ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Lakers 4/19/2004 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 2)

man Kobe and Karl Malone killed us this game.. we focused so much on Shaq we left KMalone wide open. If Yao or Cato could handle Shaq 1 on 1 we dont have this problem.

Man still a good effort we didnt do anything to bad.. Rush / Kobe were just hitting tough tough shots.

J

 

Is this the game recap haiku?

Well, hate to give up on them, but the next couple games in Houston will be the last for Francis/Cato/Mobley/Taylor/etc.

 

Exactly what I thought! JVG should use the bench more clever!

 

Boki just doesn't have enough PT to show up during the season. If Kareem Rush was in Rox uniform and Boki in Lakers', you will not draw such conclusion.

 

The defense intensity is not there in the second half, Mobley's foul at the end of the third quater is a big blow to their confident.

Hopefully they can bounce back in game 3.

 

Ya right... The Rockets can play "ok" games on the Laker's worst day and still find ways to lose. There is really no hope to win a game, other than if Shaq or Kobe were missing. The Rockets did not beat LA this year when they had their big 4 playing.

 

I've still got Hope. But it's starting to wear thin after tonight.

If Mobley could have had the kind of defensive game he had last night against Kobe we would have atleast been IN this one.

Stevie, I love you, we're lost without you in this series. VERY Solid tonight. Forget the Haters.

Yao, Show us what you got, Big Man. You know you can do it, you did it the first three times we played the Lakers this season. Time to sack up and play through the fatigue and pain and wear. SHOW US that you're not that Rookie anymore and you belong in playoffs, that you can go toe-to-toe with anyone. Surprise me. Please.

 

can someone give derek fisher his oscar already?

and can someone shut doug collins up. cant stand that fool

 

JVG doesnt know how to play the bench because he doesnt know what the f**k he's doing? I mean, he wins 2 more freakin games than Rudy and we are supposed to be happy. Bring back Rudy, get rid of Patrick Ewing, call Clyde and Hakeem to coach Yao or just get rid of his soft ass anyway. No matter what moves we make, we aint gonna win for a long long long long long long long long time.

 

SF3 is easily the best player on the court tonight. Phenomenal game and better than Kobe's performance tonight. Yao outplayed Shaq and we still lost the game by double digits.

I agree with some posters that JVG needs to develop some decent bench plays. Watching the Lakers in the PO and it always seems that their role players will put a dagger on opponents in the 4th quarter. Our only reliable bench player is Mo. I believe that both Padgett and Boki can become decent contributors from the bench.

 

THe entire TNT staff seems to love the lakers and hate the rockets.

 

I second that we should shut collins up.... and derek fisher, was he acting that hard when he was crying last year when they coughed it up to the spurs, mmmmmm. but this doesnt take away from the fact that the rockets stunk it up, and possibly should think about getting jvg the hell out of town

 

SF had a great night, but rest of the team just blew everything. Yao was too weak to guard shaq and that gave KMalone open chance through all games.
Mobley didn't do anything but stupid mistakes like game 1. We need 3 pointers and the Cat didn't make any 3 pointer...

Oh...

I think Rox will be swept by Lakers...I'm sad to say this...but this is the real world...

 

Rockets lost by not involving Yao more in the 3rd Q. Rockets had such an advantage of possibly taking Shaq and another laker out of this game, but why the hell not to excuse it?? Taking Shaq out would be a big blow on the fakers. Van Gandy must have some mentality problem for not drawing plays to take Shaq out. Also Yao was neglected to some extent in the 3rd Q. The big mismatch would be the low post if Shaq could be taken out. Not taking Shaq out in the 3rd Q was the reason Rockets lost.

 

Sorry say what you want about our players and whatever

BUT if Malone is hitting from the outside while Rush and DFish hit lights out, there is NO ONE that is going to beat the Lakers.

The thing that gets me is that the TNT announcers are just raving about the Lakers defense, when the Rockets offense has been extremely anemic all season long regardless of who we have played.

I am confident the Lakers will not shoot that well from the outside again, and the Rockets still have a chance. Gotta get this next game for sure.

 

This is what really pisses me off, considering that both Kenny and Charles played for us.

 

Great call on Clyde. He proved to be a hard-working coaching-genius when he was at UH.

While we're bringing in former players, why don't we let Mitchell Wiggins coach too.

 

No. They know the Rockets are a mediocre team who have little to no playoff experience against a team that has won more titles in the last 4 years than the entire Rockets franchise has ever in its history.

 

Why did JVG go away from Yao when Malone was guarding him? Don't blame it on the guards because Yao wasn't even posting on him. He puts Malone, a smaller PF, on Yao, and JVG takes Yao out of the paint, I don't understand.

We need the Lakers to adjust to us, not the other way around. Phil Jackson put Malone on Yao so Shaq won't pick up anymore fouls, and what does JVG do? He doesn't take advantage of Yao having a smaller defender on him.

Steve had a good game.
JJ had a good game.
Yao could have had a better game.
Cat played terrible, terrible shot selection, shooting, and the foul?
Cato is unbelievable, 2 points-2 rebounds-6 fouls.
MoT played well, got some boards.

 

Because JVG is the head coach. He has hearts, but Clyde and Mitchell definitely aren't his buddies.