ClutchCity.net Game Thread: Rockets @ Suns 2/19/2003

Someone told me that Ming can make more than 20M/year in next contract. is that true? TAX rate in TX, any information?

 

I am NOT falling for this again. This team has disappointed me too many times this season to believe that they can play consistently.

Yao still had only 8 shot attempts
Griffin and Posey still didn't shoot well
Mobley couldn't hit anything outside
Francis was non existent
Mobley and Moochie didn't even ATTEMPT to break Phoenix's press in the fourth quarter. On two straight possessions, they failed to even get it across halfcourt...That kind of execution against a press would make Tierre Brown proud

Let's face it, if Rice doesn't hit all those threes, we probably lose this game...too much reliance on the outside shot.

As Tom would say in those Tom and Jerry cartoons..."DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT!"

 

I agree with you. What's the probability of Rice making like 100s of threes and scoring 20 pts?

Seems like a fluke. Norris is also not supposed to be that good

But strangely lately I've got a feeling Rockets can make it to playoff (although our current situation really sux).

 

Suns make wrong statement

The Arizona Republic
Feb. 20, 2003 12:00 AM

If this was the reality version of the Suns, then these millionaires will not be chosen to participate in the 2003 playoffs. More likely their dreams will be canceled before the end of the season.


This was a pathetic performance by the home team. More importantly, this was a game with tremendous implications that only pumped confidence into the team that figures to battle Phoenix for the final playoff spot.

Check the NBA standings and match the Suns' record against Houston's. Look over there at the loss column. Only one game separates your Phoenix Suns and those Houston Rockets.

It doesn't matter that they're currently seventh and eighth in the West, respectively. Everyone knows the Lakers will eventually take over that seventh spot.

"A lot of people around here are talking about the playoffs," guard Randy Brown said. "We're going to have to look at each other. We can't blame each other or our coaches. We've got to do something to regain the confidence and aggressiveness we showed in the first half of the season."

Forget the dream matchup of Yao vs. Amare.

This night was about so much more than the hoopla surrounding the battle of the NBA's prized rookies. By the way, neither played a significant role. Each showed signs of the usual sluggishness associated with rookies entering the final quarter of their first season.

This night represented opportunity for the Suns, the kind this franchise hasn't been in position to snag in some time.

Instead, Wednesday night exposed the obvious gap that still exists between where the Suns are and where they still need to go to reach what they want.

"I think we came in a little lackadaisical, knowing they were on a back-to-back," guard Joe Johnson said. "We felt we had an advantage. I think we just came out a little soft."

Houston's 107-89 victory represented the worst in the Suns, a team that is obviously still searching to discover who it is. Given what was on the line, this was the Suns' worst game of the season.

"They were the aggressor," coach Frank Johnson said. "We didn't seem to have energy. Unexplainable."

The Suns had everything working in their favor. Where, oh, where was Shawn Marion, who scored 23 of his 24 points in the second half, once the Suns were basically out of range.

His second-half points were the equivalent of the three-run homer in the eighth-inning of a 9-1 game. They might look impressive in the box score, but anyone who watched the game knows they were nothing but hollow.

The Rockets had just played a double-overtime thriller against the Lakers, one that concluded just 19 hours earlier. The Suns' last game was Sunday night, and rested bodies were definitely on their side.

Phoenix came out blazing early, and the Rockets had the look of a team fully prepared to accept a second loss in as many days, one ready to hop on their charter back to the Lone Star State and unwilling to put up much of a fight.

"In the first quarter, they were ready to go home," Marion said. "Their look said it all."

The Suns were out-rebounded 12-10 in the first quarter before it got really ugly. Houston wound up with 57 rebounds to the Suns' 32.

"We're not doing what it takes to get to the playoffs," Brown said.

And that's where reality and imagination separate themselves.


Reach Gomez at pedro.gomez@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-2364.

 

Not with the current labor agreement. The max is roughly 20% of the salary cap I believe with a 15%? increase each year. However, I believe Yao's contract expires after the current agreement expires, so who knows. I highly doubt the max contract will be increased though.

Some players signed their contracts before the current agreement and are grandfathered meaning the current max does not apply to them as long as they stay on the same team and they are eligible for a 15% increase above their current salary. Those players are Shaq, Kobe, and Garnett and some of the old guys like Karl Malone.

 

Also, there are no state income taxes in Texas. However, we might need one after Bush and Perry finish screwing things up.

 

I didn't think they would blow out the Suns, but I did predict they would win...

As for Dallas, I just hope we don't lose by more then 15...

For some reason, we don't bring it against the big D...

 

I don't think I can handle another blowout to the Mavs. Yao usually plays well against them too. I think defense, especially guarding the 3, will be the key.

 

well guys.....at least it's a BALANCED attack, which we totally lack of. SF just can't score though. But if we can get the W, who cares?

 

is about $7 for a bag of 25 pounds. And it is imported from Thailand.

 

You're right, it wasn't pretty tonight.

 

Usually SF brings a lot of lip about how Dallas can't play *insert excuse here* after they lose to Dallas.

 

I hate when peopel say "If such and suach doesn't play well we lose", well Glen Rice IS part of the team, so if he plays well it's good. It isn't any different then if anybody else stepped up. The mark of a good team is when others step up when your star players are struggling. Francis was non-existent, Rice steps up. Yao probably doesn't get a lot od touches because he is was tired, he was playing in his 2nd game in as many nights and was getting hammered. Mobley wasn't shooting well from the outside so he dishes off 7 assists. Moochie and Mobley didn't break a press, the Rockets were up 20 to 25 points, I think that was more of a fact of the team getting complacent in a game that was over then anything. People are ripping on the team on a night they blowout a good team on the road, what about the positives? They slaughtered the SUns on the glass. Mobley comes out of his slump AND passes the ball unbelievably well. Francis is hurt and having an offnight and Yao is tired, so what happens? The bench comes to play! Our stars struggle, others step up. Rice helps carry the team, Eddie completely outplays Amare, Mo comes off the bench and contributes, the 2nd unit won this game for the Rockets. If the Rockets don't hit all of those 3s they still win because they just completely decimated the Suns on the glass.

 

Yep, I was impressed with Mobley being more aggresive by driving to the bucket and producing more opportunities for his teammates, especially since his shooting has been off lately. He wasn't just settling for the ouside shot.

 

Actually, if the Rockets don't hit all those threes, the Suns get long rebounds, which lead to easy fast break opportunities...Sound familiar?

Eddie completely outplayed Amare? Amare had one less point on seven less shot attempts! Griffin didn't show any aggression last night, evident in his ZERO free throw attempts.

I've never been impressed with a big rebounding advantage. Getting a bunch of offensive rebounds means that you're missing lots of shots, and getting defensive rebounds means that you're keeping the other team from getting offensive rebounds, which is what you're supposed to do anyways.

The Rockets were bailed out by Glen Rice last night, but I wouldn't look at this game as indicative of how good or bad we are. This team can NOT continue to rely on outside shooting to consistently get victories. The Rockets will show its true colors on Friday against the Mavs...

 

wow, I think I had the closest guess on the score.

 

I agree but I think we had no other option but to shoot jumpers since they triple teamed Yao. We just need to make sure that everyone remembers to give the ball to Yao before we fire up jumpers.

What scares me about the game is Eddie. Albeit, he made 2 3 pointers and Yao couldnt get the ball, but I dont want to see Eddie shooting so many long jumpers. We need him to play inside. We have plenty of other outside shooters as is.

 

People can say they only won because of jump shots, or this or that, but the fact of that matter is is that after losing a tough, overtime game or national TV, having to go on the road against a winning team, playoff team, following behind big early, with their All-Star PG hurt and not able to contribute, with their All-World Rookie tired and barely able to contribute offensively, everything stacked against them and this team got off the mat and fought back. I don't care how they did it but they did it. And that all I want. You can say they got hot shooting, or you can say players sucked last night, but the Rockets showed heart and effort and that's all I'm asking for. Houston had no business winning that game last night and they did, and that's the bottomline. Good teams find ways to win games like this. If anybody had told you before this game that Francis would only have 5 points, Yao 12 points, and Mobley 15 points everybody would have counted this as a double digit loss or even a blow. Instead the Rockets blew out a well rested Suns team on their homecourt. As badly as the Rockets have played you have to give them their due.

 

A win is a win is a win. It doesn't matter how you win, even if we have to rely on our bench players or someone's 3 pts falling, as long as we can consistently relying on them. Ah, there is the rub.

 

Does anyone know the status of Francis' back injury? I hope it's nothing serious.