ClutchCity.net Game Thread: Pistons @ Rockets 1/24/2003

We will win. We must win!

 

WE WILL WIN

We dominate the EAST!

 

I hope Rockets can go back to their old self prior to the road trip. Hopefully Yao Ming has enough rest and gives a decent performance in the game.

Steve and Mobs, start passing and reduce the dribbling and ISOs please. Even though Yao misses two in a row, it doesn't mean you guys should stop feeding him the ball. Just look at him constantly on the court.

But the bad news is.... Rice is back to the game and he is expected to start at Piston's game.

 

pistons aren't the best offensive team so if rockets keep up the good defense then they hould come away winners

 

Rockets will get a W.

Rockets 87 Pistons 77

Will Griffin be available??

 

Rebounding is the key for this game. YM and EG (if he plays) need to do a better job keeping Ben Wallace from the boards. If no good, get Cato in.

 

Yeah, speaking of that, what exactly kept him out of the last game anyways?

 

Rockets forward Glen Rice was cleared to practice today, and if he has no setbacks after today's workout and the shootaround Friday, he could be cleared to come off the injured list for Friday's game against the Pistons, Rockets trainer Keith Jones said Wednesday.

"We'll let him practice and go through shootaround," Jones said. "If he comes back pain-free, we'll know where he is. We'll see before the game Friday. He did well (Wednesday). He's been working out every day. He shot for about 45 minutes and lifted weights. I gave him a strength test, and he was equal on both sides.

"But that is not the NBA. It's a matter of if he can push people and get hit. We don't know when he will be in that position again. But he is not in any pain right now."

Jones said Eddie Griffin, who missed Tuesday's game against the Mavericks with spasms in his lower back, said he felt better on Wednesday and planned to practice today. Griffin sprained his upper back in a collision with the Lakers' Derek Fisher on Friday, but it was unclear whether than injury led to the spasms on Tuesday.

 

Pistons are not on the same page as Lakers, Spurs and Mavs,
but they are not piece of cake. Rox really needs their A to win this one.

 

Judging from our record, I'd say we need our A game every night just to survive.

 

Cato is second to only Ben Wallace in rebounds/48 minutes and rebounds/minute. We should use him a LOT and rest Ming. Wallace won't provide any offense, so it would give Cato the offensive advantage for once.

As long as Mobley and Griff concentrate on D, which they usually do, we have this one.

We score at a much higher clip at home, and the key to beating the Pistons is to not let them put the clamps on you, and hit your 3's.

Hopefully, this will be MoT's breakout game (it's his hometown isn't it?)

 

this is my first time on here, but after watching the last couple of games, i couldn't hold out any longer. first of all, i just graduated in dec. from texas, so the past four plus years i have only been able to watch a few games a year since they only show spurs games in austin. however, now that i am back in h-town, i am back on the emotional roller coaster. i have supported this team from the two championships all the way to the lottery. this team has talent, but they are not utilizing their strengths. i don't know if anyone saw sports center after the mavs game, but sean elliot pretty much summed up my thoughts. he pointed out that the rockets are clearly not getting yao enough touches. cat and franchise almost ignore him to the point of absurdity. just because he misses a couple of shots doesn't mean you stop keeping him involved. yao will demand doubles, and if nothing else, that leads to open looks for cat and whoever else, thereby eliminating the dribble iso, behind the back, sideways 17 footer that i cringe when i see it. look, the last two games are over. we lost to two of the best teams in the league, on the road. but there are some disturbing trends developing. at some point, it would serve this team well to sign some sharp shooters and dump the ball into yao and punish the opposition for doubling (see 93-94, 94-95 rockets). keep in mind that this won't be an over night change. yao is a rookie, and mobley and franchise don't want to give up the spotlight. but if they don't become a little more unselfish, we may be in trouble. sorry for the rant, but i do feel better now.

 

Should be a competitive game.

Detroit is 3rd in the East with 65.9% record. Also they are one of the few teams with a road record of more than 50% (they are 12 to 9 on the road.

 

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

It is going to be an UGLY UGLY game.

Rocks 77
Piston 69.

UGLY !!

DD

 

Hmm, don't know about this one. If Francis involves the team in the game instead of just ME ME ME....then we might have a chance.

Rockets 97
Pistons 90

If Francis is just taking the game in his hands...

Pistons 103
Rockets 89

 

I think you got the score backwards.

 

I think we will win.. all this ngztive media about the rockets after those two losses has got to be pissing them off! If that doesn't serve as motivation, then i dont know what else will.

 

The rocks really need to give all their guys touchs on every possesion to win this one.

Yao does need more touchs...so that he doesnt feel the need to shoot it everytime he touches it. He needs to look pass the ball around too when he gets it at a bad angle...etc and has a man in his face.

PASSing PASSING PASSING.
Guards must look to other players and not jack it up...