ClutchFans Game Thread: Mavericks @ Rockets 4/30/2005 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 4)

What's our answer to the Mavs small lineup? ie. Howard against Yao?

That always kills us, the only time it doesn't is when AJ stops using it.

Bowen/TMac on Dirk/Howard?

 

The Rockets are going to taco the Maverics
108-95

 

this loss is a good loss for TMAC/YAO for the long term. no easy win in the playoff when we face a elite team like MAVS. Now ROX need focus and pound everything that have to get W

 

I have a bad feeling about this game, a definite loss.

We have no answer for their small ball and they has been shooting lights out.

119 : 102 Mavs

 

JVG has to sub better than game 3.

1) Bowen is needed to guard Dirk, why was he on the floor when Dirk was on the bench? He got tired, committed bad foul and we could not use him on Dirk at the end.

2) We had to use TMac on Dirk too much. I don't care what TMac said, he played less minutes than other games but he did not look like he had the same energy. He did not play D as well. Did not challenge Dirk or Stackhouse's jump shot. He was not as agressive on offense. His elevation was bad, on jump shot and at the basket.

3) The Mavs are younger and quicker. Sometimes we can stay with them, sometimes we can't . Early in game 3 it was obvious that we were slow to the ball, we needed rest at the right time. Wesley and Tmac played all of the 1st quarter+ 5 mins of the 2nd. That was not normal.

4) We need to play James more, if nothing else, so he can bring the ball up the floor instead of TMac. Sura apparently has trouble doing so.

 

JVG will have the Roxs playing better D. He will also make sure his team doesn't give away possesions with silly turnovers.

To steal a quote from the Chronicle:

On a night Tracy McGrady finally missed some shots, on a night Ryan Bowen was more of an offensive liability than a defensive asset, the Rockets almost won anyway.

I think we are are a the edge of beating the Mavs badly and think we will correct what caused the loss last nite.

Roxs 108
Mav97

 

tmac will have another poster dunk, this time over dampier.. and also, i see some fisticuffs in the game. watch out. a mav is going down, again.

 

the refs will call an even game. yao won't get in foul trouble. JVG will make the adjustments to win. we played like they wanted it more. that won't happen 2 games in a row....not with this team, not with this coach.


ROX:108
mavs:94


GO ROX!!!!

 

Rally the troops and lets get back on track boys. How can we let this guy beat us:



I just finished photoshopping it.

 

Now we have a series, I expect slower, ugly games, from here on, which should be to our advantage.

Sura & James need to cut down those wild shots. I got worried whenever those two start their move with their heads down, they seem like to speed the tempo, which plays more into Mavs' strength. I want those two just bring the ball up, hand the ball to TMac, or dump it to Yao, I don't want to see them be creative. We cannot afford any more mistakes in this series.

No more taking charges on helping defense from Yao! Coaches will tell you that's a big NO NO. Big people are slower to get to position to take the charge against smaller players, you'd get called 9 out of 10 times. Yao needs to either go for the block, or get out of the way. On offense, don't pass out when you are that close to the basket. It's a higher percentage shot than open 3 when you that close to it. Go up strong, through your body into the defender(s). No refs will call offensive foul under the basket!

TMac needs to make quicker decision than he showed in game 3, he hesitated too much, and seemed tired in 4th qtr. Let Yao do the work inside in the 1st and may be 2nd, that will put the Dallas front line in foul trouble, so Tmac can take over late in the game. Since the Mavs made the decision of playing him 1on1, he should go to the hole anytime he touches the ball, don't settle for 3pts.

Transition defense. We need to play better 1on1 defense tomorrow. It was too easy for the Mavs to bring the ball up, get into their position. Our back court has to press the ball more, make it hard for the Mavs to get into their offense.

I'm expecting a hard fighting game from both teams, with the Rockets's defense prevail at the end.

96::93 Da Rockets

 

We're pissed now, and we win, no prediction, but we'll win. Now that we've seen that we can't monkey around with them and still win, we'll take care of business for 48 minutes on Saturday.

Make Finley disappear again and we got em.

We'll probably win this series in six.

 

i think we come out with the most passion and intensity yet. i think mike james is going to come up big in this one. we win.

 

were gunna go to yao, early and often.


and then KVH is gunna come in and were gunna get a 10 point lead

 

I was at the game yesterday, and I am still pissed about losing. My way of releasing stress; I proabably wasted 10 minutes in writing it as it will likely be trashed. Oh well...

Dear Rockets Organization:

Please address the officiating problem with Yao Ming. It's amazing this league is willing to milk the marketing potential of Yao, yet treat him as if he is a 3rd string center with horrible and I mean horrible officiating. The ticky-tac fouls, the offensive calls when his defenders are wrestling him; it’s just so frustrating. Either the referees are bias, racist, or just clueless. You don't have to be of Chinese descent to realize that there is something amiss. Just look at the way this league protects Dirk. The guy fades away for a shot, and it’s an automatic foul. It's just so disgusting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If Mark Cuban were running the Rockets he would take this issue public by putting it out in the main stream media demanding results (or on his blog website); calling out both the referees and the league. Les, you need to stick up for your team; obviously whatever you are saying and doing behind close doors is just not getting it done. The tapes you send to league officials, where are the results? Be a proactive owner! How is it possible that you can sit at your mid-court seat every home game and not have your blood boiling with the officiating on your home court??

If David Stern is unwilling to remedy this situation, then here is an idea; do not allow Stern to exploit Yao’s marketing potential by forging multi-million dollar contracts with these Chinese Telecommunication Companies. How on earth do these referees and the league get away with this? And I don’t want to hear the excuse that the referees haven’t figured out a way to referee him. Folks, this is not rocket science (no pun intended) These referees, who are compensated quite well, should get together and figure out how to officate him. All they have to do is look at the tape to figure out their mistakes.

Yes, Yao does commit some dumb fouls, but so does every other player in the league. While it's impossible to dispense with all fouls, those other players don’t get every questionable call going against them. What makes it worse is that Yao has not yet learned to confront the officials when calls do not go his way. Therefore, it is up to the Rockets organization as a whole to protect him.

I have yet to see one article make it to any national news media outlet lambasting the officiating. Until that happens, I’m afraid nothing is really going to change. It is elementary that the media is a powerful tool in our society. The NBA realizes the power of the media, and tries to curtail critisicm thru it by way of fines and penalties.

Consider this. First, whether you consider him a jackass or not, how much in fines and penalties has the NBA assessed against Mark Cuban? Does this prevent him from reacting against a perceived unjustice? No. Secondly, how many times does it seem that the Mavericks get the better end of the calls in a game? See any correlation?

I know if I were a referee, I wouldn't want to make the questionable calls (say Dirk pushing and jumping on Yao) knowing the wrath I would face from Cuban. The easier option, call an offensive foul!! Phew, that was easy, crowd doesn't react, Yao shakes his head and walks to the bench.

 

Everyone is like Yao needs more touches. Honestly I think T mac needs to and must take control by maybe the third and definitely the fourth. Too often last game we saw Yao fumble a pass. Truthfully he was too passive, he was like coach do u want me to shoot it? No? OK. He needs to be more like GIVE ME THE f*&kING BALL!!!! Of course this isn't in Yao's nature (though that would be awesome if one day he made a statement like that) and so I think T mac needs to demand the ball.

Last game T mac finally made a three in the end and was getting hot... he needs to do this earlier. Also... I think Mutombo needs to play more... he controls the glass better than Yao does.

I hate to agree with Barkley but whoever wins tomorrow has probably the best shot of winning the series.

GO ROCKETS

 

Oschadha, Heck of a first post, welcome to the board. I agree completely. This is getting to the point of absurdity. There needs to be a meeting of the minds on this one.

 

Revenge.

Rox: 93
Murvs: 84

 

Yao gets the star treatment wherever he plays (except in the US).

Watch him in the Olympics and World Championship games, you rarely see a tentative Yao who is afraid of getting foul calls on both ends.

 

Must win game ... Gotta stop the momentum right now!

Rox 104
Mavs 97

Rox up 3-1!!!

 

The Mavs keep on flopping and the refs keep on buying it --I hope we get some referees that know what they're doing this time...