ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Nuggets 12/20/2007

The thing I gleamed from this game is Yao is erratic in crunch time. He missed quite a few shots that could have put this one away. He played well for the most part...but his biggest problem is putting the ball in the basket in crunch time situations. We need him to make more of those shots than he misses. I don't feel like he did that tonite. Of course, one could argue that without him the game would have been lost and we wouldn't have been in position to go to double OT. It still doesn't excuse the fact that he missed quite a few shots that could have put this game away...and they were all good shots he can make. To me...it just makes the loss all the more heartbreaking. We did everything right in running the offense through Yao. Players stepped up and played well...making big shots. Yet, we still came up short. We have a freaking 3 or 5 point lead in double OT with over a minute left. We run two plays through Yao and he misses both shots. Meanwhile, Denver gets back in the game. It's just frustrating. Granted, Yao hit two clutch free throws to put us up and then Bonzi goes for the pump fake. Damn this one hurts. I'm not blaming Yao for the loss...but I notice every game he tends to be erratic down the stretch in crunch time situations on offense. It's one of the many reasons we can't finish games currently.

 

He is playing 4-5 minutes/game that JVG asked him to play this season. He was obviously exhausted after playing 51 min last night.

 

Hey, excuses are fine. I'm sure we can come up with many. I'm just analyzing why we are unable to finish games. Yao didn't make a shot in the 4th period or the 1st OT. He was taking the good shots. They just weren't going in. I see a pattern of erratic offense from Yao at the end of games. If it's because he's tired, then fine...that's the excuse. But, it's also one reason among many as to why we can't finish games. We want to run the offense through Yao in crunch time situations and he is able to take the shot...we need him to knock most of them down. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to do that. This also isn't the only game I'm basing this observation on.

 

this one hurt...............I give credit to our guys (minus she-mac) for playing hard out there last night...we fell in love with the 3 too much, but I can't knock the effort......that's one of those losses that doesn't bother you as much as other ones........

 

You are right.

But for any team who has won a championship during the past 20 years, you do not rely on a center to make game-winning shots or consistently deliver in game-ending situation. Yao is not a closer, occasionally he might be able to do it, but he will never be a consistent one. You need somebody who can make the outside shot or who can penetrate and deliver. Jordan, Kobe are the type who can close a game.

One reason Spurs don't win in consecutive years is that they don't have a closer even though they are very talented. They win on talent. But for the Lakers with Kobe, when he smells it, he will kill the opponent. Spurs just let teams hang around, they don't finish them unless they are far more talented than their opponent.

 

I turned this game off after Najera hit the 3 pointer at 1:40 something.

Sort of glad that I did not put myself through the rest.

 

He's also working on double and triple teams at that point so he has to pass out of there. He did make that tough fadeaway in Camby's grill in the fourth and he fouled him (Camby) and Najara out. He still made that one bonehead turnover where he brought the ball down and it was swiped but otherwise I think he did a pretty good job decision making and distributing.

I also liked that the rest of the team forced the action early. It seemed like they were taking bad shots but I guarantee that Adleman urged them to take more shots in transition to take some pressure of Yao. While they shot poorly it paid off in the end because the shots started falling. That's definitly a positive trend, that and the play of Brooks gives us something to look forward to.

 

Lucky you. Between the Penguins, Pitt vs. Duke, the Steelers and this double OT debacle i'm out of a voice and very much hungover.

 

I think we all have to agree that in that situation we should ALSO look for some1 else, wells is a good one. Actually a 3pt shot by head/alston/battier can be a higher percentage one than a extremely tired yao try a contested fade way over 2 or 3 defenders.

 

I remember what Drexler said:just give the ball to Yao,****...When T-mac is absent, Yao should make more shots and at least 25 points per game. However, I still don't think let Yao play more than 40 minutes per game is a good idea.

 

I'll by YAO's side.He is a man.&all ROCKETS fighters

 

They left it all on the court. Great production from every position, and i can only hope the guards play more like this the rest of the season. If you can ever be inspired by a loss this has got to be the one.

 

I really dont know what to think anymore...some games we play really hard anfight to the end...and then others (especially with tmac in the game) we play soft and slow and its boring....hopefully this will be the turning point in the season...here are some evaluations:

1. Luther played great and thats the best ive ever seen him play off the dribble and his shot looks so good when it goes in
2. Yao showed that he is the best center in the league by dominating the defensive player of the yea
3. Rafer showed that he is capable of leading this team and getting us in our sets (still needs to improve jumpshooting)
3. Brooks showed that he has a place on this team and wil only get better
4. Bonzi showed he can be a legit scorer on the block and on the move to the basket but needs to come with the same energy every night
5. Battier can't play a lick of defense on a taller/bigger/faster/stronger scorer like Melo
6. Deke is a legit assistant coach

 

You must be a real Rockets fan. Some of us where up on our feet rooting this team on.

The fact is that the $$$ Les is spending on Tracie could be used to land a couple of 12-18pt scorers that bring it nightly. Tracie can't play off the ball, he only can play with the ball in his hands. A couple of more work horses around Yao would take this team a long way. Tracie makes the Grinch's heart thats two sizes to small look like the state of Texas. Yes I did spell Tracie's name correctly with the "ie" at the end not a "y". You guys know the name it's Tracie "Fools Gold" Mcgrady.

Nice game Rockets!!! Way to fight! We still believe!!

 

great team effort...but i have to say, tmac or sf3 would've decided it...luther did good...


no 3 pters for AB??

porque??

 

Scola? Just a thought.

 

I think Brooks scored the last bucket in the previous quarter too.
I remember he scored 6 in a row across on of those quarters.

Watching the game it occured to me, wow, when they play off him a bit he can actually get to the rim and draw defenders - how novel.

 

You have no understanding of Yao Ming and his contribution to the game!
Yao can play well for about 36mins. max. Last night he played over 50 mins.
He was almost a dead man at the end of the game, how could you be a critic of his play when he had given his everything to the point of exhaustion.

 

amazing how they bang Yao around in there when we are trying to get him the ball. really amazing. seeing it on TV doesn't really communicate it like being at the game.
honestly, yao is amazingly mobile for his size, but getting him the ball will always be challenging because he is almost always outquicked and they really let other players push and grab on him to boot.
a quick point guard who is also a scoring threat who can get the ball to yao like rafer sometimes can, who in crunch can also get to the rim and hit the three - hmmm... you can see what i am thinking... of course im being redundant

 

Melo cleaned him out with an elbow a few times and Battier got called for the foul. Nasty.