The Rockets play four games in five nights this week. Tuesday, at Philadelphia Wednesday, at Toronto Friday, at Boston Saturday, at New Jersey If the Rockets can win at least three of these games, it could really be the spark that sends them on a long streak. This is a real test. All of the games are winnable. I predict three out of four, with the only loss coming at Boston.
I dont see why the Boston game in particular would be tough. Pierce and Walker could be matchup problems, but then again so could Francis and Mobley, and a Griffin-Walker matchup would be fun to watch. Didn't the two teams sweep last year. Anyway, 3-1 would be nice. I see possible losses at Toronto (we usually kick their ass but it'll be our first back to back in a while) or the Nets, who seem to be clicking on a totally different style than us (or Boston for that matter)
The Toronto game will be interesting. How will the Rockets react to playing against Hakeem? How will Hakeem react? I'm hoping for a Rockets win, with Hakeem scoring 30 in the loss.
JayZ-Isn't watching Griffin play anyone fun? ZRB-If and when Griffin pulls a highlight reel block on Hakeem, how will you react? In other Griffin news, that Philly game will be his first game in his hometown of Philly, and he also gets to play the team that traded him.
Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that. I can't wait to see Griffin have a 25/10/5 game against New Jersey. All the disrespect he gets from ESPN and the praise received by Jefferson pisses me off.
I personally guarantee they'll win at Boston. I'm going with some Celtics fans... and plan on being a complete ass about it .
Well, lets go game by game - I am of course picking wins in every game. Versus Philly, if you recall last game, we played an ugly, ugly game and managed to squeak out a victory. I feel we will win this game as well for several reasons : 1) Our offense is working much, much better than it was at the beggining of the season . . . 2) Kenny Thomas destroyed Coleman last time they met on the offensive end, I see no reason why this will not repeat itself. 3) Hometown factor - How will Eddie Griffin react to playing in his hometown? He's never shown much emotion before, but Its anyones guess how he will react - I say he goes nuts, especially versus Philly's tough, but sloooow frontline. The next game is versus Toronto - we owned them last year, but Keon Clark could have a field day versus Cato, so I expect to see Eddie early and often, I also hope to see Eddie swat the hell out of Vince Carter, just for kicks. Francis will, if he's recovered from the migraines, score at his leisure, Mobley probably as well. Next game is versus Boston. We have no one to match up with Pierce, but I don't see Kenny Anderson doing the slightest bit to stop Francis in the backcourt. I see this game coming down to the match-up between Mobley and Joe Johnson at the two-guard, whoever gets the better of that, that team will win the game. As for the final game versus Jersey, that is probably the toughest game we play, because of the fatigue. Francis versus Kidd is an interesting match-up - last game versus the Suns last year, Kidd torched us, but previous to that, Francis had always stifled Kidd and outperformed him on the court, should be interesting to see what happens. I see us winning this game as well.
For some reason Walt scores at ease against Toronto. Unless they completely change their game plan against us, I think it'll happen again.
I expect the team to hold its own on this road trip. I hope Rudy keeps the rotation long because it is 4 games in 5 nights. Personally I will be going to the Boston game on Friday and will see the New Jersey game at the ESPNZONE in Times Square where I would already have been for the EAGLES game.
I like ZRB's way of looking at it. A good game would be for Hakeem to play great, but the Rockets get the win. I know you didnt' ask me but if Eddie gets a block on Hakeem, I'll be happy for him, and that's about it. The Toronto game should be fun, and not just because of Dream, but there's also Carter and Franchise which would make the game fun anyway.
This truly is a make or break trip. The Rockets seem to have the right attitude. They are very capable of going 4-1 or even 5-0 on this trip. They have the talent. Do they have the guts and desire? We will find out a lot about this team this week. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/1211916 It's make-or-break time Rockets know 5-game road trip key to saving season By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle PHILADELPHIA -- Moochie Norris did not want to say the word break. He was standing in the Rockets' training facility at the time, which could help explain his difficulty in finding the right word. He was speaking of the Rockets' season as a whole. And as often as it has been about breaks, sprains and pulls, Norris was looking more at a recovery rather than the break part of what shapes up as a make-or-break road trip complete with an awkward reunion in Toronto with Hakeem Olajuwon. "This is real big. Real big," Norris said. "I don't want to say make-or-break, but this week can make our season." Even if the 12-24 Rockets were to win all of their upcoming six games in eight nights, with the first five on the road, they still would be well below .500. But there is a sense that with so many games concentrated in such a short time -- beginning with tonight's game against the 76ers -- and with the Rockets as healthy as they have been in months, the next eight days could change their season one way or another. And if that possibility isn't enough to get them ready for their tour of the Eastern Conference, the Rockets also will find Olajuwon, the team's icon for 17 seasons, waiting in Toronto to renew acquaintances or exorcise old grudges. On Wednesday, Olajuwon will play against the Rockets for the first time, having already sided against them last month when he accused them of "disloyalty" and "ignorance." As much as the Rockets players said they looked forward to seeing Olajuwon, they know he might be even more eager to play them. "You have to expect him to be at full capacity," Rockets forward Walt Williams said. "It's going to be a difficult situation, a little awkward. For myself, being in the NBA for 10 years and always seeing him in a Houston uniform and playing with him, it's going to be really different going against him on a different team. "From his perspective, from what I understand, he didn't want to leave here. He felt that guys here shafted him. I would expect him to come out wanting to show these guys what they're missing. I expect him to at least try to come out and put a lot of points on the board." Olajuwon accused Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich and team owner Leslie Alexander of pandering to public opinion in an insincere pursuit of him as a free agent -- a charge Tomjanovich vehemently denied. The Rockets' last contract offer was for $13 million over three years. The Raptors signed Olajuwon to a $17 million, three-year deal. Tomjanovich said he had no plans to confront Olajuwon. "Absolutely not," Tomjanovich said. "I don't get into those kinds of things." Instead, Tomjanovich said he would assume Olajuwon's last comments to him -- that he was leaving to improve his chances of winning another NBA title -- represented Olajuwon's true feelings at the time. Asked what he would say to Olajuwon when they meet, Tomjanovich said: "Good luck." Added Tomjanovich: "I hope he's happy. It was expressed as something he wants to do. I hope he gets it. He's done so much for me, so much for people in Houston. It's going to be really strange. Already this season, watching the games on the satellite, seeing him in a different uniform is an eerie feeling." Tomjanovich has had his hands full trying to turn around a season shackled with a 15-game losing streak. The Rockets have returned to relative good health since that low point and have won four of the past seven games. That does represent improvement, but three of those victories came at home rather than on the road, where the Rockets are 3-13. Tomjanovich has long maintained that a tough road trip can turn a team into more of whatever kind of team it was before it packed its bags. Bad teams get worse; good teams can get better. The Rockets see this road trip and the homecoming game against the Mavericks next Tuesday as having the potential to do the same for their season. As bad a taste as being 12 games below break-even leaves, a more palatable perspective finds them only six games removed from eighth place and the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. "In this league, anything can happen," forward Kenny Thomas said. "I guess now that we've got everybody back, everybody that we started the season with except Glen (Rice), we're at full strength. That feels good. "We've got to win. We've got to get some wins going. Our record -- 12-24 -- sounds like we'd be back a lot further from the eighth spot. But six games (out of a playoff spot), that's nothing in this league." The Rockets know they are just a long winning streak away from being back in the playoff hunt. However, it should be noted they have been unable to put together a streak of any length since Nov. 8, when they beat Philadelphia for a three-game winning streak. "If we go on our road trip and take care of our business, if we can take all five of these, I think we'll start making people nervous," Norris said. "You have to look at that window. Last year, the room for error was very slim. There was a game or two that when we lost, we could pretty much see our fate was sealed. This year, if we make .500, we might get in the playoffs." Still, it's a long road to .500, and as much travel as the Rockets face this week, they won't make it that far. But they left town believing the season could turn dramatically -- either way.
I know I'll get my ass chewed for this, but whats new. Best case scenario 2-2, worst case 0-4. Reason: We beat philly by a couple without iverson,and snow. We normally play the Raptors pretty good, but Vince will have a feild day against Cat and I think a pissed off Dream will not be good. New Jersey is the best team in the east and run extremely good all the time this will be the closest game and in Boston we have no one to matchup with Walker and Pierce,plus the normally trap Steve and make him give the pill up. Expect one blowout blamed on 4 games in 5 nights, but the other will be close. Its not like we can't win any of these games, its just we haven't played well against really any team. With the games being on the road against some of the best home teams in the league doesn't make it any easier.
