ClutchFans Game Thread: Pistons @ Rockets 12/6/2003

damn it, all of my predictions are wrong! Every time I predicted the Rox win, we lost. Every time I predicted the Rox lose, we won. WTF??? anyways, my prediction, we lose BIG!!!

 

Detroit is a very good defensive team under Larry Brown, their back court has been playing at a very high level. I see this as a very ugly game, the Rockets come out on top since they are at home.


Rockets 84 -- 79 Pistons


--daoshi

 

I hope we win this one. I am heading down to Houston for this game with a couple of friends. Go Rockets!

 

Good Luck Rockets ! Hope you Win !


Has anyone noticed how crowded the Midwest Div. is :

Denver 13 6 .684 ---
Dallas 12 7 .632 1
Houston 11 7 .611 1.5
Utah 11 7 .611 1.5
Minnesota 11 8 .579 2
Memphis 10 8 .556 2.5
San Antonio 10 10 .500 3.5

I wonder when Denver will come up for air . They are on a role.

 

loss 83 - 89

 

Yao still leaves opponents in awe December 6, 2003





BY HELENE ST. JAMES
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER




Tonight's game at Houston makes Chauncey Billups glad he's a guard. Because as challenging as it is to defend Steve Francis, at least Billups can look him in the eye, something that can't be said about the human oak tree masquerading as Rockets center Yao Ming.

Yao averages 17.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks, all terrific numbers for an NBA center. Beyond the numbers, he'd dazzle opponents purely with his size, because even in the tall man's world of the NBA, it's rare to come across someone who's 7-foot-6 and 310 pounds.

"His size is just unbelievable, man," Billups said. "It is always a good time when I can sit out there and watch a little bit, just look at him and the way he maneuvers out there. The skill level that he has with his size is unbelievable, being able to shoot the ball and pass and the things he does. It's always a treat to see a guy like that.

"I would hate to be 6-10 thinking I'm a big guy and have to play against him. He's 7-6 and he's all over the place."

Though Elden Campbell is the team's starting center, Ben Wallace has played against Yao in the past and likely will take several shifts against him. Even if he lets his afro out, Wallace, who's 6-foot-9 hair-down, is still going to be looking up.

But, he figures, he's wiser.

"He's got a foot on me, but I've got a couple of years on him, so it's going to balance out in the end," Wallace said with a grin.

Since it's nearly impossible to contain Yao, the better option is to try to limit his time and space.

"You can't allow Yao to come down and catch the ball where he wants to catch it at," Wallace said. "A guy with his size, if you allow him to come down and just walk down the floor and catch the ball, he's going to score every time. You've got to fight him and keep him off the block and make him do things he's really not comfortable doing."

NOTEBOOK: If, as Larry Brown said, the Pistons have a tendency not to take everybody seriously, their lackadaisical habits could cost them against Houston. The Rockets are 11-7 after defeating New Orleans on Friday night, but they have played 11 of their opening games on the road, including their past six. Entering Friday's game, they were the third-best defensive team in the league with a points-against average of 85.3, while averaging 88.4. In addition to Yao, Cuttino Mobley (16.8 points) can hurt opponents, and Francis is a superb point guard capable of producing 18.1 points per game along with 4.7 assists and 5.6 rebounds (though he's also a bit turnover-prone at 3.8). "It could be tough if we get down and put ourselves in a hole and then trying to climb back out," Billups said. "We've got to focus on not doing that."

Tonight: Rockets
Matchup: Pistons vs. Houston, 8:30, Toyota Center. TV/radio: Channel 50; WDFN-AM (1130). Injuries: Detroit -- C Zeljko Rebraca (fatigue), G Chucky Atkins (knee), G Lindsey Hunter (knee), injured list. Houston -- F Eddie Griffin (suspension), G Mike Wilks (shoulder), G Adrian Griffin (knee), F Ben Davis (knee), out.

 

Pistons face test of stopping improved Yao Ming



Pistons face test of stopping improved Yao Ming

Saturday, December 6, 2003

By A. Sherrod Blakely





AUBURN HILLS -- The Detroit Pistons have a tall order tonight in trying to contain Houston's 7-foot-6-inch center Yao Ming.

The second-year center's progress has been one of the reasons why the Rockets (10-7) are among the top teams in the Western Conference's Midwest division.

Yao is averaging 17.2 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.06 blocks per game -- all improvements over his statistics last season, when he finished second to Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire for the NBA's rookie-of-the-year award.

Pistons center Elden Campbell, who returned to the team after spending most of this week in Los Angeles attending his grandmother's funeral, will likely start tonight's game defending Yao.

"He's a big boy," said Campbell, who matched up against Yao in games last season. "What people don't realize is he has a nice strong base and uses his lower body."

A key to Yao's improved play has been first-year coach Jeff Van Gundy's insistence that his center get more touches in the lane.

"I saw enough of him last year to know that he's pretty darn good," said Pistons coach Larry Brown. "I know Jeff has been on him about rebounding the ball and blocking shots. That seems to be an area he has improved on each game."

Detroit's Ben Wallace, nine inches shorter than Yao, has matched up with him a number of times both in the NBA and in an international tournament in Indianapolis two summers ago.

Like most who have seen him play this season, Wallace said Yao's progress has been very noticeable.

"He's definitely a threat, more so now than he was last year," Wallace said. "He's learned the league a little bit, got his feet wet and plays a little bit harder. He's definitely going to be a challenge not for just one guy, but the whole team."

When Brown left Philadelphia in May, several teams lined up to hire him, with Houston being among them.

Brown, in his first season as the Pistons' head coach, said he didn't feel comfortable in comparing the two franchises, but had nothing but praise for the Rockets' organization.

"I liked the people in Houston," Brown said. "They were great. (Rockets Owner Leslie Alexander) was great to me. I just didn't want to wait a lot. They had a timetable."

Brown was hired by the Pistons on June 2, less than a week after he left Philadelphia. The Rockets did not Van Gundy until June 11.

Brown added, "but they got a great coach, and I'm in a terrific situation."

No decision had been made about whether Chucky Atkins and Zeljko Rebraca would be activated for tonight's game. But listening to Brown on Friday, it sounded as if Rebraca were a bit closer to being on the active roster.

Brown said he was concerned with Atkins' ability to run laterally.

But Rebraca, Brown said, "is doing better, a lot better."

If Rebraca is activated, Darvin Ham or Hubert Davis would likely replace him on the injured list.


Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton will play host to a holiday shopping spree for under-privileged, metro Detroit children at Meijer in Auburn Hills at 4:30 p.m. Monday. Each player, along with Meijer, has donated $200 for each of the 40 children to spend on toys and clothing for themselves, as well as their families. The participants come from City Mission and the Children's Home of Detroit. Tonight's game will be the Pistons' first in the Rocket's new arena, the Toyota Center. Prior to Detroit's 98-74 win at Houston last season, the Pistons had lost their previous nine at Houston.

 

Let's see if we can pull a "W" out of the hat.


101

79


Rockets win nicely.... and look like a west team doing so.

 

Rockets win 97 - 82
Steve Francis 27 points 10 of 16 fg (1 of 3 from down town) and 6 of 8 from the ft line. 6 assists.
And Yao backs Ben Wallace down. Dunk it in his grill again Yao!

 

If the Rockets move the ball like they did against New Orleans, they will probably win. If they revert to dribble mania, a sure loss awaits.

 

One of the better things I saw from the Rocks last night is that they ran more. They got out on the break more last night than they have in the past. If you watch them play, they have always taken thier time getting down the court. This allows the opposing defence to get down and set. They get very few easy baskets that way. Last night they got ran the break a little more. If you watch JVG during the game, he is always waving for the players to get the ball up court. I believe that this is an area where we really need to improve.

 

The good east teams are mediocre West teams..........
and the rox usually beat mediocre west teams


Rox win a lot to a little at home

 

An ugly loss.
63:97

 

Rox 85
Pistons 79

Rox, here we go, lets get a real winning streak going.

 

83-76 rox win

 

I"m goin negative in hopes i'll be proved wrong...

Rockets 89 - Pistons 93

Francis recovers from shooting drought to score 36 but forgets to pass the ball to anyone except Mobley.

Francis stats:

36points on 48 attempts, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 6 turnovers.....

Prove me wrong!

 

key matchup is the battle of the east european bench

Boki

VS.

Darko

Lets get it oN!@!!!!

 

Lot of respect for the Rockets on the part of the Pistons. That means we lose. Although I think Big Ben will be suprised at Yao's strength underneath. They will front, but Yao will dominate on all 6 of his shots tonight.

Steve again is going to be frustrated by their back court.

 

What kind of BS is Brown saying?!?! Detroit hired Brown on June 2, and we hired JVG 9 days later. Brown didn't want to wait 9 days???? He must have other reasons that he doesn't want to divulge.

- droxford

 

I'm excited to see th matchup of two of the best backcourts in the NBA go at it.

Francis and Mobley vs. Billups and Hamilton will be fun.

Who do you all think has a better backcourt Detroit or Houston?