ClutchFans Game Thread: Grizzlies @ Rockets 3/13/2004

Great win. I'm really happy.

The way our team is going, we might just win all the remaining games.

It'll be great to ride a long winning stream to the playoff.

 

I wish we had KG... and Duncan... and Shaq too.

 

got it,thx.

 

The best play in the game was when Memphis did full court pressure, Mobley took the inbound pass and drove all the way to the basket for an easy layup. JVG must have set up the play for Mobley. When Memphis is cheating with full-court press, you got to make them pay!

BTW, what happened to Pau I Want to Be a Super Star Gasol? 33 minutes, 6-12 FG, 12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 TOs, comparing to Yao's 34 minutes, 6-12 FG, 17 points, 11 rebounds, 0 TOs, 3 blocks? When Yao swatted Gasol's shot with 40 seconds to play, Gasol didn't whine a bit. He was saying Yao just pwned me.

 

nice... now i have 10.

i would like to thank the academy, and also espn classic.

 

the dude is 6-6... and plays in the NBA, and is only around 30 years old. the injury didn't take THAT much out of him.

 

Nice win great win but
I still feel JVG need play yao for last 8 min.
In the 4th q our O still need adjust when is hard to pass to yao

anyway we are hot now.

I even belive we can go further to the finals

GO ROX

 

I'm proud of all the players for a good team effort. It was about time we beat the Grizzlies. Let's hope Spoon gets well quickly.

 

Instead of top 3 now, I think we now have top 4 (or at least 3 + 1) the way JJ is playing. Looks great when we're running on all cylinders. Padge was great off the bench. I thought he really locked down Gasol when Yao was out. Makes me wonder why we don't play him more.

 

Clutch, I expect this team (Memphis) to continue to grow. The Logo certainly will not preside over a depletion in talent and who knows he may be able to snag another most improved player candidate from an unsuspecting and unaware GM, like he did this last season.

 

Nick, the argument is about having JJ and Posey and not JJ or Posey. Did you hear JVG say that CD has taken alot of criticism and was trying to get folks to appreciate the Spoon trade. First I did not realize that there was so much criticism of CD and second the criticism must be about what he allowed the Logo and H Brown to do to him.

 

Tonight we play like a quality team. We calmly take the lead and sustain the lead to the end.

Steve: He seems like to turn the corner. Play under the control, good hustle, spirit leader.

JJ: Missed some shots early, but have some key plays in the crunch time. What a dunk!

Mo: He really can make some jumpers which I desperately want Cato to do. However, he is really TO prone.

Cato: Excellent rebounding, terrible shooting

Padget: Can we play him a little bit more?

Yao: Still long way to go to fight against fronting and double team. Excellent block in the end.

Team: We are 5 win streak

-Littlefish

 

what I like about this game is JVG played a littile longer rotation to counter memphis's. I thought last two game Grizz really out-worked us. Of course tonight Grizz didnt shoot well either, didnt go to Paul early to establish him. Yao and Cato werent in early foul trouble helped us big. The difference this game between last two, I would say, is Paul Gasol. Swift was good, but he couldnt open up like Paul did.
All and all, good win, solid performance by everybody, we are more like a team now.

 

By one point. Well maybe next game.

 

Small Observations

Some other neat things I saw in today's game.

1. Greater Team Communication (+): Yao talking with teammates about swinging the ball one man over for the post-entry pass.
2. Patience and Poise (+): Steve was very much in control from start to finish, IMO. Sure, he's not perfect, but he was every bit the floor general we needed to prevent this game from turning all Grizzlies helter skelter. Props to MJ too.
3. Pursuit for Excellent (+): Up 12 with four minutes or so and JVG was going ballistic after Swift (?) takes a transition pass in for a dunk.
4. Aggression (+): Cato is turning into the enforcer out there - not afraid to commit the hard foul and piss off the opponent. It's always good to have one player willing to do the dirty work out there.
5. Balance (+): Inasmuch as I'm sure lots of us would love to see Yao log 27 points per 27 minutes every game, today's game shows you that our Rox are very balanced and very adaptable. They are playing SMARTER by adjusting (not compromising mind you!) but adjusting to whatever the opponents give to them. The pick and rolls by Yao and Francis looked terrific... and curiously, even the coach of the Hornets gave props to the Rox for pick and roll execution. Incredible!



theSAGE

 

Surprises to Me About the Grizz

1. With the exception of Swift and Posey, they seemed less energetic than usual. Maybe the Rox D had something to do with dejecting their spirits
2. Key Grizz players actually got into worse foul trouble than the Rox.
3. Exceptionally poor 3 point shooting today by the Grizz
4. Hubit stopped playing Jake Tskalidis something in the 2H. Why?
5. Where's MemphisX???



theSAGE

 

Thank you for these detail comments.

 

Heh, I ain't going nowhere because of an 8 pt loss on the road to a quality opponent. You guys played a decent game, not the best I have seen the Rockets but good enough tonight to get up on the Grizzlies and not let us get close enough late.

You guys are the first team with defense enough to make us miss Mike Miller's outside shooting and Cato's physical play limited Pau. I still like your defense, it is similar to the Grizzlies except we don't have two 7 footers to funnel drivers toward so we play more agressive in the passing lanes.

Anyway, we will see you guys in the Tomb of Doom!

Now we have to worry about holding you guys off for 6th place.

 

Memphis X did you get your post count lowered? I thought you had around 800