Chron: Rockets lose a very tough one, but might have won, too

There is only one windwalker in this particular thread, but you aren't the one who has to worry about that.

I understand you guys are happy they showed they have a pulse.

Personally, it's not satisfying to me as a fan because ITS WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING IN THE FIRST PLACE.

No other team in the league, not even the Hawks have 15 pro athletes that act dead on the court.

I'm not happy with losses to teams who are one dimensional.

 

Yeah, we got it. Glass half empty. Stop posting about it.

 

piffy, actually I think it was Chucky Atkins who wanted that shot. If you watch the replay and look behind Carter to his left, you see Chucky with his hands up asking for the ball, because he's a very good clutch shooter and has been for years. He made a bunch of big shots when he played for the Lakers.

Anyhow, I think the hustling defenders could've stopped a scrub from getting into the lane and hitting a game winning bucket, but I digress.

 

No I got it. The RocketZ r on their way to the champeonshipz in 08. Book it!

 

yeah, you've done a good job of that in this thread. I guess all of our guys were supposed to zero in on Anthony frigging Carter. he made a fake and bonzi bit then he made a difficult shot that he misses 4 out of 5 times. It's not as if AI or Melo or atkins took it and made it. It was an unexpected play and props to the nuggs and karl for going for it

 

Agreed. He made a good shot. I'm happy if Im a nuggets fan, as a Rockets fan not so much.

 

Agree 100% that it's what they should be doing in the first place, but we haven't been seeing it have we? Is it just a coincidence that Sweater McGrady isn't around and all the pressure seems to be off their shoulders? I know we need him to win, but do we need him to sit out to play hard?

I hate moral victories, but if you can take last night and tighten up the screws just a little bit, you get a win on a back to back against a talented and rested team on the road...hell, if Bonzi stays on the floor against Whoever Carter, we probably win the game. RA was up and was active, encouraging his players. Keep up the effort, address the things that need fixing, don't let any sort of cancer creep in to the morale of the team, and we'll be fine.

 

Of course we shouldn't be happy about it...I stayed up until 1 AM to see it end that way. but the point of the article/thread is that although we lost, we played very hard without TMac and almost won on a back to back.

It was a small moral victory that can hopefully help right the ship. Guys that have been slumping broke out of their slumps. Yao played an entire game in minutes and still stepped up when we needed him to. Bonzi attacked tha basket, Luther and Shane made three's. It could be the beginning of a good streak. I hate losses, but in this case, we didn't fold at the end like we have been known to do.

 

I'm with you. Yao did us proud by playing hard and to the bitter end. Playing 52 minutes on the 2nd day of a back to back after he played 43 minutes against the monster known as Dwight Howard represents a new frontier for Yao. Anybody who has a problem with Yao last night needs their head examined.

The team and coaching staff as a whole also deserve props for the ball movement and effort. Our undermanned team left it all out on the floor, which is an improvement, win or lose.

Maybe this game will be the reverse of the Bobcats game, which was a horrific win that took us to 6-1 but signaled we were in for a major fall. If the players continue to exert themselves every game and act like they care, the ball-movement remains crisp and there is a purpose to our offense, that's all I can ask for as a fan. When Tracy returns, hopefully what we saw last night will continue and the Rockets can turn around their season.

I know how bad our record is without Tracy, but I count last night almost as a win. This game must signal a trend instead of being a one-game fluke.

P.S: OK, I had a little problem with Yao passing the ball out of the post when he was close in. He did that a lot, especially in the first half when Denver wasn't playing much defense. Yao's instinctive reaction when he gets the ball within 7 feet should be to shoot.

 

I don't know how you couldn't love Yao (and I'm NOT a "YOF" so please save it). Sure he has flaws and what looks like mental lapses out there sometimes, but the guy cares. He gives it his all every night. He's in to each and every game. He doesn't make excuses or run from any criticism. He's been rebounding the piss out of the ball, and playing absolutely ridiculous amounts of minutes. And oh yeah, he does all of this with over a billion people all over the world judging his each and every move on the court.

I wanted so bad for him to make those shots and the end of regulation and the first overtime...and I really thought the third time was going to be a charm with those free throws in the 2nd OT.

And besides Yao and Aaron Brooks, the biggest thing I was happy with was RA. We finally saw some emotion coming from the coach on the sidelines. Hopefully he's realized that this team actually responds to feedback, if there actually is any...

 

Especially when Rafer receives the ball. It's almost like a TO. Yao definitely needs to shoot more, despite 9/22 shooting. Haha, as weird as it sounds.

 

The team shot over 30+ 3 pointers last night.

They have no mid range game and have learned nothing at all since Assistanat coach Gundy left.

Do you honestly thing they'll win a bunch of games chucking up that many 3's all of the time?

If that's the gameplan then be prepared for a disappointing season.

The only player who cut was Bonzi, and that's becasue he's not a gundy zombie player who can't do anything but wait for spot up 3's.

The rebounding rate was awful, just awful. Play better teams and this loss ends up in double digits.

 

It was a good game regardless of the outcome. I like that the team didn't fold in the end of regulation. All you can ask for is that the game goes down to wire and you have a chance to win. I see it, and the first half of this season, as 58 minutes of practice time... Brooks showed he can play. The team showed they can work the ball inside to Yao and out again for an effective offense... The team can run. Bonzi can take over a game in some instances. Problem when TMac is on the floor is, he's such an acknowledged one-on-one scorer, scoring champion, offensive threat, that he tends to take things into his own hands too often, and the offensive flow never gets going team-wise. I like it much better when Yao is running the offense and guys are cutting. Yao really stepped up last night and showed leadership skill. On a back to back in high-sky Denver, I'll take this result.

 

They shot over 30 3's last night, yes...but how many of those were bad shots? Not many...that's the way this team is built when Sweater is out. So yes, you live by the 3 and die by the 3, just like the Rockets did when they won the title twice.

And the rebounding rate...I think that was a bit skewed by those 3-4 possessions that Denver kept getting chance after chance. A lot of those possessions came with the Rockets in a zone, which always puts you at a rebounding disadvantage. But that aside, I thought the Rockets did a great job on the boards and had multiple second chances of their own.

 

Yao started out something like 7/14 and then went cold. I felt he should have had more attempts in the first half because the Nuggets were not able to deny him the ball.

 

You can stay optimistic about this if you will, but this kind of play won't get you one win in the playoffs, and comparing this team to Hakeem's Rockets is laughable.

Dream was twice or three times the player Yao is, and under different more restrictive rules.

You think the rebounding rate was skewed, but wait until they do this against the Spurs or the Mavs. They'll be executed.

 

Its not working, the no-nonsense no-2nd place approach

What the hell WERE you expecting to see out there after the past 12 games?

 

who else besides me knew this was a feigan column before opening

 

Tmac standing 3 feet beyond the arc watching Yao post and Rafer dribble is unacceptable. He has to move more in this offense.