ClutchCity.net Game Thread: Jazz @ Rockets 2/11/2003

Dude, the Jazz have STOCKTON AND MALONE. It doesn't matter who coaches their team, because Stockton and Malone will make all the right decisions on the floor - they're on-the-court coaches basically. Take Stockton and Malone out, and you have nothing left. Rudy wasn't outcoached - he was outplayed by Stockton and Malone.

 

there is no way we miss the playoffs, once rice comes back, we--oh, hold up...yeah, pass some MORE of that over here...gurgle, gurgle, gurgle, hhhssssss...now, where was i?

 

Painful... painful.

Only upside is that the Rox are finally trying to get the ball inside. Also Yao seems a lot more confident after the All-Star break. Maybe rubbing shoulders with the best really boosted him and elevated him even more in the eyes of his teammates.

But we're not playoff bound this year. Sigh...

 

For all these rox only lost by 2 points shouldn't we all be happy now?

 

Just a couple observations from the game:

Steve played his ass off. I was sitting right down on the floor and I watched him get elbowed, hip checked and pushed having to run through pick after pick after pick on the defentsive end. If that guy doesn't have ice bags all over him tonight, I would be SHOCKED. Also, he was absolutely being manhandled on the defensive end. I remember one basket where every Jazz player got a shot in on him before he actually got the shot off - no foul.

Yao was getting killed. He had a terrific game but boy that guy was getting smacked around out there. When he puts on a few pounds, maybe he can dish it back out. He actually looked pissed a couple of times.

I hate Karl Malone but that guy is a beast. I mean, just about every freakin' shot he took he had a guy on him or a hand in his face. He even took shots to the head and still hit shots. And he's freakin' OLD! I can't stand the guy but there is no denying how physically gifted and athletically talented he is. Unreal.

 

I want to see Yao pissed more often. There's no telling how dominant he can be if he just plays with a mean streak.

 

That's why we need a POWER forward

 

Malone seems always to be able to get to the free throw line
when He wanted. But Yao and Steve got samcked a couple of times, Refs did not even bother to call it.

 

Why Malone was not fouled when he got ball from inbounding the last utah play? Why game them even a change to shoot 3?
Why there wasnt even time to get the shot up Rox play in the overtime. There was 14 seconds on the clock. I CANNOT believe they even didnt have time to get shot up.

Execution or Rudy?

 

Frankly, the refs did not have control of this one. There were bad and blown calls on both sides.

There was one play where Cato literally hit Malone on the side of the head and caught him partially in the eye. I was sitting like 15 feet from it. Malone looked at the ref and said, "WTF???" and no call. I mean, Cato popped him pretty good and nothing. Even I saw that, though I smiled a bit because it was Karla.

It was right after that that Malone got the foul on Cato and they got into the scuffle. I kept thinking there was going to be a fight because it was really touchy all night.

 

Steve's and Cat's long stocking were gay..., what statement were they tring to make?? no wonder we lost!!! be a basketball player, not a model.

 

A beast??? A gay beast maybe.

I forgot how much I hated the Jazz. Every time someobody touches him, he b****es and moans and beg for the refs to call the foul. He'll cry until he gets his way. He's so big and strong but plays like a little p***y. I can't believe I'm going to say this but I hate Matt Harpring more than Stockton and Malone combined now. If I was courtside watching, I would have ran out on the court to kick his a$$.

The refs were horrible tonight!!!

 

They beat us, experience or dirty play, they beat us. The game was well in our hand when there was only 3.5 seconds left. The game was in our hand when there was 14 seconds left. We got beaten, period.

 

Steve wasn't wearing long stockings. He was wearing a leg sleeve on one leg that is designed to help alleviate tendonitis in his knee. It is similar to what Allen Iverson wears on his arm.

 

In spite of a very dubious first half by the Rockets, and an even more dubious game by the Refs, the Rockets had a 9 point lead with only 8 minutes in the game, and then a 3 point lead with 3.5 seconds.

This loss belongs ENTIRELY on the head (pardon the pun) of Rudy!!!

That Rudy (who's only real expertise as a coach has been an ability to inspire teams to play defese) could not find enough stops (including a failure to guard Harpring, who threw the ball in bounds) should be all the evidence Les needs in order to finally recognize that Rudy is clueless, and can MAYBE be of some use as a personnel guy upstairs.

Bring in a new coach and we could still MAYBE make the playoffs!!!

It cannot get any worse than a close loss to the Jazz following an embarrassing loss to the Cav's before the All Star break!!!

 

What did I say??

 

Exactly what was I thinking during that timeout. Cant believe Francis tried to blow by in a situation like that without any screening. Should have Ming handled the ball at high post looking for cutters or hit open jumper, I bet Utah didnt prepare for that. Well, Well, too late. Man, Cat should've taken that 3 right away, sigh.

 

You know, that last play looked seriously broken. It appeared to me that a couple of guys didn't go where they were supposed to go. Francis waved wildly at TMo to get out of the left corner and Yao looked really confused like he wasn't sure where he was supposed to be. The clock ran down and Francis went to the bucket trying to make something happen.

The whole play looked like some type of miscommunication. It almost looked like Steve was the only one on the floor who understood the play but, when no one set up correctly and the clock was running down, he tried to make something happen.

 

Well, if that's the case, the coach should be blamed.