Thank you for pointing out what should have been obvious to all here. To his credit, Mobley DID show up for this game (he only shows up every 5th or 6th game) but I noticed from the start that SF & Co. were not running the offense through Yao. As usual, they did not play smart nor consistent ball (look at their TOs and how badly they got out rebounded) and that's why they lost. Folks around here are beginning to sound like a group of whiny little girls with all of this incessant b****ing about the officials. PLAY THROUGH IT! Jesus! For a moment, I thought I was on the Mavericks board...
I think ROX had right game plan. YM have to limit shaq defensively. backcourt take more offensive load since CATO is out. The eason is rebound. YM's bad shooting and several turnover is part of but not main reason. Bottom line is that lakers is too good.
All of this crying over the officials is getting old. Why is everyone so upset over losing to the Lakers? The last time out, people thought that the Minnesota loss was acceptible. What I want to know is how can the loss to Minnesota be a "good" loss but this loss is a "bad" loss? In my book they both count a L's and in both games, the Rockets failed to step up their game during crunch time in order to secure the win. That's something that winning teams do in this league.
You gotta be kidding me...The Lakers are so much better than the Rockets, it's not funny. The Rockets are going nowhere with this team...
Pretty much sums up what I saw. Plus, Francis' game was a microcosm of his season, a few flashes of brillance enveloped in a cloud of mediocrity. I thought the Rocket's played hard and didn't quit. The score was amazingly close considering that their two top players (Ming and Francis) didn't have good games and the team was playing against four Hall of Famers. This team has become much more entertaining, and IMO are a few personnel changes away from being a serious contender. At the moment, the playoffs are still not a foregone conclusion.
Solid, Good points - I agree. That we were even in the game with two fossils (MJ & Oak) playing was amazing. Among other things,we are sorely in need of a good 3rd guard (can I dream of Bobby Jackson?) and a backup 3 who can play good D & feed the post. We also really need a dependable spot up shooter. I expect Rox to gut it out into the playoffs, but the future is limited with the present cast of characters. Too many "holes." I expect a significant makeover during the off-season. D R
The biggest contrast of the two teams last night was passing. While Malone is making touch passes to Shaq, or dropping the ball to wide open cutters, Francis is trying to go behind the back to Yao, and Cat is throwing alleyoops on the 2 on 1 fast break. Or, we get a rebound, and throw it away. This team simply has too many non-passers.
It would have been nice to just get to the free throw line. I know Kobe is gonna get to the rim (and get the calls) and Shaq will be there at the line, too, but how many FT's did the Fakers get? 42? Something like that? I just want to lock up the playoffs. This stretch of games is brutal. REAL brutal. And after throwing away chances at Phoenix, etc...
Yao should quit the jump shots when they were not falling. Drive to the basket, find other ways to score untill you get your confidence back. Please tell him that, JVG.
Normally, I'm a fairly vocal critic of Francis (though I'd like to think my opinion is the only one around here that takes his contract into consideration), but I'm going to have to agree with you on this. His overall shooting percentage was just a few points above his less than stellar season average, but he got 8 dimes, he made all of his free throws, hit two of three from behind the arc, and had three steals and a block. All in all, I thought he had a pretty good game. Our backcourt kept us in this one.....and we got beat by a better team that's on fire. We're not winning it all this year anyway. I would have loved a win last night, but I still enjoyed watching the game.
Yes! I thaught that Francis had a fairly decent game considering the way he has been playing this season, but remember thats normal when he and Mobley take over and the focus is not through Yao Ming.
For once I'm right with you and Gabriel. If Steve plays terrible, it's "Trade him for a 2nd rounder immediately! The dragon of Yao Ming must fly everpresently through the omnipotence of the hook shot in the terrible glossy paint fixture." If Yao plays terrible, it's "If u lose fayth in Yao, u r no Roket fan." The GARM wants it both ways, but that just doesn't fly with me.
I agree. Yao needs to work on his game and quickness so that he can maybe dribble once and go by his man when he is being crowded on the perimeter. Shaq did a good job on him. If Yao isn't going to try to go around him, why shouldn't Shaq crowd him?
I am YOF, but he really sucked last night, really! Outscored 12 points by shaq, we lost the inside game. What hurt me is that he kept doing those useless, harmless and ugly jumpers for the whole night. He should destroy Shaq and dunk on his face next time, otherwise I refuse to be a YOF. Come on, Shap is a old man, please torture and destroy him.
This current fakers team is nowhere close to the what people claim they are. Their offense doesn't flow and their defense is so so most of the time. Their only way to win a title is getting help from refs which is a sure bet. Too those who says Fakers are "much better", please tell me where you see that from last night's game? With all the helf from refs, Yao's being off whole night, our missing Cato, playing on their home court, they couldn't pull away until last minute. That is evidence they are much better? You gotta be kidding me.
