ClutchCity.net Game Thread: Rockets @ Lakers 2/18/2003

elaborate on that jamal

 

We still might make the 8th spot.

But the Laker will be the 7th (as long as Shaq is healthy).

 

Najera does give 110%. He plays really hard and seems to be one of those players that's always pestering you. Definitely a good player

 

For the first time after a loss, I am proud of the Rox. They were 12 points down in the fourth quarter, yet they never gave up. They showed tremendous poise. They gave it their all. If it weren't for the refs, the Rox would have won.

 

stevie looked like he was about to cry...

 

Hey Sage,

We're right around .500. but i'd be glad if we'd been playing .500 ball. aren't we playing like .300 ball over the last few weeks. i'm too lazy to check, but it feels like it. can we please just put together a little 4 or 5 game winning streak and have phoenix, utah or the lakers lose a few in a row.

 

Also, Did you get the sense the Rockets seemed LOST in the 3rd Quarter and 2nd OT???
Where is the leadership on the court? Where is the solid halfcourt basketball? Where is the tougher D??? Times like these, I really wish Mooch would see more playing time. Out of all our guards, I feel that Mooch is the most competent in "feeling out" the game and setting the right tempo. With the Lakers over the limit (and near over the limit in Q3), I thought the Rockets had a huge advantage in that 2nd Half. Other than MoT and Yao, I didn't understand why the Rox didn't exploit this fact given how many great slashers and penetrators we have on this team.

Among the Mental Mistakes
1) While Yao made a couple, he's pretty quick to make it up on the other end. A passing mistake followed by taking a charge... taking a charge by a 7 footer... that's pretty gutsy if you ask me. 2) Meanwhile, though I like Cato's energy, that "and one" foul given to Fisher(?) was plain stupid. If you're going to foul him, make sure the ball never makes it to the rim.
3) I don't understand all those late game turnovers - the bad passes, the offensive fouls off pics, they are all so unnecessary.

Tight games like these, when the opponent is in foul trouble and their team is over the limit, the formula is simple: YOU GET TO THE FREE THROW LINE.

Blah blah blah....Frustrated



madSAGE

 

you are absolutely right. the rockets are lost from the get go. they didn't come alive until the last 5 of the 4th quarter and the first overtime. in the 2nd OT, i think many of us sensed the rockets is going lose the game.

yao must make his move quicker. he held the ball too long tonight. didn't you see samaki and madsen were pushing yao with their two hands? no wonder why yao couldn't go anywhere with the ball. yao was like a car which got stuck and no matter how hard he tried to step on the gas, the car wouldn't move.

 

I agree - this is one loss that you can at least appreciate because of the gutsy comeback (except for the 2nd OT). But damn, it would have been so sweet if we had been able to pull it off if only to justify Yao's performance and big plays down the stretch. He deserved much more for his effort than fouling out on a cheap call that even Barkley called "Bill Laimbeer Jr. style flopping". Unfortunately, the refs would not have any of that... We need instant replay calls like in the NFL!

 

shouldn't that be illegal?

 

Yes. I am pleased that they decided to pass the ball through the big men. But am I they only one noticed that they seemed more willing to go to Mo Taylor than to Yao Ming, not only in this game but in past games as well?

Anyway going inside is still a good sign. Espeically against such scrubs.

Hopefully Francis won't force the issue tomorrow and try to "make up" for tonight's game. That's my biggest fear.

And yeah Ming's definitely a clutch player. More often than not, he can make a good play (score or assist) IF he gets the ball in crunch time.

 

Agree, NBA should allow the coach dispute a call with instant replay in the last 60 seconds of the game.

 

Ming got more than 30 touches. I know we want to work the ball inside, but geez how much is enough for you people?

 

I'm glad. Because he need to feel what pain is. He needs to be the "goat." He needs the toughest skin. And he will get that through failure.

Sometimes I want him to miss the last shot only to miss it. Why? Because he needs to stop fearing failure.

Once he figures that out, you'll start to see the confidence brimming out.

Just wait until he feels the pain of losing a playoff series (one of those game-7 nail biters).

That's when he will really be crying.

 

Congratulations to thegame_2234.

He/she just won a jackpot on correctly predicting the outcome of Rockets-Lakers matchup (0 difference).

http://www.dreamshake.co.uk/predict.php

 

Yes, but samaki and madsen will have to deal with the wrath of Yao for the next 10 years!

 

With the mismatch Yao had tonight, I was quite disappointed that he did not score more points and put this game away during regulation. Both Madsen and Slaveo were slow and short. How did Yao not drop more points on those two midgets? I think this is a case of Yao's lack of strength to establish himself down low.

Now we really have to beat the Suns tomorrow night just to stay in this race. I hope our boys have something left in the tank after this double-OT loss.

 

If they can do it (i.e. work the ball inside) more than once every 5 games (my estimation), I and many other people would complain less I guess.

 

Now where's that trade Steve for Kobe thread. We need to recycle it.

 

half of those touches are counted when Yao comes out high to recieve the ball just so he can pass it right back to the guard again. thres not an option to shoot on that riduculous play.so please lets get off this whole "touches" baloney. If were counting touches like that, which they are counting for Yao, then Mobley and Francis had an infinite amount of touches. but who gives a **** anymore...man i just want to see Francis highstep and skip down the court again when his team is down by 10 and after he hasnt hit a shot all game. sweeeeeeet.