game ... that made a difference in the win.

 

[12.23.05] Rockets-Nuggets Game Recap

Anthony Steals Christmas for Rockets, Leads Nuggets To Victory, 108-86

By Dennis L. Silva, II.
12.23.05


With each passing of every deplorable, unwatchable contest, one can only get the feeling that the Rockets are actually, dare I say, fortunate to be at 10-15 on the season. This is a team that, currently, has six significant contributors (including their starting center and point guard, backup center, and third-leading scorer) watching from the sideline. This is a team that has to rely on the obscure likes of Ryan Bowen, Lonny Baxter, and Stephen Graham to put forth enough effort to atleast stay close in games. This is a team whose self-proclaimed “leader” and superstar has averaged 11 points and shot 6-28 from the floor in the past two games. This is a team that was lucky to be within thirty points of the Denver Nuggets Friday night as Denver claimed a 108-86 victory before 18,629 at Pepsi Center.

The Rockets were never really competitive in the game, so a recap of the first half basically defines the entire contest as a whole. Denver started the game leading 9-2 early as the Rockets shot a morbid 3-16. Denver took advantage of the thin air of Colorado by running at every opportunity as the Rockets looked worn down and fatigued just minutes into the game. Houston stayed reasonably close late in the first quarter due to the hustle of Baxter, who came off the bench in place of the lifeless Stromile Swift to score five quick points and pick up four offensive rebounds. But the Nuggets’ Eduardo Najera (who is more of an offensively-gifted Ryan Bowen) led a late Denver scoring spree as the Nuggets scored seven consecutive points late to take a 22-15 lead heading into the second quarter.

The second quarter began with another inept and laughable Rockets play, courtesy of Swift. Swift threw an errant behind-the-back “pass” (intended for Bowen) that ended up in a wild turnover and almost took the life of Rockets beat writer Jonathan Feigen, who was sitting baseline. Swift quickly found himself back on the bench as Denver’s lead grew to 44-33 with 2:25 remaining. The game became slow and sloppy as both teams couldn’t seem to stop grabbing. Both teams combined for 28 personal fouls in the first half as Houston shot 13-14 from the free-throw line, and Denver 15-21. Nuggets’ point guard Andre Miller scored on a fast-break layup, and Carmelo Anthony capped an explosive first half (21 points, 7-11 field goals) with a buzzer-beating trey to hand Denver a 52-37 edge going into halftime.

McGrady again seemed disinterested and lost within the game, managing only 8 points at the half on 1-9 shooting. Only the play of Baxter (5 points, 6 rebounds) and David Wesley (10 points, 3-5 threes) were proof of any remote signs of life for the Rockets’ destitute offense, which produced 10-41 shooting as a team.

The second half was more Nuggets as the Rockets seemed ready to head back home and reflect on their current miserable state. Denver outscored Houston 27-18 in the third quarter as the Rockets’ had no answer for Denver’s brilliance and balance on offense. Miller carved the Rockets’ interior defense, hitting 8-11 from the floor, while Marcus Camby controlled the paint for the Nuggets, scoring 12 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in the game. Earl Watson, the Nuggets’ third-string point guard, came in and played well in place of the injured Earl Boykins. Watson finished 2-3 from downtown with 12 points and six assists off the bench.

For the Rockets, Baxter finished with 8 points and 11 rebounds, while Graham contributed 9 points and three rebounds. McGrady had yet another off night and has not flourished despite his team needing him more than ever. McGrady scored 17 points on 4-17 shooting, with seven rebounds and four assists. Houston shot 31% for the game, and was outscored 20-9 in transition by Denver.

The Rockets have three days off before playing Utah at the Toyota Center on Tuesday. It is clear changes will be made, probably sooner rather than later, as the hope for this season is slowly by surely slipping away. No one knows who is staying (though its considered that McGrady, Yao and Head are more or less untouchable) or going, but Swift has had a plethora of opportunities to prove his worth and potential to this team, and he has failed in doing so. Tonight, he played 20 minutes and was 3-9 from the floor in accumulating 11 points and five rebounds.


ROCKETS RECAP

· Denver outrebounded Houston 58-49, and shot 47% from the floor.
· Luther Head shot 2-13 from the floor, and 1-9 from 3-point range.
· The Rockets’ bench was outscored the Denver’s second unit, 37-26.
· Anthony finished with 25 points; Miller finished with 19; and every Nugget who saw time (12) scored.
· Juwan Howard had his second consecutive strong game with 18 points on 8-16 shooting, and seven rebounds.

http://www.nba.com/games/20051223/HOUDEN/boxscore.html

 

Deke isn't going to give Rockets more points than Swift. His D alone wouldn't be enough to give Rockets a win in these past two blown out games.