ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Grizzlies 1/19/2004

If Van Gundy starts Cato which I expect him to do, Hubie Brown will smile.

 

Yea, BOKI was embarrassed last time by THAT block. So this time he will put on a SHOW of himself, something like 10 points, 5 boards in 4th Q.

 

If the Rockets play the kind of defense that they put up against the Wolves, this game is a cinch. I say the Rockets will continue their winning ways and take care of business against the Grizz.

 

Who guards Pau Gasol? Don't tell me it is Cato.

 

I say start Mo-T tonight. That clears out the middle because Pau and Hubie have to keep honest with Mo-T out there. Yao should benefit from the clear out. Yao might not be the only answer tonight. Let him sit and have Cato play 5 with Pagett at 4. Have the line up rotate quite a bit to keep everyone fresh to keep up with the high powered griz. We start off with offense to establish tempo. Then with Padgett and Cato we should be able to shut down a bit on defense. By the way, MemphisX was talking about his team's record not the rox.

 

Gooooooooooooooo, Rockets!

The most important thing is to show our consistency. We need a 6 win, even 10 win streak to improve the confidence level.

rockets 92 - grizzlies 85

 

This game is huge.
Be consistent now!
Whoop the Grizz like we whopped the wolves.

Hoston 98
Memphis 79

Go Rockets

 

Hopefully houston will win this one in double digits again and that we can see MJ in action too.

 

I like what Dodo said but instead of Padgett with Cato I would use Padgett with Yao and let MoT share time with Cato on the floor that way we keep a consistent low post scorer on the floor and Cato will still bring the Def. Padgett and Yao would have a similar effect opening up the middle for Yao to do his magic..

Im excited about this game since its on TNT and I get to watch the game and see if the team can maintain its intensity and composure. Rox will win 102 - 76 blow out..

Yao will finally have his breakout game of 30pts/ 18 rebs/ 6 blks

I expect strong showings from our backcourt and everyone else to contribute. The Defense needs to focus on Pau but everyone for the Griz can score so no easy buckets and no double teams.

We have the talent edge on this team and the size, last game was decided but the bench so im hoping Boki and the rest of our super duper backup bench brigade have a good game.

Go Yao! Go Rox! Go Super Duper Backup Bench Brigade!

J

 

this is going to be a good game... I'm looking forward to it.

I fully expect we will play hard and smart like we did last game (at least through three quarters).

go rockets...

 

guys!!! We are jinxing them!!!!!!!!!! Whenever we expect them to win they loose, and whenever we expect them to loose they win!!!! So
Francis with 20 tos 2 techs in the first quater and gets ejected, yao becomes another poster in one of gasol's dunks, and moochie starts missing houston and decides to come back

 

I hope we can win this game, but I think we'll lose this one due to following reasons,

First, we are really sucked against full court pressure. We showed that against the Wolves in the 4th qtr, we let them back in the game when they put a semi-decent on-ball pressure; it was the same story we lost the game to the Grizzles the last time.

The other problem is the endurance of our team. The Grizzles play a very physical game with full court pressure most of the time. They rotate almost 12 players for 48 minutes. This will easily wore our guys out if JVG still stick to his 8 or 9 men rotation. We need the entire bench to win this game.


--daoshi

 

Maybe Van Gundy will have Mo and Padgett in there at the same time like the 1st Boston game. I think it depends on Yao's jumpshot. However, the Rockets can't have two statues out there playing defense on the perimeter.

 

Man, Griz didnt have Bozi last time. Griz is a very very talented team, however they are also a young team inconsistent. If Posey is the leading scorer for them tonigt, I will say we have good chance. Will be a close game as always between Griz and Rox.

 

Anyone who predicts a win tonight has not been paying attention to the Rockets for the last five years. This is exactly the kind of game they ALWAYS lose. After winning a few games, getting the fans excited, and finally starting to look like a good team, the Rockets are practically required to lose this game.

Memphis is a good outside shooting team. That cancels out the Rockets' defense. With the defense neutralized, the Rockets will be forced to keep up in scoring; however, that never happens in Memphis. They never shoot well there.

Anyway, the simple fact is that after beating the best team in the division, the Rockets will now have their heads up their asses and be unprepared for the last-place Grizzlies.

This is such an important game. Memphis reminds me of the Rockets a few years ago. They're above .500, and knocking on the door of the playoffs. The Rockets should do to Memphis what Phoenix and Minnesota did to them, which is crush them like bugs and destroy their playoff dreams.

But that's never going to happen.

This will be the loss that starts the downward spiral to a sub-500 record and a trip to the lottery.

Rockets: 76
Grizzlies: 111

The Rockets outscore Memphis 30-11 in the fourth to reach the final margin.

 

oh I sure hope I get to use you in a post game quote...

 

from www.nba.com

"The rest of the country that doesn't get to see the Rockets play night in and night out must wonder how they ever lose. With three straight dominating wins on national television (L.A. Lakers, New York, Minnesota), the Rockets have certainly shown the rest of the nation the type of team they can be when they play together as a unit. Local Houston fans, however, that have followed the Rockets closely this season are familiar with their team's proclivity to follow up big wins with disappointing efforts the next time out. So which team will show up tonight when Houston travels to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies "



theSAGE

 

Did you notice the JVG strategy of sending game tapes to David Stern to review flagrant bad foul calls against Yao seemed to have worked? He's not in foul trouble anymore.

 

Yes, I've noticed Yao is not even close to being in foul trouble recently. Refs are employees of the NBA. Noone wants to lose a great job like that. Referees in basketball make good money. I don't think it's a part-time job like the NFL referees.

 

Me too.

Believe it or not, I do actually want the Rockets to win tonight. I'm just used to being disappointed.