Clutchfans North Report from the Target Center

Here’s my report and I will try to post some pictures later.

First let me say this game was disappointing. The Rox showed flashes of brilliance and fire but came up flat when it counted. I’ll get to that later though.

The game, or more precisely the pre-game, was great. I got to the Target Center at 6:30 and got to see the Rockets come out and take the court for shoot around. I was yelling my head off and when V-Span came out I yelled out “Vassilli!” and I’m guessing that he hasn’t had a lot of people cheering him because he looked up with a look of complete surprise. The warm ups looked good and the Rockets looked loose. V-Span even was playing some one on one with Yao. Halfway through warm-ups Shane Battier ran back to the locker room and when he came back down the tunnel I yelled, “All right Shane Battier!” and he gave me a high five. Next I talked to some of the Timberwolves’s dancers and got a picture. I told them it was for the Houston Rockets fans site which they didn’t mind at all.

I kept on waiting for JVG and almost before the National Anthem JVG finally showed up. When he was coming out I yelled “Hey Jeff, You can smile when you team wins by 20!” Needless to say JVG didn’t seem in a mood to joke because all he did was nod and sort of grunt at me while not changing his expression from the same one he had the press conference after the Warriors game. I should’ve yelled “Play Steve Novak!”

Finally the game started. The first quarter the Rox looked pretty good. They looked loose and in the flow. I was rocking and the rest of the arena was quiet. The second quarter was a different story. That second quarter was about the ugliest basketball I’ve seen in a while it seemed like neither team wanted to score. Among the lowlights was Deke throwing up a terrible hook shot that looked like he was guessing where t basket was and V-Span throwing an airball. One thing I didn’t get about the second quarter was why did they have Luther playing the point and V-Span at shooting guard? Something seemed kind of backward there. Although the only highlight of that quarter was Vassili making a tough finger role in the lane.

Finally the second quarter ended and it was halftime. I went down to get a picture with Crunch the T-Wolves mascot. When I went up to get my picture with Crunch someone yelled, “That guy is wearing a Rocket’s shirt don’t let him get a picture!” Crunch and the Timberwolves’ dancers with him were unfazed and let me get my picture with them.

Third quarter. For the first 7 minute the game is pretty close and its anyone’s game then in the last few minutes of the quarter Marko Jaric just goes on a tear and starts ripping into the Rox. Marko Jaric! It doesn’t help that Juwan decides to start playing like a bone head missing shots and making stupid fouls. In the middle of the quarter its capped off by Mark Blount hitting a thunderous dunk.

Fourth quarter and things definitely aren’t looking good for the Rox. Yao looks tired and T-Mac looks tentative and out of sync. T-Mac makes a couple of bad turnovers and hesitates on his drives so instead starts settling for outside shots. Yao gets blocked and looks gassed. The only thing keeping me ripping my hair out is comic relief provided by my friend from Denver chanting “We want Dikembe! We want Dikembe!”
OTOH the Timberwolves are hustling and seemingly get to every loose ball. The passive crowd is now on their feet and Crunch is dunking during timeouts. Even though the Rockets look defeated they still keep it close thanks to some clutch shots from Battier. We get down to the last minute and I’m thinking we’re going to see another miracle but Yao misses, T-Mac misses and the Rox turn it over in the last ten seconds and Rockets lose….

There’s nothing left but to leave the court go hit the bar and wash out the taste of defeat and Miller Light (which taste the same as defeat) with several Guinesses.

All in all a disappointing game. I’m glad I got to see the Rox live and high five Battier but this was a game the Rox could’ve and should’ve won. I will hand it to the T-Wolves they were the hungrier team today and the Rox ran out of gas.

There was one thing though I could agree on with the T-Wolves fans and one of the highlights of the game.
At one of timeouts on the diamond vision they started playing Kenny G and showed a guy in a flower shirt with long shaggy hair playing a sax. They did a slow pan of his eyes and his face mouthing “I love you..” Then they flashed on the screen “Jazz is Overrated” “Come and Root on the Wolves crushing the Jazz!” So yes at least we have that in common with the T-Wolves. We all hate the Jazz!

 

As promised here are some pics from the game:


Rafer Alston warming up.


T-Mac warming up.


V-Span trying to guard Yao during warm ups.


T-Wolves dancers before game.


Deke, Yao and T-Mac getting serious before game.

More pics to follow.

 

Pics Cont.


Rafer sets Rockets' O


Garnett at the free throw line.


T-Wolves add mocking the Jazz.

 

More pics:


Halftime score.


Crunch dunks.


T-Wolves dancers.


T-Wolves dancers, Crunch and a depressed Rox fan.

 

Sorry about the quality. I've got an older model digital camera and on top of that I reduced the size of the pics to not take up too much bandwidth.

 

What no love for the Stros? They've been more successful than the Rox recently.

 

This might be heresy but IMO Clutch the Bear is a pretty lame mascot. A bear? What does a bear have to do with Rockets? Its the least common demonimator mascot. At least Crunch is a timberwolf and doesn't look like an overstuffed teddy bear. IMO the Rox should bring back Turbo.