ClutchFans Game Thread: Mavericks @ Rockets 2/15/2007

I didnt even get a chance to watch the game today and will still say that lineup there probably did the Rockets in. Suckitude on offense like that would maybe be competitive against the Celtics or Bobcats, SURELY not against Dallas.

Another good observation. That can apply outside of sports in other areas; examples are endless

Rafer's the weak point, will agree (though I'm surprised with Luther's ineffectiveness versus the Mavericks also). At the very least, need a guard that can make one more shot a game in his 12-13 attempts. Really that's ANY OTHER guard in the league. The Rockets went after Mike James this past offseason so even though Rafer seems entrenched in the starting lineup maybe it shows they still do recognize a good option is needed at the guard spot.

 

If this has been posted, sorry.

From the Chronicle:


Attack goes slack without T-Mac
Teammates fail to respond as star is double-teamed

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

Tracy McGrady hit a jumper and drove to a lefthanded dunk, but the Dallas Mavericks did not change their defense.

McGrady put in a 3-pointer tying the game, but Mavericks coach Avery Johnson resisted the urge. He sank another 3, pulling up and firing quickly to give the Rockets a lead with 3:17 left.

Finally, Johnson had seen enough. Dallas called timeout and returned to the floor, sending two defenders to McGrady wherever he went.

McGrady never took another shot. The Rockets never made another. And with the Rockets shut down, the Mavericks resurrected Jason Terry for the final three minutes to frustrate and then stun the Rockets with an 80-77 victory before 18,270 at Toyota Center on Thursday night.

"I've got to do better when they're committing two guys to McGrady, even without the ball, and it's four-on-three," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "We didn't play with the assertiveness and poise that you need to. If they're going to commit two to one guy without the ball, you need to get better shots.

"I think we have shot-makers. I think we have enough. It's on me to have us play better than that."

But as much as the Rockets could surround McGrady with shot-makers, when he could not get his hands on the ball, there was no one to initiate offense. McGrady touched the ball only once in the offensive breakdown in the final three minutes. It was the only time the Rockets got a good shot, a corner trey by Luther Head, a 47.5-percent 3-point shooter in the fourth quarter this season.

McGrady, who had struggled offensively for three quarters, had made five of eight fourth-quarter shots, scoring 15 of his 27 points. But when he was removed from the Rockets' offense, there was nothing left.


Out of McGrady's hands

"It's pretty simple," McGrady said. "Once I get on a roll, they're going to take the ball out of my hand or they're going to deny me the ball. They're going to send two guys at me and make somebody else make plays. And once again, we didn't know what to do. We were hesitant, and we just didn't know what to do.

"Attack. Be aggressive. You got two guys guarding me. That leaves four guys on three. Attack them. We don't do that."

There were other problems. The Mavericks had six offensive rebounds in the second half, leading to seven second-chance points. The Rockets made just 20 of 31 free throws, with McGrady making three of seven in the fourth quarter.

But the game was lost late.

"They went to a defense they were giving us shots," Rafer Alston said. "We got one shot off that. Again, down the stretch, we went back to being hesitant."

The Rockets are at their best when they catch-and-shoot around McGrady and Yao Ming. Without Yao and with McGrady removed, the Rockets had the one catch-and-shoot opportunity that missed.

"We are who we are, and you have to live with that," forward Shane Battier said. "I know I'm not a guy who is going to be very comfortable taking my man and just trying to break him down on the way to the basket. Who on our team can do that? Well, there's T-Mac."

Even when there no longer was McGrady, the Mavericks were hardly lighting up the scoreboard, and, like the Rockets, they called on their superstar in the fourth quarter, with McGrady and Dirk Nowitzki dueling for a stretch as if it had been scripted by TNT.

Nowitzki made five of seven fourth-quarter shots, scoring 12 of his 26 points. But with the Rockets taking a three-point lead into the final three minutes, the Mavericks found a scorer the Rockets could not.


Terry comes alive

Terry had scored just three points in the first 45 minutes. But he drew a foul and made two free throws. Then with 1:09 left, Terry came around a screen; no Rockets defender picked him up, and after missing eight of his first nine shots, he drilled a 15-footer to put Dallas ahead 78-77.

When Head missed his 3 and a runner in the lane with 6.9 seconds remaining, the Rockets had to foul, and Terry made both free throws with 4.2 seconds left. With the Rockets spending their last two timeouts, they could not advance the ball to midcourt. Instead, the Rockets finally gave McGrady the ball, 85 feet from the basket and with Johnson screaming for one last double-team until time ran out.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4558461.html


Ouch.

 

THe bottom line is Rafer played horrible. He should not start for us. Its been a season long issue.

 

I think there's alot of false blame being put on Head tonight. Head is not a point guard, he is a finisher of a play, he's one of those guys who is perfect around Yao and T-Mac because he is what he is, a shot maker who is low on mistakes on defense and high on hustle.

Rafer, on the other hand, IS a point guard, his duty is to set up the offense in an efficient manner, especially when there is unusual resistance from the opposing team. The one thing I have always disliked about him is he becomes extremely jittery/nervous/unsure when the game is on the line, and if teams choose to completely take T-mac out of our offense, he has to make decisions on the floor for himself and everyone else, which is something i dont believe he has the ability to overcome. he becomes too passive as a passer and his finishing skills become even more deficient than they already are.

My solution is for this team to do whatever is necessary (which shouldnt be very much) to get either Ty Lue or Chucky Atkins in here to take up some of the shooting/point guard duties. Im not saying Rafer shouldnt be starting, but theres no way we can survive a playoff series if JVG cant legitimately turn to someone on the bench when Rafer plays the way he did tonight. If this franchise is set on "winning right now", then they will do what it takes to get an efficient, good shootin, confident point guard in here to backup Alston on nights like this against the best. Thats my take

 

This is a winnable game (If Head made that 3 points, if TM attacked the basket in the last possessions and got to the foul line, if JVG used Snyder instead of Wells in the last quarter). But I am glad that we keep it so close . Mav, see you in playoff.

 

you can tell mcgrady wanted this game and he sounds pissed. when was the last time we saw him get on the floor and dive for the ball? oh he wanted this one real bad.

we have weaknesses but i still think we can get it done. it's a lot harder to throw two on t-mac when yao ming is standing in the middle.

 

Mavs free throw at 82% this season, shoot 15-24 tonight, it would be 20-24
if their FA shooting at normal level.

Rockets free throw at 75% this season (league average), shoot 20-31 tonight, it would be 23-31 if ...

so, we really cannot say we lose the game cozs of free throw shooting.
Again, the bright side is Yao shoots 87% at free throw line...

 

The Rockets NEED to make a move for a PG here soon. With Yao and a new PG, I' am comfortable going to war against anyone in the playoffs.

 

Down 2 with 4 seconds to go, Dallas sinks a free throw and JVG elects not to call a timeout to draw up a play. The Rockets then have an ugly looking offensive possession and fail to even get a good look. JVG sucks. Can we get a coach that can actually coach please?

 

We had no timeouts at that point

 

how predictable, aceshigh7 comes in to whine about jvg after a loss. of course the only time you ever post in this forum.

give it up charlie rosen.

 

I'm not sure if that's true or not. Matt Jackson on the postgame seemed to indicate we did.

 

Hey, I called it before the game in this forum that JVG would be outcoached in this game once again. Sure enough, look what happened.

 

Luther Head played like that annoying guy you sometimes meet at the YMCA who thinks they are the best player ever and should shoot every time they touch the ball regardless of open teammates/what not. I was at the game with two friends and we were appalled at how he just would not pass the ball. The one time we noticed he did, we mentioned it amongst ourselves.

He was a ballhog tonight plain and simple for whatever reason. That has nothing to do with his lack of natural point guard playmaking abilities. In fact, while rafer sucked again, head was far worse and of the two more deserving of a talking to/spot on the bench come crunch time.

My gosh, he took a double clutch floater to try to win the game with still 5 seconds left in regulation. That was inexcusable.

 

I just don't know what to say about this game. It was ugly, physical, and free-throw shooting disgusting. The only good thing about this? The game proved that we can't be beaten by the Mavericks' small-ball lineup.

 

outcoached?

i think he got out-talented if anything.

we make 1/2 of the missed fts in the fourth its a tie game or we win by a point.

there was no way we could put our best two rebounders on the floor, deke and hayes, when dirk and dampier were in there because both would give nothing on the other end.

rafer and luthers decision making was poor at the end but this will give them valuable playoff-type experience to go on for the future, if tracy had the ball at the end we may have won the game still.

at the end the mavs had 4 guys on the floor who can and would create their own shoot if needed or could create for others. the rockets only had one who could create their own shot, bonzi (not sure if he was even in there game towards the end), and one who could create for both.

if yao was playing the game would have been won by the rockets.

all the hustle, energy and effort was there tonight (compared to the Ls in dallas), but the talent wasnt

 

Per Yoyo:

"there was no way we could put our best two rebounders on the floor, deke and hayes, when dirk and dampier were in there because both would give nothing on the other end.

rafer and luthers decision making was poor at the end but this will give them valuable playoff-type experience to go on for the future, if tracy had the ball at the end we may have won the game still."

Spot on exactly right - good points! So close! Not out coached!

 

good point. i wish they could learn from their mistakes though. like for example, on one play last night, one of the rocks got an offensive rebound and immediately passed out to rafer, who's standing outside the arc. instead organizing an effective play with 23+ seconds left on the clock, he shot a 3, and of course, missed! it's not like he was really hot at that moment. and more to the point, this is not the first time he did that. but i certainly hope it's the last.

 

I concur....I would have liked to try V-SPan there this year to see if he developed into the backup PG.....as he got used to the league, but since that is not going to happen, I am in favor of trading Sura & or Bonzi for a PG.

DD

 

I agreed with you about Redick.

But please, man, Spanoulis is not going to be a star. Scrub is more like it. Nowhere close to what Redick will turn out to be.