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

By the way, I was just thinking about what the SPURS for instance would do defensively to stop the MAVS.

Now I truly believe we have better D than the Spurs. So if we dont have an answer Defensively against the MAVS, that will be our downfall.....no way we can keep up with their offense the ENTIRE series.

You think the Spurs would end up playing HIGH SCORING BALL if they were matched up with Dallas as well?

 

The foul they called on Yao's block of KVH's drive would've been a no-call out-of-bounds call on even the scrubiest of rookies. But of course Yao gets called for a foul.

Another one of the very interesting calls made tonite was Yao's #4 in the third period. He was posting up Nitwitzki in the paint, got his arms tangled up with him and they called an offensive foul on Yao. Why a 310 lb man would ever need to commit an offensive foul in order to maintain post position against a charmin-soft 235lb mostly perimeter defender is a concept I will never fully grasp. But apparently tonite's officiating crew felt that they right on top of that one and were able to catch Yao redhanded making this apparent NBA rulesbook infraction.

I really believe that Yao plays pretty much the same way every game night in and night out. At least to start off each game. It's just a matter of how the refs end up calling the game that dictates how aggresive he ends up playing on both ends, and how much of his offensive repertoire he allowed to showcase amidst hacking and dislodging defenders.

 

we let our gaurd down, basically, we thought we had the game. it happens to all teams, example one, is san antonio when tmac exploded.
anytime a team goes into the 4th with a sizeable lead, the players feel too good, and relax on D, its human nature,

for sure you wont see this mistake come game 4

 

i hope you're right. Just seems so fundamental to play hard 48 min EVERY game.

 

IT is the same every night (even when they win, except the rare occasion where Yao gets 13-14) your highest percentage shooter shoots far less shots and your lower percentage shooters take far more shots. This is the entire reason the rockets regular season record is an "underacheivement" in my book. How many times were they throwing up low percentage shots against the likes of ATLANTA, CHARLOTTE, ETC when Yao was actually the only one shooting over 50% in the given game. And don`t give me that crap that Yao doesn`t get good enough position, how many times do you see Yao wide open during those games, or establish low block position, only for them to swing the ball around or wait too long and then when they get Yao the ball it is in a worse spot than they could have easily gotten earlier in the shot clock. It would help if we actually had a point guard on the team, sure they give Sura a lane to the bucket, but he is a lower percentage free throw shooter than Yao, and he shoots less than 50 %, and if he would just get some spacing by stepping back and passing the ball into Yao, this would put far more pressure on the defense. I like watching Yao play, but even when tracy has those special games where he makes all those bad shots, its fools gold. Barry is the only one on the team who has a decent basketball IQ, how many left-handed drives to the basket do you think tracy has missed this year where either the refs don`t give him the call or he shoots it too hard off the glass. Until this team realizes who the real man is in Yao, they are never going to reach their potential, they would win more games with steve nash on this team than tracy mcgrady. Too bad we couldn`t have stolen Duhon who looks like a steal for the bulls!!!!

 

its because you screws up a nice possible 3 point play and turns it into a 20 - 0 mavs run

 

dabien, like I said, just calm down.

A tough loss to take, but just wait for Game 4.

You act as if this series is over.

Sure, there are things to be improved, a few adjustments, etc.

But you're just getting scary now.

I wonder what you'll have to say if we win Game 4?



But watch the posts flood from you if we lose Game 4.

 

Well said, and the punch line is " its the human nature" to make mistakes, to have mental lapses. If our team can keep the kind of intensity they showed in game 1 and 2 throughout the playoffs, we will definitely go 16- 0 straight to the Ring ( the precious, ). At the same time, you have to accept the fact that other teams do have their edges, they can also play good ball with heart and energy. You just have to play harder and tougher.

Losing is the better way to learn and mature.

 

I think you got a very good point there, it's easier to let Yao try those layups than Sura simply because of the height differential. Yao's more likely to make the shot and/or draw fouls. And to put it this way, it's better to let Yao (or T-mac for that matter) try and fail than Sura. Don't get me wrong, I like Sura alot, but we are not building our franchise around him, are we?

Oops, someone might label me as a Yof.

 

The Biggest Culprit, IMHO, is Bobby Sura

True, he had a big game. But in a game where there are only so many shots, so many touches, he jacked up WAY TOO MANY shots for a PG. Our team plays better when there is better distribution. Most people know that I'm NOT a YOF. So before people start to lynch me as such, here was one game where, IMHO, Yao did NOT get nearly as many touches as he ought to relative to our guards. People are free to disagree with me on this point but notwithstanding Yao's early foul trouble, he was still able to log 34 good minutes. But 11 FGAs????

That's not going to do it.

Bobby, at best, is a 45% shooter. Yao, at worst, is still a 50% shooter in my book. In a game won by a point here and a point there, Yao needed more shots... esp. as the game started to wind down. One thing that really irks me about Bobby running the sets is that should Yao bobble and lose one possession (as he does from time to time), they almost never go back to him on the subsequent possession. IMHO, what kind of logic is that???

Bottom line: something is wrong when our second highest scorer behind McGrady is someone other than Yao.

My two cents.



theSAGE

 

You know Van Gundy has preached this, but Barry is the only one who gets it from time to time...That`s what happens when you have smaller 2 guards trying to play "POINT GUARD"! I bet John Stockton could come out of retirement and do a better job running our offense through the right people than JAMES/SURA.

 

I lay blame on John Lopez and his lockeroom raly articles.

 

Just got back from the game. The absolute worst officiated game I've seen all season long.

I saw Steve Javie out there, but I couldn't make out the other 2. Some b*stard w/ blonde hair blew calls all night long.

 

WAS MICKAEL JORDAN TOO COCKY OR ALI...that`s just not relevant...what matters is how you perform, you don`t think the MIAMI HURRICANES ARE A COCKY BUNCH...?

 

I think you are talking about Jeff kersey.

Two things have stood out for me....

1) While watching the Miami-NJ game, I noticed Jefferson drive the baseline right into Shaq, who moved in which his hands up. Replay clearly showed Shaq's hand (inclined) made contact with jefferson's arm. Dick bavetta says play on, motioning that shaq's hand were staright up. Ok, fair enough. But then I saw the EXACT same play couple minutes later in Houston-Dallas game. Yao did exactly what Shaq did but Yao is guilty of foul.

So which is it? My beef isnt about one game. Its about total lack of inconsistency. NBA refs need to start consulting the manual called "How to ref an NBA game" instead of stacking up on different volumes such as, "How to take 7-5 Chinese out of the game" or "How to sniff Shaq's jockstrap for 48 minutes", or "How to protect a german endagered species"...

2) I am totally losing respect for Dirk. I used to like him and used to chear for Mavs to win in playoffs. But this guy has mastered the art of flailing, flopping, and acting. Whenever he takes a shot or drives, its like his whole body goes into convulsions, while being blown away by a tornado. For Christ Sakes's man, have some self-respect. Somewhere out there, Karl Malone is watching him and laughing his @ss off.

 

Basketball is a team sport, I don't think James/Sura realizes that. Big men get the best roll action if they set great picks. Guards get the best shot/drives if dominant big man commands low post attention.

Sometimes, I feel like James and Sura think they're stuck in NBA Live 2005.

 

I felt the same way. And there were too many times shots were rushed by more than just Sura. Barry had only 4 attempts? James 5? Yao 11? ...Sura 19 attempts. We seemed out of control during large parts of the game, and it wasn't just because of the Mavs defense.

And the refs did totally and absolutely suck.

 

Yeah, there is no reason to panic, let's move on.

Mavs still need to win 3 of the 4 left games even it includes two of their home games. I do not think they have the heart.

THey are good road team, and so is ROXs. After all star weekend, ROXs seems to win more tough battles on the road than at home. Let say we win at least one at home and one on road.

Now calm down , cool down, we are still in a good shape.

TMAC is there, he will give our team a lift. Yao is not consistant, but he does have the strength, next game he will be there to produce.

When it is 3:1, it will be over.

Good luck ROCKETS, good luck all of us.

 

Indeed. People should keep in mind for this series and for the rest of the time Yao is with the Rockets that these performances such as that of Game 2 are aberrations. Games 1 & 3 reflect the true Yao, a decent role player but not one who will carry the team to the championship.

Game 3 really showed us the difference between a true superstar and one who is not. When Mavericks were facing near death on the road with a deficit in the fourth quarter, Dirk carried his team to victory and probably single-handedly saved the series. But in a similiar situation, I doubt we can expect to see Yao rise to the occasion.

 

Whilst i can understand everyones frustrations, remember were still up 2-1 with another game at the Toyota Center. you can be sure the rockets will come out breathing fire on Saturday. JVG would have Roasted them after last nights debacle. We get the Win on Saturday and will probaly finish the Series in Dallas. noone really thought we were gonna sweep the mavs? did they?. we were bound to lose a game or 2. so ... dont be so dissapointed. they might have won Small prize last night, but were gonna win the War. that kind of late game Meltdown will never be repeated under a JVG led team.