ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Jazz 5/3/2007 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 6)

Not to defend Yao's tos, but if you take a closer look, you will find out Yao only lost the ball for 3 times. 2 TOs were from 3-second violation due our guards hesitating to pass inside, another 2 TOs are phantom offence fouls, and another is ridiculous offensive goaltending, which is clearly a good tip-in.

The refereeing on road has been so ugly for Rockets, which is why HCA is so important in playoffs. No wonder TMac settled down so much jumpers in 2nd half, because he barely got any calls! Jass is allowed to play physically on their home court, and that is the reason they have one of the best home records in regular season. I still believe the Rockets can and will win this series on Saturday!

Go Rockets!

 

Good post. Utah is a tough physical team. The most physical of any playing. We will have the advantage at home again.

Go Rockets!!!

 

i am realy tired of those ofense fouls. i hate these floppers like a btch. Crucial times late in the 4th. hand checking, reaching in, no charging. we were having the momentum and refs ruined. sure, we were always behind 1 point by like 6 minutes. but that doesn't means refs control it. i'm glad luther and juan are kind of back. tracy should have notice the no calling and kickout to the corner 3 which leads to 3 points. juan missing the layup was crucial, too.

 

I know what you mean, my girlfriend hasn't been happy that all the playoff games have been on my days off so since I live in Japan our day together has started with abit of rockets playoff ball. She also notices I swear more after watching the basketball. I think its just built up frustration from watching the rockets.


Anyways my analysis.

Our bench absolutely sucked again, the Rockets have had no bench apart from game 5 in Houston where Luther and Jho decieded to show up. But anyways even Battier, Hayes and Alston have been no where to be seen for pretty much 4 of the games aswell. Tmac and Yao are working their asses off, they both have 3 different guys guarding them in the game, So they have to work harder for longer then the guys that are guarding them, because the Jazz are always throwing a fresher body at Tmac and Yao.

At the start of the game Yao and Tmac looked to have got a good start, but as those 2 got a good start no one else was contributing and it was left to Tmac and Yao to carry the team once again, for Yao especially its taking its toll on him as he is becoming less efective as the game goes on. If the role players were making thee shots it'd allow Yao and Tmac to 1. Have more confidence in there team mates and 2. Have more energy for the defensive end. It to me looks like Tmac and Yao are expending to much energy at one end of the court. I think that when Yao and Tmac have more offensive help they have more energy for the defensive end the Rockets are a much better team and are able to shut down teams alot easier. Plus when the Rockets role players make there shots it spreads the floor and the other team has to watch those players more or they will get punnished.

Tmac started good but finished bad. I think his shot selection is poor. There was one point where we clawed back from 11 down to be only down 1 and Tmac decieded he'd take a long 3 pointer and a long 2. To me at that point in time thats when the game turned. If Tmac took it strong to the hole at that point I think we might of seen a different scoreline with us possibily winning. I also think when your own team mates see you shootin long balls and bricking them alot, it takes alot of the team confidence away. If Tmac took it strong and was fearless his team mates would feed off that and have a new energy and confidence.

On Yao I think he's not having a bad series but I think it could be better. Again the Jazz are always chucking a fresh body at Yao down his energy level. I just think if our role players were makin there shots or even look like they would make shots the amount of preasure on Yao would be alittle less and he would have abit more room to move and more room for passes to come in deeper positions. I think also he takes to long for his shots, I think he needs to catch and shoot alot more. The Jazz are loving that he takes a few seconds puts the ball on the floor and takes a tough fade away. Thats not Yao's strength he needs to be abit more quicker with his shot and thats when he is more deadly.

The role players have been shocking this series and I will make a prediction if the rockets don't get atleast 8-10 points from Luther Head and Battier I think the rockets will lose the game. Role players need to do something on the offensive end nd take some of the load off of Yao and Tmac. This is what the game comes down to our stars are doin fine its just the role players that need to step up and you all saw in game 5 when our role players step up we win.

Anyways thats my 2 cents sorry for the long read if any of you bother to read

 

It is all on mcgrady. He steps and you win. Pretty simple.

 

I thought the Rockets had it last night when they were able to cut the lead into one but suddenly everything else fell apart. Of the six games they played, I haven't seen a dominant Rockets team. The Jazz were always leading by halftime. Going into the 4th quarter at home they barely survive the Jazz. The Jazz were always the bullies on defense embarrassing the NBA's best team on FG defense.

I know Yao puts up good numbers but he can do better than that. He has merely lost his defensive presence and on the offensive end he always gets blocked and commits turnover at a high rate like last night were he has 8 TOs. Yao needs to position himself well and be wary of the Jazz help defense.

As for the bench they need to step up. Howard , Deke, Head and Snyder should play their best.

As for the Rockets chances to advance into the second round, I think it's 50-50 unless they finally show their dominance and enhance their defense. The Jazz have 8 reliable players that can score pretty well at their will while the Rockets have only 2 (TMac and Yao) the rest just depends on open looks, fastbreaks, assists and putbacks. That's the reason why the Jazz leaves the Rockets role players to shoot as much as they can cause they know they will miss more than they make, lacks confidence, always hesitates and cannot even dominate their man. I hope it will be a good news for us Rockets fans this weekend otherwise we will have to endure again another heartbreak and very long offseason.

 

i can't believe he make two stupid "three-seconds violations", so sad!! but still support him

 

I put all of the blame on Yao nad Tracy, Yao has to make teams pay for single coverage which he had most of the night; that will open up the shooters for open shots when Yao is being owned in the post by Okur, Boozer and Collins it allows teams to stay closer to their man and as a result it stops them from executing their roles which are to hit open shots on the kickout from Yao. Yao must play better for the rest of the playoffs.

Tracy was AK47's b**** tonight, not only settling for jumpers over and over that weren't falling but by not attacking him, it got to the point when AK47 was consistently poking the ball away from Tracy from the triple threat position, I have NEVER seen Tracy played like that. It was clear he was in Tracy's head at that point. Not a championship players moxy at all.

I know there are guys who also want to put this on JVG and i admit his style is boring and a bit outdated but the fact is he coached this same team to 50+ wins this year and is doing the same thing he did all year and the players just aren't getting it done. My only real gripe with his coaching so far in the series is that I feel he has shortened the bench too much for the starters to remain effective throughout the game. JVG will be the one gone if we lose Game 7 but I do not put most of it on him, again, he is donig the same thing that got us here. This entire series has just about shattered any confidence I had in this team being able to win a ring anytime soon.

Yao is the best shooting big man maybe ever in the league but he just doesn't have the will to want to take over and take the team on his shoulders and win. Tracy is to this point in the playoffs exactly what all of his critics have said he was, he does not have the leadership get mean on the court and put the team on his back and refuse to lose.

 

I'm trying not to rant, but what a f'n pathetic performance last night...Yao and his GD turnovers, T-mac afraid to shoot and the entire team just having no sense of urgency...

Phew, got that off my chest...Granted, I would have liked us to take care of business last night, but the rockets love drama...We're at home, great fans and I just know we'll take care of business...

Go Rockets!!!

 

WE REFUSE TO ADMIT DEFEAT.

91-88

Let's grind it out baby.

Rockets gogogo!

 

When did we get defeated?

 

Perhaps the whole crowd could wear t shirts saying

TAKE IT STRONG TMAC

or

NO JUMPERS TMAC

or

TAKE IT TO THE RACK TMAC

 

On this part, Head did not pass the ball quickly enough. Head is the worst passer in the team. Yao need come down on the offensive end, his turn around jump is the worst play in his book, I think. I do not know where he get this.

 

So
You saying since the same thing won 50 games
It should win this series?

Coaching is about Ajustments. Sloan made some . JVG has not.
JVG does bear some of the blame

It's called coaching . ..This is why NBA teams don't script their 1st 15 plays like in football . . becuase u have to adjust and move with the flw of the game

Rocket River

 

I'll crawfish for ya RR, if this team loses game 7, I don't give a flip what management does, fire JVG, trade Yao and Tracy for young athletic guys like PHX and GSW have. I have no loyalty to a team that completely lays down in what should be the most important and best chance they have ever had to advance ever.

I mentioned switching to zone defense to negate Yao having to gaurd Okur at the three point line and Boozer blowing by him, what adjustments would you make?

 

Where are the time outs when the Jazz are making their runs and we are playing bad? It seems that JVG is making a consious decision to punish the team's bad play by not stopping the clock and regrouping.

I'm not a JVG hater but this seems to be one of his faults.

 

As soon as Barkley picked up the Rox to win the game during the half time show, I know that we will lose the game.

 

That last stupid touch foul on Yao gave the game away to the Jazz.

 

You are a rookie. Look at the Jazz. Would you rather have Okur rather than Yao? The Jazz are a higher seeded team than us. We need in the off season to get some better help for Yao and T-Mac. The same needs we have had since Yao got here is still the same need that we have had before. A Power Forward and a Great not good playmaking guard.

 

Ya the officiating sucked. They are letting it be a really physical series and aren't calling anything. I watched Boozer get pushed at the waist one time going up for the shot and he missed. No call.

If that is going to be how the referring is going to be done, then we need to do the same thing to them. Every shot contested. Swipe upwards not downwards. Hit them on the elbows. Go for the block while holding your opponent down at the waist. Williams, Boozer Harpring Okur or Kirlinko goes up for a shot then push them low at the waist.