ClutchCity.net Game Thread: Rockets @ Jazz 2/12/2003

The highlight of the game was seeing Malone get jacked in the nose again...TWO nights in a row. Blood!

One of the dirtiest players in the league finally gets popped...by his own players so he can't retaliate!! I LOVE IT !!

 

It was wonderful to see the guys not getting down on themselves after last night's defeat.Francis put the team on his shoulders and played aggressively from the start and our defense and rebounding was better too. This should be a morale booster for us.The Jazz were in a back to back game and missed Malone but they were getting outplayed even when he was around. I'm really glad to see Taylor playing with some consistancy he and Posey took the pressure of Yao to score. If we get good contribution from the frontcourt it's going to make it easier for the backcourt. Hopefully Mobley will get out of his slump soon although it's hard for him when the other guys are scoring but he still has a very important role and can bounce back.I think a veteran like
Rice needs to encourage him and tell him how he can put things together when he gets back.Sometimes players "get it" from veteran players because they can show them what to do more than from coaches.
I hope but also dread to see us take the Heat lightly.Keep on working hard,play smart and good things will happen.
Go Rockets!

 

That's a good thing, really good thing. Look at how many fastbreak points he's been producing the last few games. There are no reasons for having a PG crowding underneath the basket contending with your big men to clash the board.

 

On a lighter note I hope ZRB won't pack up his bags to go to Australia.

 

LOL!!

I think ZRB has packed his stuff and made a reservation for Australia. He is already at the airport when ESPN Sportscenter broadcasts Jazz-Rockets score.

 

That's a good point.

 

He's definately due props but I will never like him.He seems like hes real nice too when he interviews but I just can't make myself ever like him. And then theres SHAQ-POO-POO, give him the ball and watch him dunk and yell, man I would love to spit on him, and then run like hell

 

First game I've been to at the Delta Center since the last time the Rockets won there... Great game!

Remember that one, Clutch?

 

First of all, congratulations to Rox.
Next, I find it really weird and amusing. Look at this stats:

John Stockton 1 Assist.
Karl Malone+Matt Harpring 23 Points.



What happened?

 

My roommate taped tonight's Sportscenter and I am going to save it for the days I feel frustrated. Seeing Malone take some of his medicine is priceless.

 

Was I the only one that thought Cat had a pretty good game. I am not talking about numbers here because the his numbers were pretty bad. I mean he was all over over Harpring, and played real physical with everyone else. He also did a good job passing the ball to open guys and totally played within the game.

 

well, these two games proved we're better than Utah.. now if we can only start playing like it all the time..

 

And if we win, we get the tie-breaker!!! (to go with a lot of confidence).

Has anyone noticed that we've scored over 100 pts in 5 of our last 6 games? Three of which were wins against top tier teams? I kinda like those numbers, despite the 3 terrible losses squeezed in between...

Also, no one's really mentioned him very much today since we won, but I kinda like what I've been seeing from Cat. Many fewer attempts, good defense, and from what I understand, his shots (also makes sense since the attempts are becoming limited) are coming more within the flow of the offense. You can't hate him just cuz he's a little cold right now. He's streaky, I'll give you, but his hot streaks are longer than his cold ones, and he's due for some heat real soon. Oh, and he's continued to rebound pretty well for a 6-4 SG .

 

I don't post much, but had to after a HUGE-HUGE win in Utah...

Yao and Francis are really starting to develop a great repoir with each other ON THE COURT! Never thought I'd say this, but the days of this offense being about Francis and Mobley may be over...hopefully! *lol* And even though it's just been two games, but Mobley has slowly but surely become a third-option in what should be a Yao-Francis offense. I always hear NBA GMs talk about the two most improtant posistions on a team being the center and point guard. You could make an argument that the Rox have the second best center in the NBA (behind Shaq) in Yao and the second best point' in the NBA (behind Kidd). In two years they may be the best.

Right now they are probably a poor man's Kobe-Shaq, but it's scary to think how good they can be as a tandem. We're starting to see! This is how it should be. Work inside-outside with the Dynasty-Franchise. When Yao sits, Francis takes over. When Francis sits, Yao is the man. When they are on the court together, they feed of each other. Houston had too many players thinking they were superstars (ie Mobley, MoT @ times, and KT -but he's gone now); now they, seemingly, are accepting their roles and giving way to the ontwo superstar/perennial All-Star-type players on the Rockets in Francis-Yao.

Just hopefully they can keep it going!

 

I agreed with you. That's why I don't understand why people criticised Mobley last game. He didn't score many but he didn't take many shots either (Don't we want to see that? Don't we all to see him him take less shots and Yao take more?) Those he took were (mostly) good shots and within the offense. He just missed shots.

 

I noticed Yao only had 3 or 4 shots in the 1st half and started 1-5, the difference in this game is that they did not stop passing him the ball after the slow start like so many games in the past, he finished his last 5-6 shots because of it and had 15 points. Is this exactly the situation what Steve and Oscar talked about?

 

that's bs. you just don't stop pass him the ball if he misses 5 or 6 shots. it's not like he's forcing shots or like griffin jacking up 3s. most of yao's shots are in the paint. if you don't pass him the ball and keep him involve in the offense, you're just going to lose him. then the rockets will lose 8 out of 10 games. don't expect francis to shoot this well for the remaining games. he just a good shooter not a great one.

 

I am beginning to think that talk between SF and Big O really took place. It's great to see our two best players taking positive steps to be in sync with each other. There may be hope for this team after all.

 

When Francis has at least 7 assists or Yao has at least 3 blocks, rox usually wins. Both conditions are satisfied today.

 

everybody seems overlook griffin's game. he really worked the boards and shot selection seems to be getting better,(lets hope) but he put up a duble-dub. anybody know what the rockets record is when griffin gets 10 rebounds. i still say we put posey at 2 talyor at the 3. talor has been playing well and we won;t be short on instant offense with cat coming off the bench. i recall correctly cat was a 6th man for half a season and it didn't work bc lack of depth. now it should work. not only that but when steve and yao get breathers Mo and Mobley cann just hog it from each other. Iso''s can still be effective, just not every single possesion. good game by rocks and i'm eager to see if mobley can keep it up.