ClutchFans Game Thread: Mavericks @ Rockets 4/28/2005 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 3)

Is he a good motivator? I really hope you're right that JVG is the type of coach to come down on his players after a loss like this..

 

It's never good to lose a game. But this might be a good thing, since we have our eyes on the WC finals.

PLAYOFF doesnt start until you lose a home game.

 

What's the point of winning if you're going to lose a game? Hmm.... so you think that since we were going to lose at home, we may as well have lost the first 2 and not exceeded expectations?

I think the point of exceeding expectations is so that even if you lose GAme 3 at home, you're up 2-1 and not down 3-0. Maybe that's just me.

 

I agree, Yao played passively in the 4th Q waiting for someone else to step up.

 

I agree with you. Grumpy is gunna seriously let them have it. We went in with overconfidence, with the shoes/socks, the whole finger wagging, etc etc that we forgot that there is a fourth quarter.

Look for straight up fundamental ball being played on Saturday, and no more of that finger waggin thing till we win this game.

 

Deke WAS the best defensive center. He can't play 30 mins straight, has nothing to do with heart, otherwise, he wouldn't be backup C. Yes, Yao is scared to get that 4th foul, and everyone will, unless you are Shaq or TD, coz you know the refs don't dare to. However, with those easy layups, our premeter defense was just not there tonight. And by the way, we need some PF strength. But the game wasn't lost in Yao's early fouls. The game was lost in that we fell in love with jump shots. By the way, we did have a 7'6 body in the middle. Look at those sequences, where the ball went through Yao, after he felt the double team, he kicked out, how easy those jump shots were? When we moved the ball more, how easy those open 3s you would get? But in that Mav's 20-4 run, how much ball movement did we have?

 

dabien (doesn't that mean "$hit" in chinese?)

I think what JVG has to do is revisit their rotations. On some of the Dallas sets, I noticed the Rockets were a bit slow on their rotations - the result being a Michael Finley bucket. Finley should NOT have had as many points as he did today, but clearly, the Mavs are getting him re-involved in the offense. It's possible that b/c we are small at 2 guard that Finley got the best of us. But most of his points weren't off one-on-one situations. They were off the Dallas passing game.

Second, I think Yao has to revisit what he did in Game 2 to avoid all those stupid fouls. He got into foul trouble early and that hurt us and our defensive intensity. We need him on the court b/c he is a presence defensively AND offensively. I mean, overall, I would guess that we were in the penalty for a good 5 minutes of the 3rd and the 4th quarter. That's just too many freebies, IMO. I'm all for tough D but if it comes at the expense of stupid fouls, it's not worth it.

Lastly, I think JVG should consider extending the D a little. When the pressure started to turn up, why couldn't we do a little more trapping? Or full court press? Just to mess with he Mavs a little?

Just my two cents.

theSAGE

 

I agree with you, but I just think it was totally unacceptable for the Rockets to lose at home the way they lost. I really wonder what the heck JVG is going to tell them and do for Defensive adjusments for sat.

 

Focus, intensity, energy, determination, ...........

 

Yes it does mean that (you're the first poster to actually realize that)


And although you made some good points about possible adjustments, I have to ask "WHY DIDN"T JVG AND THE ROCKETS DO ALL THAT THIS GAME???"


I just felt that JVG's D should have been prepared for anything.

And that whole "YAO staying outta foul trouble" is just old news. He either shows up(like in GAME 2) or he doesn't.


I just felt this team was SO SOLID to handle the playoffs. are they>?

 

And why weren't those implemented tonight??

 

I guess the big question is: CAN and WILL JVG be prepared (Defensively) on Sat?

 

You sound like an inspector. Look at all your one-liners. Why we didn't do this and that, what are you going to do next, etc. So strange. Or you are trying to build up your momentum, and throw out some bombs to surprise us with your conclusive, constructive, and brilliant ideas?

 

Lol I'm just pissed the Rockets lost a golden opportunity. But I feel that I am asking valid "one liner" questions.


We preach about what they can do for the NEXT game.....but where was it this game? Do you see my point?


Why not be prepared every game so taht you dont' have to worry about adjusting for the next game.

 

We have absolutely no defense in last two games!

 

So I guess the answer is no.

 

we're still in a very good position so there should be no panic. the thing that bothers me the most is that as good as nowitski is it's even harder to guard him when he's protected by three guys the entire night. i went to the game with my gf who occasionaly watches games when i do and she kept asking me why this guy kept going to the line. my only explantaion is that he's got his own three foot rule. at one point he had only 2 less ft's then our entire team.
i'm not going to say the refs cost us this game, cause it was ours to take anyways, but it's very obvious that we're not gonna get any help as evidenced by the first 3 games.

 

Who knows if we can stop Dallas defensively.

But we do know the Rockets can KEEP UP with Dallas offensively.

dabien, just calm down a bit.

It's a tough loss for us all.

But let's wait 'till Game 4 comes along, then we can really get into things.

Game 3 analysis? We just stunk it up in the 4th. Let's move on.

Let's just see what Game 4 brings.

 

I am utterly amazed at the amount of calls Dirk gets his way.

You graze him, and it's a foul.

It's pretty .. .. .. all rolled in one.

 

Well put it this way, what makes it so tough to have a good defense against Dallas?

I mean we can shut Phoenix down with good D, you don't think JVG has an answer for Dallas?