ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Lakers 3/30/2007

Kudos to the Battier for playing some hard-nosed defense on Kobe. I know Bryant got 53 and at times he looked like he was unstoppable in the 4th quarter. Still, it took him 44 shots and he got to the line "only" 14 times. If you would have told me before the game Kobe would get 50+, I would have bet he got to the line 20+ times. Battier just knows how to play defense and make an opponent work for everything on offense. We should start a collection to extend his contract. That guy is worth every penny he's paid.

Kudos to the Rockets, too, for competing hard in the overtime after blowing a 12 point lead with less than 5 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter. A team lacking mental toughness might have folded once LA took a 4 point lead with 1:02 remaining in OT.

 

well we don't have homecourt on utah yet, but we just took homecourt over the whole east. freakin' 5th in the west now has a better record that anyone in the east. and just imagine if we played the east all the time.


and i gotta say, i thought kobe traveled a lot more initially than i do after seeing replays. looked like he just drug his right pivot foot. definitely a travel, but definitely something the kobe's and wade's of the world get away with. oh well, lets not blow this resilient win with a loss to the spazz.

 

Man, was the Staples Center ever quiet when we pulled out that win. I mean the only things you could hear were a pin drop and Jack Nicholson filling up his colostomy bag.

I'm so relieved the Rockets pulled this one out. Whew!!!!

 

well utah doesn't have a kobe bryant. again, we can win w/ tmac shooting bad. but we can win EASIER if tmac shot better. all the shots he took were his looks. he has to convert. mac needs to go practice or soemthing. whats the point of beating your man if you can't convert.

but again, the good thing about this game, as u saw w/ the wiz-raps game, w/ a kobe shot to end the game and go into OT, it stuns u as a team. but we won the game. it showed mental toughness.

 

Don't forget Rafer's CLUTCH free throws!!! 4 of them, to be exact!

 

no kidding man, rafer shooting 33% and our bench contributing a mere 2 points... though rafer made his FT when it counted

 

Hello, I can't believe you dissed Tmac after this win. Are you high or what? We would have won this game in regulation if Yao hasn't choked at the FT line. He missed 4 freaking FTs tonight. Could you see it? Leave Tmac alone now!

 

Take V-Span off the Roxs and umm.....same thing

 

I havnt seen a replay of that kobe foul, was it an illegal screen by yao? Thats what all the laker fans think

 

T-Mac played a hell of the game. He needs to attack the basket like tonight every night whenever his shot is off. His fieldgoal % is starting to concern me now. Seems like his shot is flat. Hopefully he can get it going again before playoff time.

 

Great win against smoking hot Kobe and his Lakers. Although Kobe was unbelievable at the end, Rockets did show they are a more mature team with tougher mentality than in the past couple of years. They didn't panic when the lead was reversed.

Shane single defended Kobe most of the time and did a great job and cause Kobe shot 19/44. Yao was shooting hot tonight but not very good at the defense end in the first half. But I like his aggressiveness tonight, which owned refs' respect and a ton of free throws. T-Mac was aggressive as well but his shooting was off along with Rafer and Juman, otherwise the game was already over in late 4th quarter. Our most reliable 3-point shooter Head was not in the game either.

However, Rockets showed tired in the 4th quarter again. It is really worrisome in the playoff where every quarter is intense. JVG never understands that his style of defense requires a larger rotation for the players to be still energetic in the most important quarter.

 

I enjoy Kobe's play a lot. He is concentrated and very gusty. If you don't feel the hot and the inspiration at the end of 4th and in OT, I don't know how can you enjoy basketball. Rockets is a better team than Lakers right now. They did nearly everything right, but Kobe singlehandedly drag them in OT.

Yeah KB traveled, KB fouled Tmac 3pt although Yao moved for the screening. I felt the game would go to OT and I guess laker will win as 110:108, but Ref didn't make it happen.

In last 3~4 min, Tmac seemed want to show something in Hollywood but nearly lead to L.

 

It's good to see that Yao is starting to get the respect from the refs. He should have gone to the line 3-4 more times IMO.

 

Nice win by the Rockets. The team knows how to make a game very interesting lately. I am glad they were able to buckle down and get this much needed win and now it is on this Sunday, 4th seed on the line. Let's get it on!

 

Fscking awesome game. Yao was an absolute monster. Rafer was absolutely clutch at the line. T-Mac had an off night, but definitely redeemed himself by sinking those 3 FTs. All in all, the best game of the year.

 

Pretty good game, but i still don't know what happens to Juwan. He is really strugglin'. With Clipps 0-6 and now 0-5...

 

Um..riggghhtt..

 

Our Stars played about OK but our supporting players will have to play much better if we are going to get out of the first round.
Yao Ming looks like he is improving after the injury.

 

It seemed Yao didn't moved his feet but did move his upper body. I think that's legal screen. I always see Battier does that to stop the offender. So don't worry. We won, without help from referee.