Try watching the game. The DEFENSE was great. We didn't REBOUND. The announcers mentioned that the Lakers were getting easy layups, but that wasn't the case. We held them under 40% from the field. We lost this game for 3 reasons. 1. Turnovers 2. Rebounds 3. FT disparity. If we want to get to the stripe, we have to attack the basket. Mike
The Rockets defense was pretty damn good. If we did not give them two or three chances to score every time down, we would have probably won. Our defensive rebounding was horrendous. We really need kato back.
I never thought I would say it, not to be mean, but Cato is sorely needed in some of these games....we are getting killed...we did play good d consistently...and we just lost it in the areas discussed....
I guess the difference between them were obvious. There are players who are good support players, and there are players as main focus in their own team, but failed to lift his team and selected to quit and jump on other wagon to catch up his last train. I guess you misunderstood my point. I disrespect him not because he didn't win. Didn't I just say that I respect Stockton?
I was really uncomfortable when they talked about the game as if the Lakers already had it in the pocket, even if for most of the time, they were just up for a point or two. They kept talking about how serious the Lakers are now and how great they are that they almost have home court advantage for sure. As announcers you can favour them in your opinion, but it's plain wrong to disrespect other teams like Spurs, Kings, and Wolves, as long as they all have similar impressive record. Honestly, I just don't see them winning this year, not with those two future HOFs, but bandwagon jumper.
My take is that the TNT gang is getting too full of themselves. Somehow they think THEY are the show rather than the game(s). It's really getting old and unfunny......... D R
But isn't that so everywhere? The refs, league office, GMs, even many players and coaches they all think everything is about them, instead of the game. I guess that's just "modern society" mentality.
Try watching the game? Take your own advice. Our overall shot defense was decent enough to win the game, but to call it "great" is far from accurate. Defense is more than just holding your opponent under 40%. As you already pointed out we didn't rebound. The glaring stat is that we allowed them to pull down 18 offensive rebounds. That is ****ty defensive rebounding on our part, which could have turned into a few additional and possibly winning baskets on the other end. The only other defensive aspect I wasn't pleased with was that Payton and Kobe were getting poorly defended layups. How many times did Payton go baseline for a quick up and in?? I recall at least 2 or 3 times he made baskets himself and another time or two a teammate got an offensive rebound for a put back and/or foul, but if you watched the game, you already know that. The #1 reason we lost the game was the free throw disparity, no contest. The Lakers took 42 freebies to our 16. You're probably going to loss any game when your opponent takes almost 30 more trips to the charity stripe than you do. Turnovers(not that they didn't hurt us) weren't anywhere near as important as the free throw disparity, as the Lakers turned it over 21 times to our 17. You can make an argument for rebounding since we were outrebounded by 23, but if you "watched the game" you might have noticed that the disparity there was mostly in allowing the oppenent second chance baskets, hence not doing a good job defensively. It's things like this that make me say that our defense is overrated. As I recall, Barkley took his team to the Finals and almost did a couple other times. I don't recall him demanding a trade(quitting) out of Phoenix. I didn't misunderstand you. maybe it's the Barkley fan in me, but I just think you were off base. Both Barkley and Drexler wanted a chance to win and were given that chance with another team. Neither player "jumped ship" as a Malone/Payton did.
Yea, it made me laugh when Kenny started saying Yao plays like a guard and likes to face the basket. Uh Kenny, watch many games? The only time I've seen Yao turn and face his defender is against Shaq so to be able use his quickness against him. Collins saying we struggled against the Wolves was funny too. Yea two blowout wins and a loss in the final seconds of a back to back., a REAL struggle! I strongly believe that these jokers don't watch any Rockets games. They ALL kept saying Shaq is playing a great game and taking the challenge of taking Yao one-on-one. They said he was forcing Yao to shoot outside his range. 1. I saw Yao shoot the same shots last night as any other game and they just weren't falling. 2. Some on-on-one defense by Shaq. Every time Yao got in the middle the whole defense collapsed. Even Payton admitted that at the half. 3. 18 pts and 8 rebs is hardly a great game, especially when most of his production came when Yao was on the bench. And, finally to Mr. Collins. When you talk about a player (Shaq) having a great 1st half, make sure he has alot more than 10 pts and 1 reb.
was it marv that i was hearing last night??? can he stop screaming?!?! he annoys the hell out of me.. and they kept replaying the highlight when kobe used his body for contact to keep yao off balance.. they made it like it was perfectly and thought out executed.. and the replays of kobe dunking over yao last year... while they are at it.. they should replay how marv bit the prostitute in the back with teeth marks all over her haha oh man i think im trippin
the commentary wasn't the only thing that sucked...what about the camera work? Who chose those angles? They kept switching from one to another I couldn't even tell what was going on at times. And they need to get rid of the damn score at the bottom of the screen...I could care less about how many point Darius Songaila scored in the earlier game.
Yeah i love oh TNT trys to get people to like them before the playoffs then runs the dumb angles all the time in the playoffs. Its like how NBC tryed out the camera on a string that ran the lengh of the court, a few years back.
The only thing i have to say on this note is that every game that they do against the lakers no matter how good we play the talk about the lakers more. It's a simple fact. The Christmas day game we beat them and they still managed to talk only about the Lakers. They really do that alot.
I hated the dude that did PBP...he would start screaming at normal stuff... "Cuttino with a fadeaway away jumper....GOOD!" "AHHHHHHHHH AHHHHHHHHHH OMG R0x0rz my b0x0rz!!!"
At one point they noted how Houston played poorly against the West, but supported it with Houston record against the Lakers 2-1 and the Wolves 2-2. Foot in mouth.
I couldn't believe it when Collins said that we have struggled against the T-Wolves. Maybe we didn't sweep them, but struggle against them?
