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

no doubt about that!!! the Pappas, alone, made all the difference. used to get there early to watch warmups and eat my crawfish basket. now we're back to "stadium food." great.

 

The food does suck. Although I can scarf down about 3 of those fork & knife hotdogs.

I always get a funny look when I order two footlongs and a large Shiner.

 

Me too, I think they are tough as nailis and get it done when their backs are against the wall, and the world is against them.

And that reminds me of a certain former Rockets team !!



DD

 

Does anyone else think the game was thought we won when we were up by 10 why did Tmac sit so long once he got back in the game he wasnt looking for his shot and should of had the ball more at the end of the 4th but i highly doubt JVG will sit Tmac again and ruin momentum because that killed us...i know he needs rest but that wasnt the right time you would think it was but with him out our team got lackadazical and by the time we realized we were down it was too late.

 

especially when during the postgame comments t-mac said, I won't get tired, i've trained and worked too hard for this...gotta be tough. I don't know...I think getting deke in there in that second half was needed more, b/c dampier was not allowing yao to get position (by fouling!). OH well, good thing game four is tomorrow, i'd like to forget the loss and go up 3-1!

 

Couldn't finish, this is the old Rox I know...Give credit to Dallas for hanging on, but the Rox should have won this game...I was at a sports bar in Dallas and after the game, the obnoxious Mavs fans wouldn't shup-up about winning the series...Idiots...

 

the refs had nothing to do with the outcome - theyre not the ones that went 0 for whatever during the 20-0 dallas run. but, with that said, yao was on the receiving end of some bad officiating. the one that stuck out for me was when dirk and yao were battling for position and dirk throws yao to the ground. the refs end up giving yao an offensive foul - his 4th of the game. that had to be the most ridiculous offensive foul i've ever seen.

after the game, barkley mentioned that yao should stop trying to draw charges and start blocking shots. but he started trying to take charges because he was getting called for a foul almost every time he tried to block a shot. it seems like no matter what he does, yao is guaranteed to get into foul trouble. whether he keeps his hands in the air or tries for a block, he never gets a call to go his way.

 

Gimmie a BREAK. That is pure HOGWASH

Is Yao Hakeem?? NO. Is Yao another Rick Smitts? Possibly, but Rick didn't have the touch nor did he DEMAND double teams.

The problem was fouls and Yao not getting in position--he is FAR more than a role player and dropping 34 points is no aberration to a porous Dallas inside D.

Please, Dirk was guarding him for long stretches for Chrissake...thats 2 or a foul, EVERY SINGLE TIME.

The problem was not gettin the rock to him consistantly.

The only thing that Dirk carried to the win was three officials tuggin' on his jock. Listen, I HATE myself for b****ing about calls, I really think that refs usually call a fair game. But last night? You can't TELL me that the Mavs were not bailed out by officials--almost a THIRD of their points from the free throw line. This from a team that is soft as a rotten peach in the paint.

Thats fine, they will cry all they want next game when the Rox explode and blow Dallas OUT.

 

Surprisingly, I feel that the primary reason we lost last night's game was because of JVG.

[note: Do not misinterpret this post. I think JVG is fantastic and I'm not a JVG-hater. I'm also not saying that he should take all the blame for the loss. And, I'm also not frantic, angry, or panic-stricken from the loss. This is just my analysis]

What JVG did wrong:

• First and foremost: he took Yao out of the game when he got in foul trouble. Earlier in the season he said he would stop doing this - that he would leave Yao in the game to get his rhythm going. He didn't do that with Yao last night, and as a result, Yao didn't get his momentum going.
  
• Did not establish the in-out between Yao and T-Mac. There were times where T-Mac was on the floor, and I would ask, "Where's Yao?" and he was sitting down. There were other times when Yao was on the floor and I would ask, "Where's T-Mac?" and he was sitting down. It seemed as if Gundy was alternating his star players instead of establishing them both in the game at the same time.
  
• He didn't adjust quickly enough to different Dallas offenses. Not only did he not adjust quickly enough to their small-ball, he didn't have the team prepared to adjust quickly enough. Then, when Dallas went big again, we again adjusted slowly. Their changing offenses probably took JVG by surprise. If I know Gundy, he won't allow that to happen again.
  
  please read my note at the beginning of this post before you reply.

-- droxford

 

yeah, it's so frustrating. All he can do is do his best. But also, he is slower, not as quick so he is very prone to picking up fouls from helping out to late, or getting beat. Man, Howard vs. Yao...I just really don't like that matchup...you HAVE to take advantage on the other end of the court...

 

Hey dude

your little don't-use-periods-or-capitals may work on the pee-wee boards, but it ain't gonna cut it here.

-- droxford

 

I am not worried at all after last night's game. I honestly believe that was the best Dallas could do. They played a near perfect game. It took both Finley and Dirk to go off jsut to win by 4. A few more free throws go in and 1 or 2 of those 3's in the 4th and the Rockets win. It wasn't anything that Dallas really did to win more than it was the Rockets going cold at the wrong time. The open shots and free throws were there.

There is nothing for the team to get down about. There is nothing for the fans to get down about. The only negative, at least from what I could tell from the tv, was the lame ass crowd. What does it take for these people to get excited?

Rockets win game 4 and win the series in 6.

 

My thoughts as well. When Yao scores big, people say he's aggressive; otherwise, he's not. You cannot work your way back from Yao's stats but judge him for his effort on the floor. Yao is no McGrady -- Yao cannot create his own shots. The pick and roll is designed not for Yao to get the ball back but for Yao to get to the post. Notice that Yao seldom looks for the ball back on a pick and roll. He goes straight to the low post most times. It has always been a problem getting Yao the ball down low and not that the Rockets have not tried. The status quo has worked well for the team this season but it does seem a waste to not be able to utilize Yao more...

 

Ouch Drox...but I LIKE it

 

we need to have an official "the fans suck" thread.

 

The game is lost when guards threw up these outside shots and missed, the shot selection is questionable in the 4th. That's both on Sura and MJ.

Still, if Tmac didn't miss these two consecutive layups, we should have a chance. That play worked so well that they sacrificed Yao post-up play to run it, and Yao was expecting it to go down, less prepared to get the offensive board.

 

It seems like the team that gets outrebounded wins. Pretty weird. I had a feeling the Rox would come out flat b/c they seemed to be getting alittle too comfortable with all the talk and celebrations. Anyways, I think they will pull it out on Sat.

 

Aggressive, my a$$. Now, I just believe more and more that certain people do NOT want Yao to succeed, do NOT want the Rockets to succeed. How's a post-up center less aggressive than a face-up jump shooter? Is Dirk aggressive? A 7 footer shooting jumpers all night long. Is KG really aggressive? don't think so, another 7 footer doesn't want to play center, shooting jumpers all the time. Is TD aggressive? Nope, another 7 footer facing baskets shooting bank shots. Yao is not aggressive? How could one tell after 3 mins, 5 touches? After he gets two quick fouls, how could he be more aggressive? What's most inconsistent is the calls, the refs. You let him play, he can deliver; if the refs don't, noone can. Just look how pathetic those offensive fouls you got, and then look again to see how Shaq lowers his shoulder and sticks out his elbow, or use his left arm to do the spin. Does he get called fouls? NO.

Call me conspiracy theorist. But I just don't believe it's not biased, or intentional. When someone has absolute power in outcomes, whether is a ball game or any political game, you can take "fairness" out of your dictionary, coz it would never happen.

 

I'll agree with that. I'm sure Van Gundy will make the necessary adjustments and get the guys focused, but Avery, despite some mistakes, is doing a better job coaching than he's gotten credit for. The only game so far that the Rockets played on their terms was game 1. Even with the game 2 win, the Rockets were still getting lit up. I love that the Rockets have the lead in the series but I'd feel a lot better if they could get back to sealing off the paint and dictating the tempo instead of being forced to beat the Mavs at their own game.

 

I was (and still am) obviously upset, but I kind of expected this. When we were up by double digits I got scared because I knew the Mavericks would make a run, just not quite that big. I don't know what all these people are talking about when it comes to the noise. It was very loud in there for most of the game until that 20-0 run by the Mavs. Overall I enjoyed the game, at least we didn't get blown out. I have to say the best part was definitely in the first half when Dampier was shooting free throws and everyone was chanting "Dampier Sucks!" and then he misses both of them! That alone made my night.

Did everyone get Year of the Yao buttons? If not then let me know!

Pugs