Minnesota Friday, Minnesota Tuesday, Utah Feb. 11, Utah Feb. 12, Lakers Feb. 18, Suns Feb. 19. These are the teams we're up against. Every game against them counts double (our win + their loss, their win + our loss) in the standings. We have no excuses. Beat these teams or we're out, and don't come crying to me about how we deserved to be in the playoffs more than than so-and-so. We're getting our chance to prove it against so-and-so right now. Win or go home.
I don't like our chances.. Things look quite bleak. We need some serious mojo. Wish Yao and Steve to become monster under pressure. Don't forget to pray. Lakers is gonna go to playoff, guaranteed. No prayer can change that. Pray Rockets can compete with Suns, Minnesota, or Utah.
I think the final nail in the coffin will be that 5 game West Coast roadie the Rockets have to go on...We might hang around with the Lakers until then, but that will be the death of us...
The saddest part in all this is that we are now resigned to hoping that either the Jazz, Suns or Wolves take a slide. Thats speaks much of the Rockets themselves. -Tariq
We're not resigned to anything. Minnesota is playing their best basketball of the season. You saw how hot they started last year, and how scorching hot they were around the All Star break. Fact of the matter is, Garnett gets worn out later in the season. but the Wolves re too far in front, and Wally will start to hit form right around late season. That's bad. The Jazz are the Jazz. They'll make it. The Lakers are the best team in the league. they'll make it, and most most probably have the best record in the league for the 2nd half of the season. The Suns aren't slipping, especially at home. They're defending that homecourt, and Joe Johnson has improved. Once Penny comes back, they'll be even better. What we hope for is for the Rockets to be better. Assuming the Lakers win 29 or 30 games from now on, the Rockets have to win 25 or 26 to make the playoffs. I have hope. I KNOW the Rockets will make it. I'm very very confident. All we need to do is play 2 games better than a .500 record for the rest of the season, which is 2 games worse than we've already been.
Oh, to add to that... Trivia question: Which player from the Rockets, Lakers, Suns, Jazz, and Wolves rosters' will benefit most from the All Star Break? Shaq Kobe Marbury Stoudamire Marion Kevin Garnett Wally Malone Stockton Jarpring Steve Francis Yao Ming You guessed it...Yao Ming is going to come out of the All Star break a MONSTER. He has 5 days off, barring 15-20 minutes at the All Star game, and that's it. It's all rest after that. Rice will most probably be back too. I expect the Rockets to be the 8th seed. We will NOW miss the playoffs while Yao Ming and Steve Francis are playing. If by the last 10 games we are out of the playoffs, or on the verge of dropping out, I will STILL bet on us making the playoffs. Because I know Francis will tear a hole into thin air if he has to. We will make the playoffs. We will make the playoffs.
It's about time to hit the panic button for the Rockets. Lakers are beginning to play like champions right now. Rockets need to treat every game like playoff game. Hopefully in the mean time one of Jazz/Suns/T-wolves slide. Even though Rockets had a bad loss at Minnesota. Somehow I feel they are beginning to play together like a team. It's getting into Rudy T and guards' heads. You know what happens we Rockets play like a team.
We are only 2.5 games ahead today. We played decent yesterday, so I am not pissed off at the team. However, I am also starting to doubt our chances. We have a much harder schedule then the TPuppies, Suns, Jazz and the Lakers. More road games and we can't seem to win crap on the road. The two remaining games against La will be HUGE! As will be the back2back agains the Jazz next week. Lose both and kiss us good bye. Somehow win both and our chances are looking real good. Split would be okay, but pointless in the long run.
It doesnt matter if Yao is rested or not. I am sure Steve, Cat and Eddie will have plenty of energy to continue to chuck up those long jumpers.
Just because you're pissed about last night's game, doesn't mean it doesn't matter. Like I said, I haven't watched the game, but from everything I read, it seems Griffin was wide open all night, but just couldn't score. Francis is taking the right amount of shots and making the right amount of shots. We can hope for more, but the fact of the matter is, he made 11 of 21 shots last night with 6 assists. It will matter if Yao is rested or not. HE said he's tired. There's nothing you can say to dispute that Yao Ming is tired, and has been tired for a while now, and isn't playing 100%, no matter how good he's been in the past couple of games. There are about 7 venting threads on the board right now, you can vent over there. Of course, it's your personal right to vent over here, too, but it would be nice if we stuck to the topic, which is FUTURE Rockets games and not whether or not your'e pissed about yesterday's game.
That's why losing to teams that Rox should've beaten hurts. If they had won those games, then the Rox wouldn't be in the position that they are at. Oh well. At least the 9th place Rox will finish with a better record than Golden State and Seattle.
Whoa! The point of this thread isn't to be fatalistic. The point is that the schedule puts our fate in our own hands. We don't have to hope somebody else beats these teams. We can beat them. Let's go do it.
I wouldn't be surprised if the Rockets had a winning record in those games you pointed out. But it doesn't matter. The Rockets will miss the playoffs because they can't beat sub-500 teams. It is that simple.
IF WE LOSE TO THE CAVS... OUR SEASON IS OVER. God. For real. I'm serious. Dead serious. Well I'm not serious. Cuz I'm never that serious. But really. If the Lakers win again.....and they HAVE BEEN WINNING...like old times. And if the Rockets play like old times......like how they played 4 games ago... We will be losin again. God. We look terrible. If we lose tonight, that means Lakers will be one game away. That means we will HAVE TO BEAT UTAH TWICE. Or we will be out. Really. We have no chance. Minnesota is gonna make the playoffs. Lakers are back. Utah ain't gonna quit. WE ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT. Jesus. We should go to the Eastern Conference.
