[OregonLive.com] Double Teams Against Aldridge Worked

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/04/aldridges_mind_is_going_double.html

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HOUSTON -- Sometimes it seems Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge is playing two opponents in this first-round playoff series: The Houston Rockets and his own mind.

In Friday's Game 3, both the Rockets and Aldridge's mind got the best of him.

Houston added a twist to its defensive scheme against Aldridge, sending quick double-teams, usually in the form of Shane Battier or Ron Artest, which Aldridge said forced him into a bad place: a situation where his mind has to think.

"I got into that passive mode of trying to figure out where the double-team was coming from," Aldridge said. "I was like, 'Are they coming? Are they not coming? Are they coming? Are they not coming?'

"When I get into that mode, it's not good," Aldridge said.

It took all of six minutes for the Rockets to plant the first seeds of confusion. Coming out of a timeout with 6:02 left in the first quarter, Aldridge received a pass on the perimeter and started to penetrate against Luis Scola. But this time, Battier cut across the lane and rushed at Aldridge, forcing the Blazers big man to pick up his dribble and pass to Brandon Roy.

The pass was partially tipped, allowing Artest to intercept for a turnover.

"It was such a surprise," Aldridge said of the double-team. "I didn't think they were going to double me like that, and when they did, it threw me offguard."

It started a snowball effect of poor decisions and hesitant play from the Blazers' second-leading scorer. He started the game by shooting 2 of 10 from the field, before hitting four of his last five shots. But the end result: 13 points, eight rebounds, 6 of 15 shooting and a team-high four turnovers fell into the Rockets' game plan.

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