ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Blazers 12/20/2006

clearly I am dead serious. if you haven't noticed yao has been very underwhelming this year.

...though juwan and padgett should have good games.

 

Rockets need to take care of business.

Rockets 103
Trailblazers 90

 

Quiet win.

 

hey how did you change your title, i think yours souds heaps better than mine...

 

Rocks win

 

Rox win! another close game though

 

easy win for rox!! Yao owns every b****ass in that team!

 

Clearly I am dead serious too... You really ramdom idiot...

 

C'mon Bonzi get stuck in to your former team...and help us get another vital road win.

Yao - just keep doin' what your doin'

Skip - remember last game? you dont have to have 26 and 8, but you do have to have 2 - or less...turnovers that is.

Chuck - hit the glass hard, play your game.

Head and Battier - keep rollin'.

Bench - energy hustle transition.

all these things happen and we win big.
otherwise its a disapointing setback.

to those writing off the blazers - esp without Z - bo - dont forget they are coming in on a 4 game win streak , and are returning Roy to their line up. So they are gonna be fired up. We must show them early who the better team is. Can't let 'em hang around.

Go Rockets.

 

just cannot wait to watch the game...

Yao will keep up his #s, and will be another monster game for him.

30+, 10+ and 4 blk... my prediction.

 

Despite the absence of T-Mac, rockets should win this one quite easily. Yao Ming and B.Wells putting on a stellar performance by hitting 34 pts and 18 pts respectively. Yao again, will take about 28-32 shots and grab ~13-15 rebs. I don't see the rox having trouble with this one as they will beat the trailblazers by a score of 94-88.

 

well, I also hope Novak will get his first 5 3-p shoots......

 

Everyboby seems a Wells' fan

 

We will sweep Portland!!

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview;_ylt=At6I.Hn5BsIN0AoPpwb96c.8vLYF?gid=2006122022

Houston (15-9) at Portland (11-14)
Game Info: 10:00 pm EST Wed Dec 20, 2006 TV: KNWS
By DAN BURCH, STATS Writer

The Portland Trail Blazers are playing with confidence and improved chemistry as they try to match their longest winning streak in nearly three years. The return of Brandon Roy can only help them achieve that goal.

The rookie guard is expected to be in the lineup for the first time in over a month Wednesday when the Blazers host the Houston Rockets.

Roy has not played since Nov. 10 because of an impingement in his left heel that forced him to wear a protective boot for a couple of weeks. He averaged 11.6 points in five starts before getting injured and his return will only help the Blazers, who have won a season-high four straight games.

Portland (11-14) hasn't won five in a row since Feb. 18-24, 2004.

"You can see that the guys are just having fun," coach Nate McMillan said. "They're doing a good job understanding one another, of playing team basketball, and following the game plan and executing it."

The Blazers, buoyed from going 4-2 on a recent road trip, opened a three-game homestand with a 109-99 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday that McMillan called the team's best game of the season.

Zach Randolph had 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists and six players scored in double figures for Portland, which shot 51.3 percent from the field.

"Zach especially is really stepping up," McMillan said. "He's making the effort on both ends. He's passing the ball out when the double teams come and he's making an effort on defense as well."

The victory over the Clippers snapped a four-game losing streak at the Rose Garden for Portland, which finishes its homestand on Friday against Toronto.

Houston (15-9) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 108-103 win over the Clippers on Sunday, the team's fourth game in a row without star guard Tracy McGrady.

The Rockets had lost the first three without McGrady, who's averaging 19.2 points, 6.3 assists and 5.6 rebounds, but got 32 points and 10 rebounds from Yao Ming and 26 points and eight assists from Rafer Alston to get by Los Angeles.

"We're trying to show that we can win games and pull games out without Tracy," Alston said. "His absence has been a factor in stretches of games where we were staggering, didn't have much continuity and weren't scoring the ball. Today we were trying to stop the losing streak, No. 1, and we also needed to play better on both sides of the ball."

The Rockets are hoping for a better effort on defense as they continue a five-game road trip. Houston has allowed opponents to score over 100 points in five consecutive games, the longest streak in Jeff Van Gundy's 11 seasons as an NBA coach.

"It's just a lack of concentration on defense, along with energy and effort," Alston said. "Not making the second effort has been hurting us -- letting teams get to the offensive glass on us and pound us in the paint. So we have to look at film and get back to the things we're capable of doing."

Houston finishes the trip with a matchup against San Antonio on Friday.

The Rockets had defeated Portland nine straight times before the Blazers won 76-75 on April 5 at the Rose Garden in the last meeting between the teams.

 

If we don't win this, I'll kick Rafer's ass (regardless if it was his fault ) Yao for 30+ points for whoever is the Trailblazer's center, and Luther Head should handle Jarrett Jack well.

 

You can listen to a free radio broadcast of the game on KXL.COM.. its a local portland radio that broadcasts the games online.

 

I hate Magloire. i hope yao scores 50 on he's overrated ass.

 

first.

 

T-mac's probably out again as he hasn not been running at all. Rox should win without him.

From Jonathan Feigen:
LINK

Rockets guard Tracy McGrady picked up his regimen of shooting and therapy, but is considered doubtful to play Wednesday in Portland, with some chance he could be cleared in time to play Friday in San Antonio.

That would depend on how McGrady reacts to Tuesday's workout, another today and the flight on Thursday.

"I wasn't allowed to run," McGrady said. "I'm better. I did some work in the pool, but it's nothing compared to running on the court."