Jordan Hill scores 20, gets 11 rbs & 3 blks K-mart drops 30, Scola drops another 20-10, Battier shuts down Kobe & Chuckwagon shuts down everyone. Rockets win 112-105! Prediction: T-will plays at least 10 mins in this one. AB has 10assists & starts. & Lowry has
Bynum is the difference maker against the vertically challenged Rockets. The Rockets have played the Lakers very well over the past couple seasons when Bynum is not healthy. Have a hard time thinking the Rockets can win this one unless they make it a track meet and keep the ball out of the low post on defense. I expect the Rockets to keep this close for 3 quarters. If they can get hot in the 4th quarter than its anyones game. Difference makers- Scola on defense against Bynum. Will have to show improvement on defensive rotations, and not lose position on Bynum and Gasol for easy points in the paint. Im not worried about Chuck, he will be Gasol's shadow. Scola, who has tendency's to suck on defensive rotations can let up easy dunks in the paint. He needs to be stellar. Brooks on offense. His ability to penetrate against the Lakers defense in the past has been what gives this team the ability to pick apart the defense and have the ability to win. Hope for a bounce back type of game.
With Bynum back, the lakers pose a huge problem for us, Lakers use Odom off the bench which compounds the problem. 1. I think PPat&Chuck's D on bynum/Gasol will be key. PPat and Hill are our only shot blockers - i can see RA using PPat alot this game, since Hill tends to get bullied by bulkier centers. 2. Fisher is the weak link on their team so hopefully, AB and Lowry can exploit him. 3. Our second Unit is also going to be Key as they will need to score. We also will need someone to match up with Odom - I can see him having a monster game if he isnt kept in check. Starting line up match ups. Lowry vs Fisher - houston has the advantage as fisher cant keep up with the tempo. Shane vs Kobe - kobe will still score 20+ points but it would be by volume and they will all be tough shots. Martin vs Artest - this is where we have a problem, Artest can lock down Martin but Martin is good coming off screens (if we want to win, Martin needs a good game). Hopefully we can get Artest into foul trouble early. Chuck vs Bynum - Chuck has bothered Bynum in all the other games we've played the Lakers, however once Bynum is down deep in the post his length will bother us. i fully expect the Lakers to try to pound it down low every chance they get. Scola vs Gasol - This match up should be about even, Points wise they should neutralize each other out. However, Gasol is better defensively. Bench vs Bench - Odom, Brown should be our main concerns. Steve Blake can keep up with our point guards but he isn't as lethal. Odom is the main concern. Brown is pure energy. Houston - AB, Clee, PPat,Bud should able to push the offense which will be in the Rockets favor. In this case the better Defense will be determined by the better offense.
its not going to be pretty they are going to kill us on the boards seriously we'll shoot a better fg% than the lakers but they'll have an extra 20 attempts and that'll be the difference
It's gonna depend on our 3pt FG% like usual, Rockets live and die by the 3s. Teams have learned that we only have one low post option in Scola, and he's not effective vs double team. Shut down Scola and the Rockets' scoring will be totally dependent on outside shots. Only other exception is when Martin can actually get calls from the refs and hitting FTs. Just play zone defense to close up the paint on the Rockets and they will fold, unless we are hot making outside shots.
By praying and hoping we get on a hot shooting night and outscores them..... Because we sure aint gonna stop them.
For sure. Odom is the X factor off the bench, and the most versatile player in the league, IMO. Hayes is going to have his hands full with Gasol, Battier's going to be engaged in a battle with Kobe, and Odom's left to toy with the likes of Jordan Hill. I hope Patterson gets a chance to lock up LO, because I don't have any idea how Adelman counters a big 3 of Odom, Gasol, and Bynum.
Patterson has been getting more minutes than Hill in last few games, so I expect the same in this game. It's going to super tough game. i just hope that our starters don't play too much tonight and we lose, because then that would hurt our chances in back to back game against the Jazz. I feel we can take care of Jazz, looking at their struggles recently. Hopefully, D-Will will not play in that game Man... this trip has been just horrible for them: Top 3 western conference teams on the road.... I believe most teams in western conference would lose all 3 on that sort of trip. Just hoping that we win at least one of these 2 games somehow. Schedule does get a little better after these 2 games: 6 of next 10 games against below .500 teams, of which 4 at home (Mem, Min, Phi, NJ) and 2 on the road against Det, and Cleveland!!!! 4 of those 10 games against above .500... 2 at home : Dallas/Denver.. and 2 on the road against Denver and NOH. We might win 7 of those 10.. .. at least 6
Kobe has been struggling as of lately, he will get his typical tune-up with Battier. 30-45 "hard earned points" is coming towards us.
by using this line up: Twill - great passer and sees the floor well, can guard Kobe kmart - comes off screens, quick, guards fisher PPat - good with the pick and pop and screen and roll, Guards Odom Hill/Scola - Gots the length to bother gasol - can play above the rims, twill can find him Chuck - mans the post, quick dribble to the hoop and great passer. Guards Bynum. i dont know how good this will be but i think it would be pretty interesting to see.
Last 2 games when they faced each other: Oct 26th Lakers won Gasol, 29p, 11r, 2 asist in 40 mins Scola 18p, 16 r, 4 asist in 33 mins Dec 1st, Rockets won Gasol 8 p, 9 r, 3 asist in 38 mins Scola 14 p, 9 r, 3 asist in 31 mins
