ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Cavaliers 12/29/2004

I dunno about the odds being that great. I get the feeling that winning powerball is more likely to happen than to see the Rockets win this game.

 

Loss.

 

No idea what team is going to show up. Let's hope it isn't last night's.

 

If Wesley isn't playing, we have no scoring threat and we already have no one to guard Lebron so we are screwed.....

 

Tmac will have to guard bronbron.

Sura can't guard Moochie right now on one knee. The longer we abuse his knee, the longer it'll take for it to recover. Last night Sura looked like a 45 year old.

Good news is Hornets fans are saying JJ and Boki will play tonight.

 

We win.

Rockets 98
Cavs 91

 

one step forward, two steps back,
the story of the season.

we can still go 15-15 if we can win tonight and friday

 

Why God? Why must we play today?


Rockets lose... and in another blowout fashion

Rockets: 0

Cavaliers: 105
following the game the rockets trade all their remaining sf's and pfs for draft picks.

 

Rockets: 68
Cavaliers: 66

I don't care how ugly it would be but just win....

 

The radio stations in Austin are reporting that Wesley will play tonight.

 

We win only because T-mac goes off for 50+

 

Now i have a reason to put the Hornets game on a tv here at the bar and see how well JJ and Boki do.

 

By Brian James
ESPN Insider

LeBron James and Tracy McGrady meet Wednesday in Cleveland in a game that could mark the crossroads for their respective teams.

James' Cavaliers enter the game at 17-11. After this game, they begin a 10-game stretch that features just three foes above .500 as of this writing. McGrady's Rockets, on the other hand, are 13-15. After this game, the Rockets have six of their next 10 games against teams playing at or below .500. But this is a Rockets' team that has lost twice to the expansion Bobcats and is coming off a 28-point loss Tuesday to the Bucks.

As much as James and McGrady drive their teams, a lot depends on their teammates. You figure James and McGrady are going to get theirs. The team that gets the better performance from its role players should win.

Which supporting cast is better at reducing the pressure on its star?

Before we answer that question, let's consider James and McGrady on an individual basis.

As I scouted the Cavs' 111-102 victory over the Hawks on Tuesday, I saw how much James' game has improved in just his second year.

The Birthday Boy (James turns 20 on Dec. 30) scored 40 points in a variety of ways. He scored in transition with explosive dunks, had lob opportunities after coming out of timeouts, and had postups to take the ball strong to the rim or hit the impossible to stop fade away jumpshots.

Now he has improved his 3-point shooting so much that defenders just shake their heads. He obviously is not afraid of contact, driving the ball to the basket – as his 14 free throw attempts attest.

Still, I don't know if I've seen a player take command of a game as McGrady did Dec. 9, when he scored 13 points in the final 35 seconds – including four 3-point baskets – to beat the Spurs.

As for their respective supporting casts, there are similarities. Both teams have backcourts that know how to win.

Coach Paul Silas' Cavs have added Eric Snow (71 career playoff appearances) from the 76ers and Lucious Harris (54) from the Nets. The Cavs also have Jeff McInnis, who has the knack for hitting clutch shots – thus taking some pressure off James in that regard.

In the offseason, the Rockets added Bob Sura, who began last season as a valuable reserve for the eventual NBA champion Pistons. This month, the Rockets added veterans Jon Barry (55 playoff games) from the Hawks and David Wesley (48) from the Hornets.

Center is not a problem for either team, with two of the elite middle men in Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Yao Ming. I will say that Yao has not played as well this season as last.

But the key to winning over the long haul this season for the Cavs might be the production of forwards Drew Gooden, Ira Newble, Robert Traylor and newcomer Anderson Varejao. Rookie Varejao, who had 6 points, 7 rebounds in 20 minutes against the Hawks, showed me how athletic he is. Is this group good enough to play opponents even, thus enabling James to win games? That will be a big question.

One promising sign: James, Gooden, and Ilgauskas lead all Eastern Conference frontlines in combined scoring, averaging 54.7 ppg.

As for the Rockets, it might take time for their new backcourt additions to gel. Also, Charlie Ward (72 career playoff games) is the only true point guard with winning experience the Rockets have, and he's just coming off the injured list.

The more I see of the Cavaliers, the more I'm impressed with them. The Rockets will have to see how their new players fit in coach Jeff Van Gundy's system. It won't be easy, even with their schedule.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?id=1955031

 

Rockets will make it close but Cavs are just a better team right now.

Cavs 104
Rockets 97

 

LBJ is gona light us up!

 

Damn that Lyndon Banes Johnson, came back from the dead just to drop 50 on the Roxs!

 

We're fornicated tonight for the simple reason that Cleveland knows we got punked last night and everyone is still looking over their shoulder wondering who's next. Full blown gun-shy. No more killer-instinct (if we had one to begin with).
"If I don't shoot, I won't miss! Ergo: I won't be the next poor devil traded."
Barry's the only one with balls right now and he couldn't hit the side of a barn last night. But at least he hustled.
T-Mac can't figure out what the hell he got himself into.
Translated: be careful what you wish for next time you're on a team that sucks. Oh, that's right, HE IS!!!!

 

Wow that is so freaking insightful

 

It's amazing...Yao has been demoted to a "role player."

 

Hopefully, he can turn that around, in all honest, Yao has been playing very well over the last couple game, last nite, however was just a dud.