why do we think the mavs are going to be an easy match up for us? they are the best team in the nba right now, and unlike the suns, can actually play solid defense if their offense happens to go kaput. i think yao will help alot in our matchup against them, but they still currently pose the biggest threat. every poisition is a mismatch in their favor except at Center (when yao returns) and SF/SG (tmac).
that's what i don't get either. Dallas is such a great team. it seems people are seriously underestimating them. Even with yao back, it's not going to be as easy as everyone thinks.
looks like both the spurs and the jazz won tonight so the records stand at jazz -35-17 spurs 35-18 rockets 33-18 lakers 30-23 the rockets play the mavs at home while the lakers play the cavs at home tomorrow, looks like we will lose some ground (for now) on the spurs and the jazz as i just cant see the rockets be able to beat the mavs without yao.
despite a gritty effort the talent was there for the rox tonight against dallas. heaidng into the all-star break jazz 35-17 spurs 35-18 rockets 33-19 lakers 30-24 the rockets are a full 2 games behind the jazz and 1.5 games behind the spurs, by virtue of the lakers losing tonight they maintained their 4 game lead on LAL
Sorry I forgot there was some games yesterday SA has taken over the 3rd spot in the west again while Utah dropped to 4th but its all still a close race SA 37-18 utah 35-18 1 GB Hou 34-19 2GB LAL 30-25 7GB I may soon take the lakers out of the pictures as there are closer to missing the playoffs now than catching us for the 5th seed, their recent slide is troubling but expected considering injuries and favorable early schedule. quick note: the spurs have played 2 more games than both the rockets and jazz
The SA Spurs are back to winning again after losing their initial rodeo Road games. I don't see us catching up to them.
Yeah they are the best team and shouldn't be underrated. I don't think anyone believes it will be easy, but I think we can beat them more so than phoenix. We should've beat them the last time we played, but our guys can't hit free throws. Even with that deficiency the only reason they sealed the win was because they tripled Mac on the inbounds play. You really think they'll be able to do that with Yao on the court? Seriously? Also they have no match up for Yao. I know they have decent centers but at the end of the day they can't guard Yao. Then there's the fact that Dirk isn't the most clutch player. I wouldn't bet against him, but I wouldn't be surprised if he struggled a bit either. Mac did do a good job against him on D as well. I'm not saying it would be a walk in the park, but I believe it can be done.
The Rockets can catch them, but I don't think they will. Winning the last game against them at home early next month would help though since that would clinch the season series. But staying behind them might be a good thing. It would mean avoiding the Fakers in Round 1. I know they're struggling right now, but remember the trouble they gave Phoenix last year in the playoffs. And speaking of the Suns, they seem locked into the 2nd seed, so staying in 5th would mean the Mavs in Round 2 instead.
