ClutchFans Game Thread: Blazers @ Rockets 4/24/2009 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 3)

If the Rockets decide they have a better chance of getting Yao the ball by moving him or both him and a "creator" who will then pass to him... lookout! Yao's hands are not that good for catching passes to begin with. This could lead to bobbled balls and/or bad passes resulting in a snowballing apprehension/frustration for Yao.

The key to the series still boils down to the Rockets defense. Period. If they can't keep Portland around 80-90 points look for a struggle. The other possibility is that the Rockets pull ahead comfortably by mid-third quarter. Portland has learned some about the intensity of the playoffs, but another comfortable win (or blowout) by Houston will bring the doubts they had after game 1 right back into their head(s). Going up 3-1 won't hurt either.

 

Blazers' fronting is overrated. I will keep my optimism.

1. if their fronting was good enough, they'd use it in the first game. Don't tell me they never heard of it before game 1.

2. it was Przybilla, for God's sake. Yao should be able to beat him from anywhere, fronting or topping

3. We almost did it last game with bad games from everyone.


well, if Yao is completely shutdown by another fronting, win or lose, Rockets do not deserve to be there.

 

blazers have no chance of taking this series, they will have to wait til next year to see if they can get out.

 

Expect better and more subbing in for Yao; the Scola, Landry, Hayes combo should do nicely.

The young guys correct some of those mental mistakes; we make some more free throws and stay aggressive..... we win by 13..... otherwise we win by 5

Chant... Deke!

 

Fire everyone if we lose this game. They can then sign me, and I could do the same as the current players - lose.

 

Mr. Roy is going to get a big welcome to the NF. . . I mean NBA greeting tomorrow night. I think we are going to double this guy hard everytime he touches the ball, keep a man on Aldridge, and let the rest of the Blazers come up with something. Roy will be frustrated and flustered and their team will be discombobulated.

 

i expect a 8-12 point win.

let's gold home court!

 

If Aaron Brooks can play assertively w/o hesitation, we will obliterate the blazers..

Aaron Brooks is one of those players that can go on a 7-0 run by himself and turn a 4 point lead into an 11 point lead.. he just needs to go out there and PLAY! don't be afraid to miss or "take too many shots"

We need Aaron to be aggressive since Yao is not.. Aaron can open things up for yao!! and I'm serious.. don't flame me.

 

But the "less basketball educated" on the GARM will eat him alive if he misses 3 shots in a row. I dont care how "good of a shot" it was. Especially if there was an angle that John Stockton or Magic Johnson MIGHT have been able to get the ball to Yao before he shoots it.

 

"Hopefully this allows Greg to come in and play against Hayes, Scola ... smaller guys," Blazers guard Brandon Roy said. "It's not just his scoring, though. He puts pressure on them to box him out, which helps us get more rebounds. So I think Greg can be even more of a force with Dikembe out for the rest of the series."

In Game 2, the Blazers twice employed their version of the twin towers -- playing 7-foot-1 Przybilla and 7-foot Oden at the same time -- with limited results.

In the second quarter, Oden and Przybilla played the first 3:23, a span during which the Blazers outscored Houston 4-3. Then in the fourth, the 7-footers played for 44 seconds, during which Houston outscored Portland 3-1.

"It wasn't bad, it wasn't bad," McMillan said. "We didn't score with that lineup, but they didn't either. Basically you are just making adjustments as you go. They had Landry and Hayes in the game at the same time so I thought we could go to that lineup and take advantage of it."

For much of the season, Oden has been asked to focus primarily on his defense. But with this latest development, McMillan said it's possible Oden, who was not available for interviews after Wednesday's practice, will be asked to shoulder more of an offensive load.

"We are going to take advantage of what's there," McMillan said. "It just depends. Their defense could just start to collapse ... but we will go inside whether it's post-ups or penetration."

McMillan said he felt Oden on Tuesday rushed his shot attempts. He went 1 for 4 from the field -- his only basket a rebound slam that tied the score 89-89 with 4:45 left.

For the series, Oden is 7 for 11 from the field and is averaging 9.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 17 minutes. He fouled out in Game 2 in 12 minutes. "

We going to miss Deke's presence, rebound, block shots in game 1 was sensational. Hopefully, Hayes, Landry, Luis and esp. Yao will step up and do better job than game 2.

 

We are about to smash these boys...

 

maybe the opposite?

 

there is no way we lose this one...blowout win

 

Maybe you watch a game 3 beat down...Rockets up 3-1 by Sunday night.

 

I believe vegas,

 

I am with the guy somewhere in here who said the Rockets won't beat the Blazers in a jump shooting contest. If Yao can't find a way to make himself "large" or the passers can't find him, DRIVE THE LANE, then when Portland's bigs rush out to stop it, dump off to Yao for a dunk.

 

For some reason I kept seeing this go thru my head as I envisioned them in practice these last couple of days.

 

ESP, baby! Wafer goes airborne!

 

worried about fronting... (as always) Yao is basically useless ont he offensive end when fronted and doubled well like what blazers did game 2.

we can win this if other players step up, and artest and brooks play smart. and god make your freethrows

 

I think most teams would welcome a chance to play 4 on 3 every possession. Either that or always have their center given prime rebounding position every play.