Really starting to get nervous about this series...

I wish you pessimistic arm chair coaches would just stop posting. I enjoy reading peoples opinions, both good and bad, but I'm so completely tired of the pessimism. We won the game for Christ's sake.

 

You need to grow a pair.

 

The playoffs are supposed to be hard. You can't take it easy on anybody.

But if we keep forcing these ridiculously stupid post passes, we'll continue to allow teams to hang around us in what would otherwise be more comfortable wins.

 

...he's right - Center's can't have the same impact on the game they once did because the game is played differently now(with new rules no less).

 

Did you watch the game? Blazer's big men fronted Yao very hard,once Yao got the ball,another guy come to help immediately.

Why Scola and Landry got so many open shots???? Blazer's don't know Scola&landry can make middle range shots? NO, THEY HAVE NO CHOICE.

Stop bashing yao.He did a decent job today,as well as Ron.Blazers are No.4 seed in WC,and now we lead the series by 2-1.

 

yes, i too am getting that 07 series feeling. i do not like close games when it comes to these rockets because they absolutely can't score efficiently in the 4th qtr.And if it weren't for scola and battier we would have lost this game. both those guys scored on broken plays and just got lucky. i do not trust our role players to give us these kinda plays every game for here on out. Its high time yao gets his act together. Yao has got to get super-aggressive.

 

The reason this game wasn't a blowout is b/c of Von Wafer. He single-handedly let them back in the game w/ 3-4 horrible shots/TOs in the 3rd or 4th quarter.

 

Yes, if we win the next game, we will get this series.

 

Van Gundy wasn't wrong. If people had listened to the game he never said the Rockets would blow them out every game. He said the SERIES would be a blow out. When pressed on it he said that by "blowout" he meant the Rockets would win the series in about 5 games. He never said every game would be a blowout.

 

Portland started the series playing horrid defense, which led to many of us expecting a cakewalk. But after that embarrassment, they've begun taking defense a lot more seriously.

Game 3 was more in line with what I expected from the Rockets in this series: a lot of hard-nosed defense and just enough hard-earned points. This is playoff basketball between two teams that are fairly evenly matched, the Game 1 blowout notwithstanding. I think we have a slight edge overall, and we have to continue to be disciplined and efficient in order to maintain that advantage.

I'm actually impressed with the defensive adjustments Portland has made so far; honestly, I wasn't sure they had it in them. However, from what I've seen, Adelman has enough counter moves to take this series. It just won't be very pretty.

 

i really like this post.

 

the yao thing is a real problem...a bigger problem going forward

but even with all that...the rox are a better and more experienced bunch than this blazers squad. they're going to win this series.

 

I'm not too concerned. As far as I can see, Portland has put in so much effort in stopping him that they're letting the other players do what they want. Wafer rampaged all over them in Game 2, and Scolandry did it in this game. If they're going to let those guys do whatever they like in exchange for Yao bottling up 2 to 3 players, I'm fine. And let's not get into his contributions on the defensive end and the boards.

 

We have a $20 million hole in our roster, what do you expect?

 

Never gave a thread 1 star but I gave it for this one. We're up 2-1 and it should be 3-0 if we could have made a few more FTs and stopped Roy on a couple of plays in Portland and now you're worried. Portlands defensive scheme is stopping Yao but the Rox are making them pay, Scola's wide open mid-range J, Yao's pass to Battier cutting to the basket. IMO, the Rox have effectively countered Portland's adjustment to fronting Yao and the soft double they throw in. Only thing I worry about is the defense on the Brandon Roy PnR or screen play, he scores way too many points off of it.

 

Seems to me that someone is still waiting for their Artesticles to drop.

 

Just another Yao hating Ass trying to be clever!

 

How does the cliche go? Defense wins championships? Yea, that's it.

If we DON'T play amazing defense, lets pack it in and go home now.

 

The Blazers made a couple clutch 3s at the end to make it a close game. As the old Mad magazine character would say: What, me worry?

Remember that in the series that we had with Utah, we were always beat solidly in Utah and just scraping it out at home. This is a completely different dynamic.

If we should happen to lose the next game, then I'll be worried. I think we cruise to a comfortable victory in the next game though.

 

Interesting concept. I have never thought of that. Why do you think the role players have been successful OP. The Blazers defense is completely backwards right now. They can stop Yao if they would like but our role players are getting open because of their swarming Yao. They are over compensating like crazy. To me, we have them on the ropes because it is a pick your poison situation right now. If I was them I would not concentrate on Yao so much because it is not working. Guys like Aldridge and Outlaw and even Roy are not their best on the road so if we just keep them guessing and everyone plays like they are capable of at home we will be fine. They are the ones that need to be worried, they held Yao to only 7 points and were never even close to being in control the whole game. Why would you be worried from this game?