ClutchCity.net Game Thread: Rockets @ Sonics 11/29/2002

zenithnadir, nice post!

Ming's offense was little off tonight. But his defense and assists are great! Seattle average point per game was 95.6 before tonight, but they scored only 72 tonight. Yao Ming has 2 fouls in 29 minutes tonight, compared to 5 fouls in 16 minutes 2 nights ago with Warrior.

Defense wins the game.

 

Thanks for the report from Washington, we will be looking for pre and post game info when the Rockets go back the next Mar 18. Hope you are still there for that one.
By then Yao Ming will probably be getting more minutes, his big problem when he get extended minutes is fouls. Later in the season he will be more adjusted to the NBA, and have less problems all around.

 

Good post!!Mini Ming you're a moron.

 

Ignore tommyluvsme, he's an idiot. Not only is he a Yao hater, he's a Rox hater. He said something like Rox are the worst team in the league and has no future. Kinda makes me wonder what the hell he's doing here then (must be spying for the Mavs).

 

Nice post,

Don't pay any attention to miniming. He couldn't write a thread if he had to. Just Kidding Mini.

It was a little long but a good read none-the-less. The Rockets are still getting used to one another and the Sonics have been together for awhile except for a few players. Ming had a good night and couldn't say enough about Moochie's play. He is dribbling less and less every day. Still can't wait till Cat gets back.

By the way mini it took me 3.2 minutes to write my post reply

 

Okay, everything's fine and dandy for the most part, but 3 things:

1. When will Francis' shot come back!? He's never shot this poorly for this many games before! EVER! I love the guy, but we NEED HIS OFFENSE!

2. I really, really, really don't want Griffin to become one of those highly-anticipated, coulda-been-a-superstar duds. He's showed us he has game, and he's young and all that, but where did it all go??? (Beckett had him listed as one of the top 4 second-year players to watch , and I was sure he'd be a badass this year, too)

3. ZBoy, message for you: I hate your kind...

Other than that:

WOOHOO!!!

 

VICTORY!!! Finally!! My Seattle recap...

Wow, what a game! It is so good to come out of that building on top, for a change.

Unlike in Portland, I had great seats for this game. I could read the lips of the players on the court, especially when they were whining to the refs.

There where definitely a lot of Yao Ming supporters. He received a strong ovation from the crowd, and there were many oohs and aahs when ever he made a great play. I didn't feel like the lone Rockets fan tonight.

Let's start with the first quarter.

Now that was interesting. Just when I thought Seattle was ready to explode and outscore Houston 35-12, the Rockets kept it close with great defense and a few spectacular plays. That Francis-Griffin alley-oop was beautiful. These first quarter troubles are a little worrying, but I'm sure that will improve with the return of Cuttino Mobley, and the development of chemistry.

This is what separates this team from last year's team. If the Rockets had only managed 18 points in a first quarter last year, the opposing team would have scored 36. The Rockets are a much better defensive team this year.

The second quarter? Well, let's just say that typical ZRB pessimism abounded.

The Rockets took a 29-26 lead, and I was pretty excited. Then the defense disappeared, and the Sonics looked like they were ready to blow the Rockets out yet again. I hung my head in disappointment, and held little hope of anything changing in the third quarter. Another 18 point quarter, and the Rockets were down ten.

Then the third quarter happened.

WOW! YAO!

Amazing, brilliant, fantastic, spectacular... There aren't enough words.

I haven't seen the Rockets play a better quarter since, well, they last beat Seattle in the Key. That was two years ago. In that game, the Rockets scored 43 points in the second quarter, including nine threes, and took over the game. I didn't expect that kind of performance in the typically Rocket-killing third quarter.

For most of the third, I was in a state of disbelief. I just couldn't believe that this was the same Rockets team that blew sure-wins against Phoenix and the Clippers. Well, to tell you the truth, it wasn't.

That quarter shows just what the Rockets are capable of this season. Yao Ming is the perfect compliment to Steve Francis, and Steve Francis is the perfect compliment to Yao Ming. This duo is the next Shaq and Kobe people, believe it.

Yao's passing made things so much easier for Steve Francis. The Rockets moved the ball with precision after Yao's double-team, and that opened up the lane for Steve Francis to drive, or pull up for wide open jumpers. That opened things up for the rest of the Rockets. When Mobley gets back, Houston will have another shooter/slasher to feed off of Yao's perfect passing.

The Rockets came out with such a fury, that the Sonics were never able to recover. The Rockets dictated the game in the second half. Their defense was great, but the Rockets also had a psychological edge. The Sonics were simply stunned into submission.

32-11? That is great basketball. That is playoff caliber.

The fourth quarter was hilarious.

No one could make a shot. The Rockets got wide open looks, and just couldn't drain them. Yet, unbelievably, the Rockets still controlled the game. How about Kenny Thomas? He put the nail in the Sonics' coffin when he hit that turnaround jumper.

Moochie Norris was also a hero. It looks like this guy has busted out of his slump, big time. He did a great job of coming up with loose balls, snaring rebounds out of the hands of big men, and hitting clutch shot after clutch shot. That is the Moochie the Rockets signed to a huge contract.

This was the type of game that playoff teams pull out. Now I have no doubts. If this team stays healthy, they will be in the playoffs, probably top five.

Even though the Rockets will probably lose to the Kings, I will still be on a Rockets-induced high thanks to this game. I have no doubt that they can handle San Antonio, Philly, and New Orleans. All they needed was to beat a quality team. This is going to inspire confidence. I smell a big winning streak coming up.

This team is going to win championships, and soon. I am thrilled!

My losing steak was snapped. I am now 3-5 in Rockets games I attend. That was my first win in over a year and a half.

YES!!!

 

ZRB,

Thanks for the recap.

FOr a general pessimist ( as a Rocket fan) in you, to get the WOWs must have been great.

I also like the fact that you chose us to be losing to the Kings. Your win predictions are genrally jinxed. I am now seeing that your lose predictions are also jinxed.

Please keep it up if we somehow have a miracle in Arco Arena on Sunday.

 

Reminder: Purpose Of The Game Thread (11-18-2002 until 12-19-2002)
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It is in an effort to help clean up/avoid redundant threads that the master game thread is created for each game. Predictions leading up to the game, thoughts on matchups, comments during and after the game can go here. Remember, we're discussing the game live in the chat room, so play-by-play type stuff is best suited there.

I don't want to stifle all new threads. If you have something you feel deserves to be it's own thread, please go ahead - some good examples would be "Yao Ming needs more minutes", "My Photos From The Game Live", "Francis Is Not a Point Guard" - stuff from the game that is a different conversation in itself, but is not specifically about the game or "your thoughts" from the game. Please use your best judgement.

The goal is to get good discussions rather than new threads filling up the forum at such a fast pace that good posts get "lost" sort of speak. If this works out, I'll also post the thread as an "article" in my game recap.

Thanks,
Clutch

 

JLB-

Pardon me, but I think I've been here a bit longer than you. I have started a thread after every Rockets game I have attended. That is 8 threads in two years.

I challenge you to find at least ten threads that I have started in this forum in the last two months.

I think that something that only happens a few times a year deserves a thread of its own.

Stop pretending be be an administrator. You aren't.

 

Thank you!

The recap is very good

 

I have to say, I'm surprised by that comment, winning games as a team player isn't always about scoring and stats. His stats won't show tonite, but he really did play quite well, a good all around game. Distributing the ball, starting the offense, defending the basket, alterting shots playing with intensity and being tough. He was constantly fouled both offensively/defensively, he didn't complain or get frustrated, just kept playing hard, that's the attitude you want. Remember he is a rookie, from China, who doesn't always get the ball. Until tonite, none of our big men had been getting the ball, the quarters in which we fed the post as the 1st option excluding TOblackhole Kenny T, we flowed and the offense looked good. That's what the Rockets needed, and Rudy has finally realized it. Steve did too, his game exploded off the energy of the team.

 

ZRB

Nothing personal, but whats good for one is not good for another

Maybe since I "Hadn't been here as long as you" I don't have to un-learn the bad habbits that some have.

I guess the thread being moved says enough.

 

You wouldn't have been surprised if you have read the other posts made by this guy before.

 

Hehe, is this the same ZRB that was saying there was no chance the Rockets were going to make the playoffs after that loss to the Clippers?

 

Yeah, nothing personal. I don't think my thread should have been moved, however. But oh well...


On a side note, when did I say that the Rockets weren't going to make the playoffs after losing to the Clips? I might have said that last year, or the year before, but not this time.

 

Yes, Yao wont come out on the shooter until AFTER they have shot
the ball. Then he'll run at them and show a hand in the face. This is good.

Yao will park in the paint and DARES the guards to drive on him.

Excellent! Payton woudln't/didn't dare. Take your jump shots, little man!

 

What happened to the cry babies of the first few pages. Moochie and KT both made significant contributions and it appears that Rudy's game plan worked.

 

there's your answer ZRB. love to read your posts; this however, was your all time low, wouldn't you say?

come on everyone!!! these rockets are just kids... let them grow up...let them make their mistakes. in a year or two these kids will make the proper adjustments and voila...we will have our long awaited champions. we just need patience!

 

This game really gave me reasons to smile.

Not only because of the win, but the way that the Rockets won, especially in the third quarter. First, we played great D. We basically shut down the lane and force the Sonics to take bad shots. This is the way that a contender plays. This type of defense will win you games in the playoffs. Also, our offense was team-oriented, at least in the second half. Though we did have some ISOs, we swung the ball much better. We did a good job finding the open man and actually hit the shot.

I'm happy for Moochie for his good performance. He deserves a good game.

Eddie needs to realize that in order to get more minutes, he needs to be more than a tall three-point shooter.

This game really shows the team the way we should be playing. Hopefully we can keep it up in SacTown.