ClutchFans Game Thread: Magic @ Rockets 12/19/2007

Howard got easy shots because he moves well without the ball and gets great position. Also, he DUNKS the ball. Yao often puts up a powder puff fall away layup after a double clutch.

 

21+11 vs 19+17， which one's better?

 

Wow did Jack Neese get confronted by the mom before this game? Sheesh.

 

What do you mean by?

 

Because that's DH, supposedly the best center in the league. Someone fell, there must be a foul. Will it be on the super dominant DH, or the big stiff Chinese? Obviously it's Yao's fault. Wait, Yao was the one who got tackled down, and the ref stood 2 feet away! Who cares, it's DH we are talking about here!

 

21/11 is better than 19/17, because that's a dominant 21/11, and that 19/17 was a soft, heartless, slow and clumsy one.

 

97-92 is better.

 

How many shots did each take? Which team won?

 

Rick Adleman's press conference is awkwardly optimistic.
Im speechless.

 

What is he saying? Any comment on his perfectly drawn up last play?

 

If you really want to compare it that way, just claim that Pat Garrity's 2 points and 3 rebounds is better than any Rockets player, including Yao, because they won.

 

Does anyone know why Luther head doesnt dunk anymore? he used to have mad hops in illinois...and had some creative dunks...what happened to his atheltism? Injury? I know the college rim isnt shorter than the nba rim..

 

Maybe he's seen what the team can do without T-mac, and is anticipating a trade in the pipeline to add two quality players

 

Offensive efficiency matters. Dwight Howard makes high percentage shots. It's called a dunk, Yao.

Yao falls aways 20ft on a fade away.

When Howard gets the ball 2 feet from the basket, he CRUSHES the ball throughh the hoop. When Yao gets it there, 25% of the time he misses on a feeble layup.

Tonight, Howard even dominated Yao on FTs. He was 7-9 versus Yao's 5-8.

Also, what is the ESPN (AP) headline?

Howard outplays Yao as Magic overpower Rockets

 

What now??

 

I rather take Yao:


D. Howard
Points: 21
Reb: 11
Ast: 0
Stl: 0
Blk: 3
Y. Ming
Points: 19
Reb: 17
Ast: 2
Stl: 2
Blk: 3

 

Other than the shooting this team looked significantly better on offense than any game in since the 6-1 start. In the first quarter, if the team had hit its free throws they would have been up 15. The team also had tons of wide open shots, the offense generated good looks at the baskets, and you have to hope that this team can hit better than 34% of its shots.
The offensive system did its job tonight, the defense was very good until the team's shooting went to ****e, so all in all the game may have been a loss but the team looked much much better than it had in the last few weeks.

I hate to be that guy, but I'm still optimistic that this team can/will put it together in the near future.

 

did you even watch the game? Yao definitely had a bad shooting night, as he rushed shots and faded away farther than he's used to to avoid being blocked by DH, but he's doubled much more often than DH, and DH scored only once or twice 1-on-1 on Yao. Yao scored about the same 1-on-1 on DH. They basically cancelled out each other, and Yao had a good rebounding game, far from what people had predicted (that DH would destroy Yao on the board) before the game. It's blown lay-ups, missed open shots, and fragile T-Mac that killed the game for the Rox.

Their biggest problem is obviously chemistry - with T-Mac quitting so easily on the team, no one has a clue who's the leader, and where the offense should initiate. Then you throw in big egos like MJ, Bonzi who don't play defense, the team is in chaos. If T-Mac didn't play at all the Rox might have won this game - they could have put the game away in the first half when the Magic shot like 20% from the field.

I hope they bench T-Mac, play Head instead. He's a good shooter and he'll find his touch back once he regains confidence. And start Scola, who will definiely be a better player given time and confidence. The guy was a beast in the FIBA Americas tournament. He has much more game then what's been shown so far.

 

Maybe he should go to WNBA

 

I would say it was close. Remeber, Howard only took 13 shots and Yao 18 (5 more shots, but only 2 more points). But down the stretch, Yao took some pretty bad shots since Howard prevented hiim from getting closer to the rim.