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

LEt Kobe get his, that's not really the issue. As long we contain the other 3 bums the Lakers start with, this game shouldn't be a problem. Hopefully, Rice is back, starting and stroking it. Posey is fun to watch, but this team is not better because of him, maybe he can play some good D on Kobe, but having Rice's instant O back would be a tremendous blessing. Hope Shaq plays, I would love to see him and Yao back at it. What a classic the 17th was.

 

Rockets win it by 8.

91-83.

Francis: 23 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds.
Yao: 18 points, 5 assists, 12 rebounds.

Shaq: 25 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists.
Kobe: 34 points (yes his streak will end tomorrow night), 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.

 

steve, light up a fire under their aass , pls

 

I look for Cat to break out of his slump. The guy can flat out play and he hasn't been doing it. I think he dumps 30 on Kobe and holds the 40 attempt guy to under 35 points.

 

This inconsistency happens because we rely on the 1 on 1 ISO game of Francis and Mobley. We may even manage to get into the playoffs (if we are super lucky) but that's not our future way to go (if we really have the aspiration of winning championship) and we should not ever build our confidence and hope on that type of game.

 

A realistic Rockets fan huh?

 

Raytiger, the exit is -----> that way.

 

I hope Shaq's overturned flagrant from the last game is not on back the refs' mind this time>

 

What's wrong with not knowing a thing about basketball?

Most fans just watch basketball to see dunks and crossovers. They don't care about what we talk about. They just cheer for their team.

 

Kobe needs to take the defensive assignment on Stevie

That's what I'd really like to see. I know Kobe prides himself on his defense and all, but given his scoring surge of late, how often is he found defending the opposing franchise guard? Allan Houston had a 50+ point night against the Lakers not too long ago. Even though Kobe had 40 or so, how come he wasn't defending Houston? Charles Barkley made an interesting observation about Kobe vs. MJ. He said something to the effect of, "What made MJ so special was that he would always assume the toughest defensive assignments and consistently shut opponents down." "In today's league, everybody is out trying to score points, but how many will take on tough defensive assignments?" I thought that was a rather profound observations. And so, quietly understated, we had a different kind of battle of the titans during our last encounter with LA...

Kobe vs. Francis, Mono e Mono

Unfortunately, neither was guarding each other, exclusively, for the nite. But if they were diametrically opposed, who would win? What would be the spread?

I sincerely have no clue how effective either player would be if they had to guard each other for the entire nite. But assuming these two neutralize each other in offensive productivity, I have to believe its advantage: Houston, if Shaq chooses to sit out tomorrow. Yao should have a field day against anyone the Lakers throw at him. Rockets need to capitalize on these kinds of away games.



theSAGE

 

You only checked the box score, you didn't watch the game.
The other day, Kobe was limping, a sore left knee plus a sprained right ankle, he could barely run. He was settled all night on offense only, and got most his points on perimeter jump shots over double-team. It's already amazing to see him getting 40.
Allan will never get a 50 before a heathy Kobe.

 

Hey what's wrong? How come you posted 1867 times and are still a junior member just like me? I guess some posts like this one don't count.

Seriously, Yao brought me to this board, but he has disappointed me. I turned out to be a Francis fan, because it seems he is the only one who brings energy every night .

Yao is a lucky SOB. The media spoiled him. If he played for the Wizards, MJ would spend no time to babysit him. He could nurse his ego with Kwame Brown.

 

Share and share: from LATIMES

.A. ADANDE
His Obligation Is Painfully Obvious
J.A. Adande

February 18, 2003

Shaquille O'Neal's two-word response when the Times' Tim Brown asked him if he would play against Houston tonight — "Probably not" — demands a one-word reply: unacceptable.

By waiting to have surgery on his toe, he put the Lakers into this unexpected predicament, scrambling just to get into the playoffs. He's obligated to do whatever he can to get them out of it.

I didn't hammer him for delaying his surgery because he had earned some time off after bringing three consecutive championships to the city. Three parades (and one replaced cop car) ought to buy you something, but now the credit's used up. He has forfeited any more breaks.

He left his teammates hanging at the start of the season, exposed all of their weaknesses. Just when they're regaining their form, showing that they contributed to those championships too, he appears ready to make them do it alone.

We've already seen they can't do it this season, no matter how many points Kobe Bryant scores. When they lost to New York on Sunday, they dropped to 3-10 without O'Neal.

His teammates would be wise to cue up an old Stevie Wonder song and hit play: "When the winter came, you went further south/ Parting from love's nest, leaving me in doubt/ Where are you when I need you, like right now?"

He has already resumed taking anti-inflammatory medicine to alleviate the pain in his sore left knee and surgically repaired right big toe, and that means more days of queasy intestines and possible long-term damage to his kidneys. If he's willing to gulp those Indocin pills, then he might as well swallow some pride and step onto the court when he doesn't have his full mobility.

Maybe he doesn't want to look bad by having Yao Ming swat a few more of his shots. Perhaps he doesn't want to hear any more boos like the ones he heard during the San Antonio game Friday night, when the too-short arms on the too-old body of Kevin Willis snatched rebounds away from him.

Tough. There's no choice. Unless the Laker medical staff says there's absolutely no way O'Neal can play, he needs to be out there. Even if he can't do any better than the five rebounds he grabbed in 40 minutes Friday, or the nine-for-19 shooting, the Lakers need him on the court.

His presence alone will improve the quality of Bryant's life. With O'Neal sitting out against the Knicks, Bryant had trouble getting easy shots in the lane. Knick center Kurt Thomas kept sneaking over to help in case Bryant got by his defender. You think Thomas would have abandoned O'Neal to help on Bryant?

O'Neal in the low post would also create more open shots for Derek Fisher, who is shooting 57% this month and is coming off a 21-point game Sunday.

Bryant has played in every game this season, despite his own assortment of knee problems. And he has done all the heavy lifting the last two weeks. Folks in the Laker camp believe that one of the reasons O'Neal hasn't grumbled about Bryant's recent free-shooting ways was that O'Neal appreciated the burden being lifted from his shoulders.

O'Neal never has played a full season and last played in as many as 79 games in 1999-2000. When O'Neal missed games in recent years the usual comment was, "If this were a playoff game, he would play." Well, this is a playoff game. Right here. Not a statement game, but an absolute must-win.

The Rockets hold the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff spot, with a one-game lead over the Lakers. If the Lakers win tonight, they're all even with 30 games to play. A fresh start after their dismal first half of the season, with a chance to control their own fate by outplaying the Rockets down the stretch, is more good fortune than the Lakers have earned.

But if the Rockets win, not only do they drop the Lakers two games behind but they clinch the season series and the first tiebreaker with the Lakers.

Phil Jackson attempted to chide O'Neal by suggesting if Shaq sat out this game, it would be because he had "Ming-itis".

If questioning his manhood doesn't work, what about appealing to Shaq's love of marketing? TNT has been hyping the Shaq-Yao rematch since All-Star weekend. Think of the disappointment for the TNT announcers who flew all the way out here just to get an extended look at Slava Medvedenko. (And can't you just see the executives at Turner asking themselves, "We pulled another showing of 'Krull' for this?")

O'Neal recently explained his surgery timetable this way: "Since I suffered the injury on company time, why shouldn't I also be able to get surgery and do recovery on company time?"

That's the same type of logic employed by Jeff Spicoli when he had a pizza delivered to his classroom in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High": "I've been thinking about this, Mr. Hand: If I'm here and you're here, doesn't that make it our time? Certainly there's nothing wrong with a little pizza on our time."

It didn't work for Spicoli, who had to share his pizza with the whole class. And O'Neal's argument can now be used against him.

He's out of sick days. Time to get to work.

 

I am not defending Kobe here (well no reason to defend him). But with Shaq out, Kobe got to save his energy for the offensive end and I think that's the reason why he didn't guard Houston. Also, Barkley was talking crap or just kissing his friend MJ's ass with his MJ comment. Even MJ's a great defender but he didn't always guard the toughest opposing perimeter players. That job usually went to Pippen or Ron Harper. If you've ever watched past Bulls games, you would know what I meant. Harper used to chase Reggie Miller (maybe the 2nd best SG in MJ era) and Pippen usually took on Stockton in those Finals series vs Utah if I remember correctly.

As for Kobe and Francis guarding each other, I can't believe you said no clue how effective they would be. Kobe can guard Francis but Francis simply can't guard Kobe. Francis is nowhere the defender Kobe is. Our best hope vs Kobe rests on Posey or Mobley, not Francis.

 

just an observation... less and less people predict game result/score on the game thread any more. guess we all have leaent something
i know it's frustrating for die-hard-fans but look at the bright side: doesn't it make things more intriguing... coz you REALLY never know what will happen out there, no matter how hard you tired

 

I know Kobe is one of the league's premiere defenders, but it has been well documented that the Lakers and especially Kobe have trouble with the league's quicker/smaller guards. With that said, I'm not sure that Derek Fisher can guard the point guards better (doubt it), but Kobe has been known to get burnt by the likes of guards such as Francis, Iverson, Marbury, etc. As great as Kobe is, those guys are probably quicker although perhaps not faster.

 

No matter if Shaq is playing or not. Yao is going to have a field day in this game. Unless... SF ignore him on offense again and again, and doesn't pass to Yao even when he's wide open under the basket. Even if that happens, Yao would still help his team by defending and do other things to win. If I was wide open when my teammate ignore me and doesn't pass me the ball, I would get on him and kick his butt. Yao never complains.

People don't see how smart Yao is, he has learned quickly and played much better whenever he faces someone 2nd time around.

The key tonight is Yao. If he's involved by our guards, he will make everyone else better and Rox should easily beat the lakers.

 

If Shaq doesn't suit up, easy win for Rockets.

 

miami was an easy win.

 

The Rockets lose a lot of the easy wins it seems.