Appreciate your optimism. Why don't you just go to a Laker forum if you just can't wait to see the Lakers play?
Adelman complained 3 games too late. If it was Phil Jackson, he would whine to the media after the games 1 loss! Anyway, I can see T-mac and Scola dominate game 5 and bring the series back to the Salt Lake City!
Yeah...and Kenny Smith was playing with Basketball Jesus, er, Allah, too. Put Kenny Smith on this team without Yao Ming and he would play like he did in Sacramento. Next.
One difference is that 14 years ago the refs let it go on both sides. In this series however, if any Rocket player so much as breathes on Deron, AK, Boozer, Okur, etc - they are whistled immediately.....even for offensive fouls!
You mean when Kenny Smith averaged 17.3 points per game and 7.7 assists?? Yeah check your stats.. why did you think we traded for him? he was putting up luther head numbers? nope.
You think you can win a Kenny Smith war with me? Bring it! Paper: HOUSTON CHRONICLE Date: TUE 05/31/1994 Section: Sports Page: 2 Edition: 2 STAR FIRE AT WILL/Rockets' Smith making Jazz pay for leaving him open By JODY GOLDSTEIN Staff The way John Stockton plays defense, Kenny Smith knew he should have a big series against the Jazz. The Utah point guard is constantly leaving Smith open, opting instead to roam and help the big guys inside on Hakeem Olajuwon. The result -- a lot of open shots from the perimeter. "He plays the passing lanes great, and his job is to cause havoc on the defensive end," Smith said. "He gambles a lot on the defensive end. In gambling, the house doesn't always win." It didn't win Sunday. Smith had 25 points on 8-of-15 shooting, his second-highest scoring total of the playoffs. In the first game of the series, Smith connected on nine of 14 shots for 27 points. "Game 1, I got a lot of open looks," Smith said. "Game 2, they started to rotate to me a little quicker and I was still able to get some good looks at the basket and shoot a good percentage. Game 3, I thought they kept rotating a lot to our perimeter people. I just made concerted efforts (in Game 4) to take the shot a little quicker, and it opened things up early and I was able to get into the lane and do some other things." Games 2 and 3 were less impressive for Smith. He scored 10 points in Game 2 but took only five shots. In Game 3, he was only 1-for-5 with four points. He took only one shot from 3-point range, which he made. "It's very important that he continues to shoot," Otis Thorpe said. "He's one of our best outside shooters. He's got such composure out there. With Stockton roaming like he's roaming, it definitely opens things on the outside. Kenny sees what he's doing. He just has to take the shots. His shot was on in the game before (Game 3); he just didn't take many shots." The goal coming into Game 4 was to get the ball to Smith. "We know the key for Kenny is to be aggressive," Vernon Maxwell said. "John Stockton likes to gamble a lot, go for the steal. We have an offense called Carolina. We call that when he (Stockton) is down in the paint. It means get the ball to Kenny because he's open." The Rockets have lived and died by the 3-pointer this season. They've been a part of several playoff records, including the most 3-pointers made by two teams (Phoenix 12, Houston 10 on May 11) and the most 3-pointers attempted (28 against Phoenix on May 11). Smith has shot 50 percent from 3-point range in the playoffs (30 of 60). His total field-goal percentage is 47 percent. "He (Stockton) always seems to be around Dream, and Kenny's just out there floating by himself," Mario Elie said. "We did a good job of getting it out to him early. When he can do that, it opens things inside.' Smith has been sharing time with Sam Cassell most of the season. Smith has been the starter, Cassell the closer. But lately, the two have seen more time on the court together because Smith has been too hot to sit. Smith played 37 minutes Sunday afternoon, 41 in Game 1. He played only 23 minutes in Game 3 when he struggled offensively. "With me and Kenny on the court, you've got two good ball-handlers out there," Cassell said. "Either one of us can run the ball up the court and put us in our offense. We become a quicker team. Kenny is a great spot-up shooter. I tend to go to the side. I think my penetration helps us get easy shots." With Olajuwon sure to be the focus again tonight, Smith is preparing himself to again step up. He's confident about his shot. The key is simply to take it when afforded the opportunity. "The biggest thing I have to do is just be aggressive on the court," Smith said. "I just made a concerted effort to look for the shot a little more because it opens up when we spread the floor that way. The guys keep telling me to take shots because it opens things for everybody that way."
Good god that is insane. And Stockton STILL left him wide open? Talk about no respect for the Jet. I'm not going to gripe about our players "lack of offense" in this series compared to last year. (Well, except we miss alot of FTs) These guys are playing above their heads without their stud center and to lose barely by 4 at Energy Solutions? That's tough! But seriously, this is getting out of hand. Carl Landry's hack in the paint by boozer, the millions of slaps to Luis then HE gets a looseball foul, the manhandling of Tmac is just atrocious. I'm a big RA fan but why the heck did it take till game 5, with us being down 3-1, to complain about the officiating??? JVG would've at least stuck it to the officials early, get his fine, get the team fired up and go from there. For Rick to speak up now...I'm afraid it may be too late. Come on Rockets. I hate watching you guys get bullied around by a bunch of douchebag Jazz guys. Like RA said, just make harder cuts and make it even more evident they are fouling hard. I have a feeling Mike Harris will play more just to cut to the paint and bang with these scrubs.
Because the Rockets only have to win one more game in Utah while holding serve at home in order to win this series. Hell, I almost wish Rick had waited til before Game 6 to complain about the refs. But with the Rockets in a must win situation tomorrow, I can't blame the guy for doing it now.
As I've said in the past, I can't really blame T-Mac for not driving to the basket much against Utah. What's the point if he's going to get hacked on the arms and lose the ball every time? However, until the refs start calling fouls more fairly, we need to adjust and start playing like they do. Head and Harris should be out there fouling hard and sending a message to Utah.
I have to agree. If it was Kobe or Wade Utah would lose AK very quickly. Refs are just not going to call ANYTHING for T-Mac......
I am beginning to really worry about Tracy's Conditioning This exhaustion you speak of. . is this why once he finally gets the ball he stops. . . .to get his breath? Rocket river
tmac only 8 because lebron takes it to the hole a lot more than him. have you been watching the games?
Kobe and Wade demand respect and play till the last minute on both sides of the floor TMac doesn't. You know if Kobe was harrassed the same way Tmac has been so far this series, what he would have done? he would have complained about every shot and come out and dropped a 50 point game on the Jazz and humiliated them and demanded respect from the ref's. Tmac will smile and dissapera and then call out his teammates in the media.
I have and yes LeBron has been driving more but you can't say Tracy hasn't. McGrady has been also pretty agressive and I'm sure if LeBron had played in that series he wouldn't have gone 13 times to the line per game. Look which calls LeBron is getting and than look at one of those games Rockets-Jazz.
The problem is Jazz have no self control. One guy is incredibly ugly and flops for living, yet at the same time hacks the crap outta people (Okur). You get another who does steroids and hacks the crap outta people, then screams at the ref and threatens to kill him (Boozer). Then you have a guy who names himself after a powerful machine gun when he is only close to water gun cause he plays like one (Kirlenko). Then of course. you have a coach who can't play on road but can at home, wonder why? Yet at the same time, you have referees that allow home teams to hack road teams without consequence (Jazz). I wonder if sloan's record is related to the homecourt refereeing?
LeBron keeps attacking the basket, no matter what...and he actually takes shots in the 4th quarter. T-Mac shoots way more jumpers, and stops shooting in the 4th quarter.
