ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Lakers 5/4/2009 (Playoffs Round 2, Game 1)

IMO, to win this game, we need to shoot the lights out. We can stop LA to a certain extent, but we need to score period. We need to score .. score a lot.
We will not win against the Lakers scoring 70s, 80s or even 90s. I hope we will shoot around 50% otherwise I don't fancy our chance to win.

 

just fight hard

 

To be honest, Lakers may be better, but our boys will fight to the end, and we will stay with them, heaven or hell

 

From the OC Register....
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/bryant-battier-artest-2384973-lakers-houston

Kobe has never faced this kind of defense
Ding column: First look at Houston vs. Lakers matchup.
Kevin Ding
The Orange County Register
kding@ocregister.com Comments 1| Recommend 2

EL SEGUNDO Good riddance to the boring Utah Jazz, whose most compelling storyline in the first round against the Lakers was counting healed fibers in Mehmet Okur’s lame hamstring.

Hello to the intriguing Houston Rockets, whose second-round series with the Lakers will be the teams’ first playoff matchup since 2004 and provides all kinds of fresh material.

• Who would have thought that defenseless Lakers cast-offs Von Wafer and Brian Cook would come together as teammates on a defense-first team?

• How much of Aaron Brooks’ success arises from opposing point guards hesitating for a moment in anticipation of him cracking wise because of his facial resemblance to Chris Rock?

• Is Luis Scola’s Kevin McHale-like game actually more impressive than his Sasha Vujacic-length hair?

• How hilarious a buddy movie could Yao Ming and Dikembe Mutombo make together?

Then there are the two most interesting Rockets of them all: Ron Artest and Shane Battier, who will provide one of the most curious challenges of Kobe Bryant’s NBA career.

Never before has Bryant faced a playoff series against a team with two perimeter defenders of this caliber. Artest was the 2004 NBA Defensive Player of the Year; Battier finished third in that voting last season.

And Artest and Battier go about their business in such different ways that it makes for a game within the game for Bryant. This is like going up against the intensity of Mike Ditka and the acumen of Bill Walsh. Or trying to escape Ray Lewis and Zach Thomas. Or having to predict what Tony Romo will do and then outmaneuver Peyton Manning, too.

On a related note: Artest now weighs 260 pounds, which easily qualifies him for gridiron duty.
The buzz entering this series is going to be a lot about Artest, because he has that reputation for being a little crazy. And the last time the Lakers played in Houston, Artest was a little crazy – talking a truckload of trash down the stretch to Bryant, who rallied the Lakers to victory.

Here’s the reality: Rockets coach Rick Adelman erred in that March 11 game by not going back to Battier after Bryant took it to Artest most of that fourth quarter. Battier is the better defender now, and Bryant will need to prepare much more for Battier’s intellectual positioning than Artest’s manic reaching and grabbing.

When it comes down to it, there is no greater storyline in this series to come than Battier vs. Bryant.

Artest did not guard Bryant much in the final Rockets-Lakers regular season game on April 3. Battier was back on the beat – even though Bryant was so fired up about heating up against Battier on March 11 that Bryant went so far as to make a mocking gesture to Houston fans about Battier’s heralded hand-in-the-face defense.

Battier, as a February feature story about him in the New York Times plainly noted, garnered a decent amount of celebrity for his handiwork after Bryant shot 11 of 33 on March 16, 2008, in Houston’s 22nd consecutive victory.

Even though Bryant and Artest go back as far to have played teenage ball against each other (and Bryant tried really, really hard to get the Lakers to trade for Artest at times), Bryant and Battier have the more relevant history now.

The latest twist in their saga was Phil Jackson giving Bryant a copy of that New York Times article by Michael Lewis, who wrote the “Moneyball” baseball book. The feature basically celebrates all the little things Battier does with his big brain to render Bryant shockingly ineffective to his team.

The tone of the article was much different than the one rising from Bryant’s voice in 2003 after he hit a winning shot over Battier in Memphis.

“I torch Shane every time I play against him,” Bryant said then.

When it comes to Battier, there’s definitely something extra with Bryant, who did go for 56 in three quarters against Memphis before that. They were born just 17 days apart in 1978, and Battier got to be the golden boy at Duke – he stayed for that senior season and won the national championship – in an illustrious experience Bryant obviously missed.

Bryant has had a far greater NBA career than the athletically limited Battier, yet Battier has made a mark, too. He managed to make the 2006 USA Basketball team when Bryant couldn’t play after knee surgery.

As we enter this series, Bryant just the other day renewed his vow to stay more aggressive with his individual offense, whereas Battier’s plan to shepherd Bryant into being a volume shooter as opposed to an efficient one is perhaps Houston’s only hope for winning this series.

Will Houston win it? Well, in four victories in four tries against Houston in the regular season, Bryant averaged 28.3 points on 53 percent shooting.

And even though his high-school GPA wasn’t as high as Battier’s, rest assured Bryant will be studying extra for this test, too.



theSAGE

 

From probasketballnews
http://probasketballnews.com/story/?storyid=408

May 1 2009
Preview: Fun-loving Artest, Rockets put goals up against L.A.
By Chris Bernucca
Pro Basketball News
It has taken almost five years, but Ron Artest appears to have finally moved past The Malice at The Palace.

The central figure of the ugly brawl between the Pacers and Pistons in 2004 that spilled into the stands, became a full-fledged riot and remains one of the lowest points in NBA history, Artest was able to laugh about it.

In Thursday's series-clinching home win over Portland, Artest tumbled into the stands chasing a loose ball. While fans and viewers began fearing the worst, a very different Artest briefly interacted with the folks in the expensive seats before returning to the court with a smile on his face.

Talking about it afterward, the smiles turned to full-fledged laughter.

"I've been in the stands before," Artest said, bringing roars from everyone in the media room, including himself. "I wanted to soak it in. I had to sit down. This guy offered me some beer. When he did that, I was like 'I'm gonna sit down and enjoy this. He's not throwing it at me.' I was gonna take a sip, but there was too many cameras."

Instead of leading the charge into the stands, Artest led the Rockets with 27 points. Throughout the series, his scoring, playmaking and defense on Brandon Roy provided timely lifts for Houston, which is in the conference semifinals for the first time since 1997.

Rockets supporters were ecstatic with the end of the drought, but Artest -- in a solid display of maturity and leadership -- wants more and believes the fans should feel the same way.

"I didn't want the fans so happy to get out of the first round," he said. "I'm not happy just to be out of the first round. That's just not our goals here. That's not LA's goal, that's not Boston's goal, that's not Cleveland's goal, and that's not our goal."

Artest is absolutely right about the goals of the Lakers, who should put a giant banner reading "Championship or bust" on the outside of Staples Center. The Lakers were one subpar performance from Kobe Bryant away from sweeping the Utah Jazz in the first round.

Artest and Bryant will have plenty to say about their respective teams reaching their goals as they will be matched up with each other for huge chunks of this series.

A former Defensive Player of the Year, Artest remains a terrific positional player who can stay with smaller foes and beat them up with his 260-pound frame. That is the strategy he will use against Bryant, the reigning MVP who has unlimited range, a huge edge in quickness, underrated toughness and a tremendous competitive streak.

In one of their trash-talking sessions earlier this season, Bryant asked Artest if he was a comedian. If he saw Artest's postgame media briefing on Thursday, he would know the answer to that.

HISTORY: The Lakers swept the four-game season series, winning by an average of 13 points. ... This is the eighth playoff meeting between the clubs but just the second outside the first round. The only other showdown that did not take place in the first round was in 1986, when the Rockets dethroned the Lakers with a five-game win in the conference finals. The teams last met in 2004, when the Lakers won in five games. Overall, LA has a 4-3 series edge. ... Rockets G Von Wafer and F Brian Cook both began their well-traveled careers with the Lakers. ... Coaches Phil Jackson and Rick Adelman have met in the playoffs many times, which we address below. ... There have been some battles between Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest, also addressed below.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Lakers center Andrew Bynum did a disappearing act in the first round vs. Utah, averaging more fouls than rebounds. He played just 26 minutes over the last three games and will be needed much more in this series; at 7 feet and 285 pounds, he is the only player on the roster who can offer some resistance to Houston's Yao Ming. Bynum has to remain active at both ends of the floor, making Yao work for low-block position on offense and forcing Yao to guard him instead of the rim on defense. Bynum may be abe to use quickness to his advantage against Yao but has to stay out of foul trouble or you wil see the immortal D.J. Mbenga in the middle for the Lakers, a sure sign of trouble.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Lakers G Derek Fisher will use all of his guile and toughness to bait inexperienced Rockets PGs Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry into mistakes. It remains to be seen if he can stay in front of Brooks, who was a bit trigger-happy vs. Portland. ... The Rockets have undersized power forwards in Luis Scola and Carl Landry, who will have their hands full with the length of Lakers PFs Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Don't be surprised is the Lakers go small - with Gasol at center - to possibly get Yao off the floor. ... The Lakers are the much quicker team and will use that to their advantage at every turn. ... The Rockets have to play through Yao, who is a capable passer when double-teamed. That will open their spot-up shooters and driving lanes for Brooks. ... Artest can still be baited into shooting jumpers, which is not his strength.

KEY MATCHUP: Much like the Jazz, the Rockets will deploy a series of defenders to try to slow down Bryant. However, Houston may have the NBA's best tandem of wing defenders in Ron Artest and Shane Battier. Artest is always up for the challenge of guarding Bryant, although he may have taken it too far earlier this season. Battier's ability to limit Bryant was documented in a New York Times Magazine cover story. Bryant cannot be stopped; however, he can be shadowed, bodied and harassed. The harder the Rockets make Bryant work for his offense, the greater chance they have of pulling an unfathomable upset.

LIKELY STARTERS: Lakers -- F Pau Gasol, F Trevor Ariza, C Andrew Bynum, G Derek Fisher, G Kobe Bryant; Rockets -- F Shane Battier, F Luis Scola, C Yao Ming, G Aaron Brooks, G Ron Artest.

COACHING EDGE: Motivational master Phil Jackson has always gotten the better of Rick Adelman in the postseason. That includes the 1992 Finals, when Jackson was with Chicago and Adelman with Portland, and the 2002 Western Conference finals, when Jackson was with LA and Adelman was with Sacramento. But Adelman should not be overlooked. He is a very underrated defensive coach and has had remarkable success with the Rockets despite debilitating injuries to Yao last season and Tracy McGrady this season. He gets a lot out of his role players, whose skills improve under the guidance of his staff.

THE LAKERS WILL WIN IF: they can play in the high 90s or low 100s, Bynum can stay on the floor for 30 minutes per game, Gasol and Odom have their way with smaller defenders, Fisher can somewhat slow down Brooks and Bryant is Bryant.

THE ROCKETS WILL WIN IF: they can play in the 80s or low 90s, Yao overwhelms Bynum, Artest and Battier find a way to reel in Bryant, Brooks continues his precocious play and role players Scola, Landry, Wafer and Lowry contribute the way they did against Portland.

REQUIRED READING: Lakers Blog at the LA Times, Jonathan Feigen at the Houston Chronicle.

MORON CONVENTION: Before we get to our prediction, how about this recent tidbit from McGrady, who has been sidelined for so long he must have forgotten what team he's on. At least McGrady didn't subscribe to Bynum's rehab program.

PREDICTION: Lakers in six. They will know they are in a series with the Rockets, who will present more problems for the defending conference champions than the Jazz did and are playing with a bit of house money as they are in the conference semifinals for the first time in 12 years. But the Lakers are still the Lakers, and there is no reason to believe that they are not still the class of the West.



theSAGE[/QUOTE]

 

http://www.khou.com/sports/rockets/stories/khou090501_ks_rockets-PO-sched.c870cc3.html

Rockets vs. Lakers playoff schedule

04:10 PM CDT on Friday, May 1, 2009

Khou.com Staff Report

The Houston Rockets topped the Portland Trail Blazers 92-76, advancing past the first round of the NBA Western Conference playoffs for the first time in 12 years.

Ron Artest scored 27 points and Yao Ming had 17 points and 10 rebounds as the Houston Rockets beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 92-76, to eliminate the Blazers in six games. Houston put this one away with a big second quarter and moves on to play the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night. The Lakers won all four meetings in the regular season.


Second round playoff schedule:

Game 1: Monday May 4 Houston at Los Angeles 9:30 TNT

Game 2: Wednesday May 6 Houston at Los Angeles 9:30 TNT

Game 3: Friday May 8 Los Angeles at Houston 8:30 ESPN

Game 4: Sunday May 10 Los Angeles at Houston 2:30 ABC

X Game 5: Tuesday 12 Houston at Los Angeles TBA TNT

X Game 6: Thursday 14 Los Angeles at Houston TBA ESPN

X Game 7: Sunday 17 Houston at Los Angeles TBA

X- If needed



theSAGE

 

Always Beat L.A.

 

These regular season defeat leads to low expectations on rockets, 3 out of 4 games fakers has hot hands (almost 60%fg), i dont think fakers will be able to shoot like this at playoff.

 

GO ROCKETSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

steal game one and home court advantage like we did to portland!!

 

steal the game in 1st，and beat them just like blazer。

 

Here's my strategy for how to beat them:

Let Kobe get "his", gear our defense to shutting down his allstar teammates and roleplayers.

Kobe is not the true threat here, his teammates are.

 

I hope Rox players can just play smart team games with all their heart and intensity. One game at a time, never mind the results and treat this series as a development process. It takes five to beat the Fakers. Go Rox!

 

**** all the experts!

let's kick some serious fakers' ass!

 

HOU 53-29 (20-21 V) 38% 193.5
LAL 65-17 (36-5 H) 62% -8



Vegas odd for Game 1 .... 62% public on Fakers.

 

No team is invincible. People make a big deal out of it because Lakers have the best record in the West. But those record aren't coming against Houston. And the 4-0 loss is because we're not fully healthy or one of our key players are missing or they have not face a post injured-Tmac roster enough. And the games were close.....so i mean anything is possible. IF there is one advantage for the Lakers so far?? Homecourt....usually this is the reason why they continue to win.

 

We need to play smart and under control. I fully expect the refs to be against us. We just need to keep it close and steal it at the end. No blowouts like game1 agaisnt the blazers, that's for sure.

 

Go fight.

 

rockets in 6...go rockets

 

It was fun while it lasted but we lose this series in 5.