ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Bobcats 11/11/2007

To be honest if this was last year we probably couldn't have won. Ugly game but a win is a win!!!!

 

is it me... or does anyone else think Tmac should shoot the ball in the 4th....

Tmac was clutch in the 4th making up for the sub par perfomance the 1st 3 quarters...

 

BAT WINGS: TMAC!

 

This is the type of win that separates average/good teams from the potentially great teams. Nothing seemed to be going the Rockets' way tonight save Yao, and the team still found a way to pull it off. When everything seems to be going wrong, when no one could hit a shot, when the Bobcat announcers make jokes about building houses with the team's shots, the team gritted their teeth, focused and eked out a victory. These are the games that try men's souls - the Rockets were tested and were found worthy tonight.

Now should they have been there in the first place? Probably not. But the NBA is a long season. You will have teams undergo shooting struggles. The key is if you can win the gritty, grimy, ugly games...and the team has plenty of practice with that under JVG's tenure. I am happy about the result, and glad to see that the team can win ugly. Given my druthers, I'd prefer to win pretty, but I'll take a win any day of the week.

 

So you´re ok with this performance? And beating Charlotte by 3 points?
Cause I´m not.

This team should be much better than that and besides the 6-1 record we still haven´t got an easy win. We could as easily be 3-4.

 

I know it was an ugly win but it's really nice to see Mac's and Yao's determination to not lose this game. That's what superstars are supposed to do. They saw their teammates were struggling and they both put on their hard hats and went to work.

 

Agreed. We finally found the cure for fronting Yao.

 

Before the Rafer Alston bashers kick in...

Alston is +9 for the game. Battier is a monstrous +16. The bench (Wells, Scola, Head, James) were a collective -33. Eww.

 

This is how good teams win...they pull it out in the end, regardless of how they've played throughout the game.

Yao had a stellar game....didn't know that guy had range on his shot.

T-Mac...FINALLY nice to see him take it to the hole during the end of games. NICE.

Even though Bonzi/Battier/Scola struggled we still won...and it was our stars that pulled it out for us....this is what you call a damn good team....and i'm a pessimistic fan...we WILL get past the first round guaranteed.

 

Thank you Yao. Thank you T-Mac.

@ everybody else.

Truly awful game by our bench -- almost rivals the worst of last year's performance.

 

you mean the game where we set a NBA playoff record???? for fewest players scoring!!!


LOL

 

here are other concerns:

1) our team still does not know what to do when teams pressure the ball out of tmac at the end of ball games. and it always seems to find rafer

2) yao is still not getting the respect of the refs defensively. someone has to speak up, who cares if we get fined.

3) we HAVE to run a few plays for scola. just have to. we've gotten bonzi involved. we've tried to incorporate james. but we haven't tried to do that w/ scola. right now he's like a lesser version of chuck hayes. we need him to score.

 

If you go by these first seven games, then you will be in for a rude awakening come playoff time, my friend...this team won't cut it the way they're playing now. Without consistent bench production every single game in the playoffs, we'll be easily disposed of by the best in the West (Mavs, Spurs, Suns).

 

Yao was magnificent... when he actually got the ball, was pretty bad when he couldn't get position. So averages out to a great performance.

Tracy was basically invisible for three quarters then finally woke up in the 4th. Typical "I'm going to ride Yao and turn it on late" performance out of T-mac.

Everyone else gave us nothing. Just one of those off-nights on a trap game. At least we won though.

 

Close game win is good for this team.

Props to Yao, TO tons early, kept his cool and kept us in the game single-handedly until Tmac took over. He is unstoppable! Big plays down the strech as well. Game MVP.

Tmac, despite bad shooting, he took over when it counted. I wish he could be more aggressive earlier, especially we had the cats in foul trouble in the entire 3rd quarter. Take it the rack, Mac, see nobody can guard you on that cat teams but foul.

Now the rest of teams, boy, stink. Our guards cant buy a bucket and kept jacking up. Luther Head's minute should go to Francis if he keeps playing like that. Mike James went back to Twolves-self, man him and Head almost lost the game for us. Rafer, oh well, he is having an typical shooting night, which is he cant shoot.

Scola, man, his D and rebounding is pretty bad for NBA right now. He has a lot to learn, otherwise his stock is dropping.

I bet Battier wont have a night like this again.

 

What happened to the Yao-McGrady feud? What about the Mcgrady-Battier conspiracy theory?

Can anyone update me?

 

Not really, he's their 6th man. He beat out Morrison for that position last season.

 

1.) I think a decent counter play (because they are anticipating the pick and roll) is to fake the P&R instead pass to the wing and post up Yao instead; if they double that McGrady then has 1v1 and can drive.

2.) At least they called Gerald Wallace for offensive foul.

3.) Scola is getting open shots and not hitting them, unlike someone like Yi.

 

60/85 points=71% of the offense

 

Very ugly, but we are strong enough to hang in edge, and finally got a win...

If Yao could cut his TOs, he's going to have a MVP season...