ClutchCity.net Game Thread: Rockets @ Mavericks 11/21/2002

MoT and Yao putting up atleast 10 shots.
and Dirk having a bad night...shooting.

 

Yao Ming's reaction once he finally looks at Tyrone Hill's ugly mug.


Mavs are on a role right now and are dominating. If the Rockets were playing them at home maybe they would have a chance but not in Dallas.

Mavs 102
Rockets 94

 

rox 102
mavs 98

i bet yao will have fun playing with shawn.
steve will take care of nash
mobley and finley should be good
and dirk does have a problem as well and thats eddie who like dirk can play both inside and out! go rox!

 

Keys to ending Dallas' dreadful win streak:

1 EG must hold down Dirk Diggler
2 SF must negate (defenseless) Nash rambler
3 Cat must contain Finley

All doable.

Go Good Guys!

 

I feel you man. if the rockets lose i will have to face my basketball coach talkin **** bout it forever.... plus i got $$$ on it.. lol
peace

 

IF the Rockets can some how beat the Mavs i wonder how much exposure would the Rockets get as a team. I know its still early but it would be nice to see the home team get a lil love.

 

Someone on the Rockets has to step up and have a big night shooting the ball from the outside. My personal candidates are Grffin, Rice, Taylor, or Nachbar. This would be a great game for Rice or Nachbar to bring their jump shots with them and knock down some threes while Dallas sits in their 2-3 zone. Also, the Mavs are really short at center now, Bradley plays a lot of minutes, and what's more (don't laugh), he's playing quality minutes. So if the Rockets big men, Cato/Ming/Collier, can run the floor effectively and get Shawn tired it'll open up the Mavs interior defense drastically.

 

http://www.nba.com/mavericks/matchup/2001-02season_preview.html

-Game Preview from the Mavericks point of view...

 

I read that earlier, it is a good read. The author talks about the rockets quite a bit.

 

Slowing down Nash will be key. Hawkins would be the best matchup against Nash and Finley. Francis could go up against Nash after Hawkins initially takes him on.Mobley could start off against Finley and attack him from the beginning.
I would put KT on Dirk and double team him with Mobley.Griffin could stand his ground and use his shotblocking skills against him.
Collier should go up against Bradley first and then bring Yao off the bench.
I would like to see this combination at times against the Mavs,Yao,Mo-T,KT,Mobley,and Francis.I think this could be our best offensive squad against them.
Is Cato going to be back for this game or not?

 

I think the best strategy would be for Mo and Thomas to post Dirk up. (wear him down, only way to stop a damn good offense is to attack the nucleus which creates) They play a 2-3 zone. When double team comes, kick it out or have cutters through the lane and it will be effective. But the rockets are gonna have to give it up down low to beat the zone. If they try to break the zone by penetration, they'll be wasting way too much energy and most likely get killed at the end. I think Rudy is smart enough to find a gameplan for this generic YMCA zone the mavericks run. If he doesn't, the blame is on him. Oh yeah, put moochie on the injured list for this game. One more thing, move the DAMN ball around and make their up top defenders get tired, wear nash and finley down. It's simple.

 

I think Rudy is smart enough to find a gameplan for this generic YMCA zone the mavericks run

Chip, I think you need to do your homework. The Mavs run 9 different zones and change from zone to man-to-man to often on the same posession. I guess it is easy to call it a "generic YMCA zone" if you don't know what you are talking about.

 

If the Mavs beat us, no one can stop them! We have as many offensive weapons as anyone in the league, and we, so far, good D!!!!

Common guys! Let's give our Rocks some good Karma!!!

We'll break the Mavs, we won't let them break the Rockets' 15-0 record!! We won't let it happen, and we won't let them win on a night when Charles is kissing ***!

We WILL beat the Mavs! We are the team in the league that matches up BEST with the Mavs!

 

4 words: Ball Movement, Solid Defense.

 

the mavs are nasty.

the rockets will become nasty. Rockets are still evolving

Mavs - 97
Rocks - 90

 

Another Dallas Morning News article appearing today:

Notebook: Loss to Rockets would not be against the norm
Houston has won in Dallas every season since 1990-91

11/21/2002

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

Mavericks coach Don Nelson has been around long enough to know how these things work. A team gets on a roll, wins a bunch of games in a row, then, out of nowhere, loses a game it shouldn't.

"That's the way it usually goes," he said. "When it ends, it will probably be in a very unlikely way."

If that's the case, Thursday night's game against the Houston Rockets would not qualify as a graveyard for the Mavericks' 11-game winning streak. This one is suppose to be difficult, judging from past performances.

"Houston has always been a bear for us to play," Nelson said. "They have the kind of players that are so hard to match up with. They do a lot of isolation basketball and they're going to go at either one of your best players or one of your worst defenders. Often times that's the same player. So you have to prepare yourself for that."

Since 1990-91, Houston has won at least one game every season at Dallas. Even in the last two seasons, when the Mavericks have been playoff bound and the Rockets have been lottery participants, Houston is 4-4 against the Mavs.

"We've always felt the Houston Rockets are one of the best teams in the West," Nelson said. "I think they would have proven that last year but they had some major injuries and [guard Steve] Francis with the headaches. They're healthy now and they're very good.

"If anybody thinks this is going to be an easy game, it certainly is not. We're very vulnerable. And over the last few years, they've been one of our toughest opponents here at our place."


Jones' status to be set,

or has it been already?


Mavericks forward Popeye Jones expects to find out before the game whether he will play against the Rockets. But as far as coach Don Nelson was concerned, Jones was scratched Wednesday.
"I do not expect Popeye to play," he said. "I got a better chance to get out on the floor than Popeye."

Jones has been working out and scrimmaging for the past few days and his back has responded well. It is his front that is giving him problems now. Jones must play his way into better physical shape before he gets the go-ahead from the training staff.

"I probably won't know for sure until before the game," Jones said.

Nelson, by the way, was asked who on the team was the best at taking charges. He didn't hesitate.

"Popeye does a good job of that," Nelson said. "That's probably why he's got a bad back."

Briefly ...

Thursday's tipoff is at 6:30 p.m. to accommodate TNT's telecast, and scattered tickets remain. Fewer than 1,000 tickets are available for Saturday's visit by Seattle. ...

With Steve Francis averaging 27.0 points for the Rockets, the Mavs will get one of their stiffest tests against the speedy point guard. "It'll be a good challenge to see how far our defense has really come," Michael Finley said. ...

Shawn Bradley continues to get kudos for his start to the season, and deservedly so. Coach Don Nelson had one more plaudit for the 7-6 center. "He's taken a miserable year, put it behind him and done something about it," Nelson said. "Often times, guys who have the money in their pocket [with a new guaranteed contract] never come through. But Shawn has enough pride and character that he didn't let that happen."

 

Sane I cannot agree with you more.

I do think that if we walk the ball up we are playing in their hands. They are a deep team but have some key injuries. If we walk up the ball we are 1. letting their zone set and 2. we would be passing up an opportunity to tire them out. We are deep anyway you slice it and as I have said before that depth have to count for something other than having it just sit on the bench. Extend our defense and run, run, run.

I know fellas like HP and Co. think I am a dreamer but tonight I would play 11 players. Why? Because all 11 have contributed this year and can contribute in this game. If we say that the backcourt is a wash, which I do not buy myself, I believe we have to advantage in the frontcourt. You cannot tell me that LaFrenz is out and we are still not better than them in the frontcourt.

I would play Ming, Cato and Collier at the 5. Mission is to control the boards, run, run, run and play help defense on Dirk. EG and MoT have to be able to deal with Dirk. The key here is not to stop him but to make life difficult and, collectively, match his production. In other words, at the end of the game, EG and MoT, together, should have no less that 80% of Dirk's numbers. So if Dirk gets 25pts and 10 reb, then those two should have, at least, 20 pts and 8 reb. I am not seeing Dirk stopping those two guys from scoring, collectively, 20 pts. For the record, since MoT's return they have not failed to have at least 20 pts among them. In the last game they had 17 rebs among them.

KT and Rice, with some help from the Hawk, matching up with Griffin, Najera and Williams. Mobley and Hawk on Finley and Wink and Moochie on Nash and Johnson. If we are disciplined enough to not leave Nash or Finley all night, I cannot see us losing this game. If you start to see Wink wandering in no man's land and his man is getting open jumpshots, it will be a long night. I cannot overemphasize the need to contain Nash. I also do not expect Wink to have the stupid TO's he had in the Cavs game.

This is a message game and the pressure is on Dallas. We are still a work in progress and our main guns are up for this game. In fact the whole rocket organization is up for this game.

 

From Rockets.com

The Rockets get their stiffest test of the season tonight when they take on the undefeated Dallas Mavericks at AmericanAirlines Center. Dallas is riding high with currently the fourth best start in league history at an amazing 11-0. The best start in NBA history is shared by the 1948-49 Washington Capitols and the 1993-94 Rockets.
The Mavericks lineup is very balanced and their exciting up-tempo brand of basketball usually wears teams down. Dallas is currently the second highest scoring team in the league averaging 103 points per game. The Mavs are led by forward Dirk Nowitzki and their backcourt duo of Michael Finley and Steve Nash. All three players have been All-Stars in the past and their continued growth has made Dallas legitimate contenders for the NBA title.

“They’re hot and playing the best basketball in the league right now," said Rockets forward Maurice Taylor. “It’ll be a challenge, but we are playing well too and definitely feel like we can go in there and give them their first loss.”


PROBABLE STARTERS

ROCKETS MAVS
THOMAS


9.4 ppg
F GRIFFIN


3.4 ppg


GRIFFIN


11.4 ppg F NOWITZKI


21.8 ppg


COLLIER


3.8 ppg C BRADLEY


10.1 ppg


FRANCIS


27.0 ppg G NASH


18.1 ppg


MOBLEY


19.1 ppg G FINLEY


19.4 ppg

The Mavs have also been getting inspired play by Shawn Bradley this season. Bradley, Finley and Nowitzki are all coming off double-double performances against the Lakers. The surprising part about the Mavericks' scorching start is that they have not missed a beat after losing starter Raef LaFrentz and sixth man Nick Van Exel to injuries. Both players have been placed on the injured list and will not be available tonight. Former Rocket Walt Williams and forward Eduardo Najera will get most of the minutes off of the bench.

The Mavericks will be out for a little revenge against the Rockets when they tip off. Last April the Rockets went into Dallas and came out with a 98-95 overtime victory that ultimately denied the Mavs of clinching the division title. The Rockets will look for an encore performance tonight as they bring in one of the deepest teams in the NBA. Houston has used a number of different lineups this season. With center Kelvin Cato still working his way back into shape and rookie Yao Ming comfortable in a bench role, the Rockets may once again start Jason Collier in the middle. However, Head Coach Rudy Tomjanovich may attempt to go small against the run and gun Mavericks. In this scenario, forward Eddie Griffin would switch to center and veteran Glen Rice would be inserted into the starting lineup.

The Rockets will counter Nash and Finley with their backcourt of Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley. These great guards may neutralize each other throughout the contest. Therefore, frontcourt play will be crucial to deciding a winner. The Mavericks have been running primarily a zone defense all season. If this is the case against the Rockets, sharpshooting forwards Glen Rice and Eddie Griffin will have plenty of opportunities to knock down outside shots.

Yao will also look to provide another great spark off the bench. The 7-5 rookie has made 21 of his last 23 shots and will see time against the 7-6 Bradley. “The only time I played against someone taller than me was when I played against my father when I was a kid," said Yao.

Look for this contest between two of the top teams in the Western Conference to be a high-scoring affair. If the Rockets bring their usual solid game and can contain one of the Mavericks' top three players, they stand an excellent chance of winning this game. Whichever team is able to find a third scorer with a hot hand should come out on top. With the Rockets' deep and versatile squad, if the Mavericks are going to lose anytime soon tonight will be the night.


WHO'S HOT
Rockets - Yao Ming leads the NBA in field goal percentage (.684) ..... Eddie Griffin ranks 9th in the NBA in blocks (2.22) and comes off his first double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds) of the season Tuesday against the Cavs ..... Maurice Taylor has been instant offense off the bench, scoring 26 points in 41 minutes over his last two games ..... Jason Collier scored a season-high 11 points against the Cavs.
Mavs - Shawn Bradley averages double figures in scoring (10.1) for the first time since the 1997-98 season ..... Ex-Rocket Walt Williams has nailed 18 three-pointers off the Mavs bench ..... Guard Michael Finley is averaging 9.3 rebounds over his last four games ..... Dirk Nowitzki has registered seven double-doubles in Dallas' 11 games ..... Dallas leads the NBA in FG% (.463) and 3PT FG% (.400).


WHO'S NOT
Rockets - The Rockets force just 13 turnovers a game, second worst in the NBA ..... Rockets fans - only 8,984 witnessed Houston's win over Cleveland at Compaq Center on Tuesday ..... Bostjan Nachbar hasn't seen action in seven straight games ..... Glen Rice is shooting just .323 from the field ..... Moochie Norris is scoreless in each of his last two games.
Mavs - There's not much going wrong when you're 11-0.


KEY MATCHUP
STEVE FRANCIS VS. STEVE NASH Both of these players will look to get the upper hand by getting their teammates involved early. They are two of the best point guards in the league and can penetrate and known down the outside shot. Nash is notorious for getting hot behind the three-point line and is the key as he drives the Mavericks offense. If Francis can use his advantage in athleticism over the quick and determined Nash, the Rockets stand a great chance of stopping the Mavericks' winning streak.


INJURY REPORT
Keep up to the minute on all the latest Rockets injury news by visiting our Injury Report page. We get daily reports directly from the basketball staff, giving you the inside scoop on who's playing and who's sitting every night.

 

Stopping the Mavs:

1) Put somebody nimble and long on Dirk and tell him to grab a handfull of jersey and waterski wherever #41 goes. Recently, D-Miles, K-Mart and Horry all stuck to Dirk like glue once he crossed half-court and never left his side -- Nowitzki shot 15-48 vs Cle, NJ, and LA averaging under 18 pts a game - every point and every shot cost Dirk blood. Dirk doesn't get a lot of play calls the first 3 quarters, so he gets his points floating on the perimeter and trailing in transition looking for spot up jumpers off of penetration and ball movement. If a defender denies the ball in these situations by simply sticking like glue to Dirk no matter where he goes, then you've got a good start to stopping Dirk's statistical tsunami from rising. I like the way Eddie Griffin matches up with Dirk, but I fear he'll instinctually collapse away from Nowitzki to protect the paint - that'll kill you. The refs have been letting defenders whack and bang Dirk lately without punishment, the Rox need to take advantage of this trend.

2) Try to get the ball out of Nash's hands ASAP and make the other Mavs beat you - the Blazers have perfected this art and (along with Houston) are one of the Mavs' toughest match-ups. FWIW, GS almost came back from 20 down by trapping Nash during the 2nd half of a game earlier this season.

3) At his worst, Finley has stone hands and can get visibly jittery on the court. Hound his dribble and sightlines if he looks nervous or unconfident. A few quick turnovers or missed shots and Fin starts grinding his teeth to his game's detriment.

4) The Mavs have been playing M2M early in games. A Rocket starting line-up comprised of zone-busters (like some here have said Rudy has mentioned) seems like a bad idea - I don't know how much zone the Rox will face in the 1st Q. Afterwards the Mavs throw different D looks constantly, early recognition by the Rox will help them attack Dallas' D. Lately, Mavs' opponents have looked flustered just bringing the ball up the court and have wasted valuable 24-sec clock time just setting up an appropriate offensive set - even Kidd. I watched the Suns-Rox game and noticed how the Suns press took time off the 24-sec clock causing Houston to rush their offense a bit - it looked like it worked to me. Don't let confusion over the Mavs' changing D end up rushing the Rox O. You better recognize ...

5) IMO, Francis, Mobley and Norris driving is what kills the Mavs. Dallas has only Bradley and Dirk available as players over 6-8 to man the paint. Strickland is a garbage-time emergency signee - doesn't count. That's only 12 fouls to give. Drive into these guys looking for fouls so they have to ride pine. Bradley has been A LOT smarter lately (I know, I know, next Monkeys will fly out of my butt) and has grown more difficult to sucker. Dirk's love for PT schooled him long ago on the importance of conserving his fouls. It's no gimme, but it's worth a try to drive right at these guys hoping for favorable calls against them. Najera and Walt are really the only two other 'bigs' healthy right now. Lotsa Mav health issues so far -- how these guys are 11-0 is a testament to continuity, chemistry and a lonely but hungry core of talent.

6) Nash is limping a bit, we're injury thinned, we're on a tiring 11-game-in-20-days run, we're distracted by the nat'l pub over the streak and the new defensive attitude talk, we hate playing the Rockets, of all things we're leaning on Shawn freakin' Bradley's resurgence ...

... but we'll still probably beat y'alls azz. LOL.

 

Im probably gonna get nailed for this but.......*whoo....here we go.....

Rocks 105
Mavs 108

Sorry guys, but the Rocks D cant stop the mavs O.