ClutchCity.net Game Thread: Blazers @ Rockets 4/8/2003

A 25-point second half in a must-win home game fighting for the playoffs.

Please, just shoot us now.

 

I salute your positive outlook! I think we all need to believe that tonight's game will be the last time the team has an off-night before coming on strong in all the remaining games! They just had to get that last bad game out of their system!

 

Look at the bright side guys: the players were obviously saving themselves for tomorrow night in Utah.

 

The Rockets can NOT afford to lose another game. We better come out like a team with a fire under our asses, because another loss just about seals our fate. Maybe we should just sport the old school red and gold and just let the league fine us, Les take the hit to the pocketbook in order to get us in the playoffs.

 

Cant' win many ball games when Francis and Yao combine to shoot 7-33!!!


And they weren't the only ones that stunk up the place. Taylor, 3-11; Mobley, 3-11; Griffin, 3-7; Norris, 1-4; Cato, 0-3

What's scary is that I predicted this loss in my predictions for the Suns in their final 10 games and Rox in their final nine games...


PHX

@ IND L (check)
DEN W (check)
MIN W (check)
@ LAL L (check)
@ DEN W (will be check)
DAL L
GS W
SA L
@ POR L
@ SEA L


HOU

@ NJ L (check)
@ MIL W (L)
@ PHI L (W)
ORL W (check)
POR L (check)
@ UTA L
SEA W
MEM W
@ DEN W


So far I've been right on with my predictions, just flip-flop the outcome of the @ MIL and @ PHI games. I was hoping the Rox would prove me wrong by coming up with a big win in games I predicted they'd lose. But, I know this team to well -- how the play and such -- so for the most part they've followed suit.


The good news in all this is that if my predictions continue to hold the Rox will make the playoffs with a 43-39 record; the Suns would be 42-40. Hopefully I'm right (but wrong in the losses I have for HOU).


Really bad loss tonight....not just the loss, but how we (the Rockets) loss. IN a playoff-type game, no one really showed up after the second-half. Posey and most of the front-court that played so well in the first-half (particularly in the first quarter), just vanished in the second.

I'm out...need to get my mind off the really bad showing by the team.



BTW -- burn those damn PJs they call uniforms!!!!!!

 

Look on the bright side, we dont have San Antonio, Dallas, and Portland to look forward to

 

In anyone's wondering, the Suns are up by 10 with 6:42 left to play.

 

Yeah, see my sig.

 

You know it. Yao's just working on the proper pronunciation and voice inflection of "Put me in the damn game, Larry!"

 

except in the playoffs

 

I just can't understand how the rockets got 20+ offensive rebounds, but missed so many easy lay ups and putbacks. I also see why they say Woods has no idea on defense. He's the reason why Posey had his lil offensive explosion in the fist half.

 

Does anyone think the Eddie situation had any effect on tonight's flat performance? As we all know, this team is young and has a pretty fragile psyche and they also came out flat in their first game after Rudy T took leave for his medical treatment. Lack of focus and inability to concentrate under duress is pretty typical of young teams.

 

UGLY, UGLY Loss.

I can't believe we only got 25 points on the second half. When Rasheed is 1/6, you should really have a chance. But how can you win with FG% 29.5%!!!Everybody is horrible in the game:

Yao 2-13
MoTay 3-11
Cat 3-12
SF 5-20

How can this be the performance of a PLAYOFF team?

 

nobody wins when a team combines for 66 pts..... guess what, phoenix not worrying about the rox anymore

real concern wouyld be seatle, assuming rox and sonics win their last remaining games, we lose to the sonics via the tie breaker......damn, now its becomes a lot more complicated.........

 

The Rockets must win tomorrow. If they win tomorrow they will win the rest of their games and tie the Phoenix Suns, which means they make the playoffs.. just a gut feeling.. but they must win tomorrow.

 

THat's it....no more posts in the game thread!!!....unless i am first

ROckets....Disapointing...

 

Yes, we stunk it up tonight.

1.Where is our creativity on offense?

2. Where is the ball movement? Why do our guards dribble the ball so dam much?

3. Yao should have been more aggressive. I am wondering if Yao is fatigued because a couple of those missed shots were lay-ups. Where is the dunk? Perhaps, at 7 ft 5, the rigors of the NBA schedule and physical play is catching up to him.

There is still hope, we played decent defense winning the battle of the boards. This proves this team can still play horrible and stay in the game even against the most formidable of opponents. I still have Yao for ROY.

 

Does anyone know what the Rox had to say for themselves after the Game?

 

HOUSTON (AP) -- The Portland Trail Blazers just watched the Houston Rockets self-destruct.

Damon Stoudamire scored 21 points for Portland, and the Rockets tied a franchise low by shooting just 29.5 percent in the Trail Blazers' 81-66 victory Tuesday night.

``We tried to stay in front of them and make them shoot tough shots,'' Stoudamire said. ``I was playing Steve (Francis) and he's a great scorer. He likes to get to the hole. Tonight, I tried to shut that down and made them shoot from long range and they missed a lot of shots they normally make.''

The point total was a season-low for Houston, and tied the franchise low set Dec. 21, 1996 against Miami.

The Rockets went without a field goal for 8:29, a span that started late in the third quarter and continued until 8:25 remained in the game. Houston shot just 3-for-24 in the third period.

``I think our defense did well but our offense was chaotic at times,'' Houston's Yao Ming said. ``It wasn't one person not shooting well. It was everyone. It was contagious. Help me find another excuse.''

Bonzi Wells added 17 points for Portland, and Arvydas Sabonis came off the bench to score 11. James Posey led the Rockets with 15 points, all in the first half.

Houston was leading 38-32 with 5:12 left in the second quarter when their shooting woes began.

``We did a good job with our defense,'' Portland's Dale Davis said. ``I thought we stepped up our defense in the third quarter. We forced them to do other things than what they normally do. They have players that can put up big numbers but they didn't do that tonight.''

Francis had 12 points for Houston, and Cuttino Mobley scored just eight. They were a combined 3-for-32 from the field. Yao had six points and 12 rebounds. He shot 1-for-13.

``We were having 6-, 8-footers that weren't going in,'' guard Glen Rice said. ``Sometimes, the shots just don't fall. It was a domino effect. This will be easy to shake off. We have a tough opponent tomorrow night.

``I'm sure we'll go up to Utah and the shots that didn't fall tonight will be falling tomorrow night.''

Maurice Taylor started for the Rockets in place of Eddie Griffin, who was charged Monday with mar1juana possession before being released on $500 bond. Griffin played 22 minutes and scored seven points.

Posey had 11 points in the first quarter as Houston took and early lead but Portland went on a 12-2 run over the final 5:12 of the second quarter for their halftime advantage. Wells scored eight points during the spurt.

``Damon was good tonight,'' Portland coach Maurice Cheeks said. ``We played him off the ball tonight and he did some things well. Being off the ballallowed him to do more scoring. He helped us open up a lead.''

Notes

Ruben Patterson did not make the trip with Portland. He is recovering from a broken left eye socket after being punched by teammate Zach Randolph during practice. ... Of the six players Portland sent to Houston in 1999 forScottie Pippen, only Kelvin Cato is still with the team.

 

A really disappointing effort tonight.