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

Well, that is the story of the first two games. Kobe can get AN and 1 without looking, Fisher shot 100% in 3-points (his season average 29%), Rush shot 67% in 3-points (season average 34%).

 

Maybe he should've done a Stevie Franchise wolf howl or maybe he should've chucked the ball off the backboard. I just wonder why Francis didn't try sticking his forearm in Kobe's face to "teach him respect" like he did to Amare.

A fan of Steve Francis has no right to call other players' gestures idiotic unless they include the following disclaimer:

"Kobe still wasn't as idiotic as Francis is after a great play, but he acted like such an idiot when he gestured after sinking that no look basket."

 

Weeeelll... The Spurs might, but the Wolves? Nuh uh.

 

You really need to bump #3 up to #1, if you want to include it at all. It kind of goes without saying.

Number 1 is a big league copout. List any of those fouls that weren't warranted. The "can't breathe on Kobe" analogy is exaggerated. The cold hard fact is that the Rockets can't stop Kobe from penetrating to the rim at will either from the baseline or the key. If you get hit while shooting a shot, you get free throws. The refs can't ignore contact on shot attempts simply because Kobe's already shot "enough" of them.

Even if Kobe was being reffed like Jordan, it wasn't the #1 reason the Rockets lost the game. If anything, they lost because they double team too aggressively on either Kobe or Shaq without rotating back quick enough and got burned 2 games in a row by 3pt shots from bench players. Matter of fact, go back to the 93-96 loss to LA on March 3rd, and you'll notice that Walton hit 2 late wide open three pointers to finally pull LA on top of Houston. That issue seems to be a big problem for Houston. As you said, the Lakers got nearly as many points from 3ptrs from their bench as Kobe got from the line. You can argue that Rush's shots in Gm1 were the final difference in the game considering that you'd expect Shaq to convert a dunk like that at the end. Rush, Walton, Fisher, and Medvedenko are wildcards.

 

Two questions for you:

Exactly who in this organization is going to find the talent to improve the bench?

What offseaon moves will they be able to make with no 1st round pick and little to none salary cap flexibility?

 

Let's see now: You have the opposing center in foul trouble and their PF is guarding Yao so what do you do? You start having Yao set high picks so your PG can drive to to the hoop at will. You also stop going to your 7' 6" center in the low post until the game is well out of reach even though that's what worked for you in the first half. Oh, and your starting SG goes brain dead at a critical time (note: this is his trademark). Sounds like the 2003-2004 Houston Rockets alright.

 

I agree that the Lakers bench gave them a terrific performance last night. It's not that our bench did that poorly...it's the starters played more minutes. The problem is they can rest their starters more than we can. Their bench will produce more than our bench. So, their starters...getting bench time...are more rested and able to produce at a higher level. Our starters don't have the luxury of getting many breathers and, if they do, then our team play suffers. One thing for sure...with Mo being our sixth man off the bench...we need more than 8 points on 7 shots out of him which leads me to believe he's not being aggressive enough.

As JVG stated, our ability to win is directly linked to Yao's play. The first half was a model of how well we can play when running our offense through Yao. In the second half, we completely got away from Yao and he was off. Yao only had 4 rebounds for the game and those were offset by 4 turnovers. For a big man like Yao to only have 4 rebounds in 40 minutes of play is inexcusable. You have to question that.

If Yao's overall play doesn't improve at home, then I don't see us returning to LA for a game five. We can't get this done without Yao being aggressive both offensively and defensively. Being aggressive isn't enough...he has to be aggressive and play well.

Otherwise, you need hero-like performance from at least one and likely multiple players which, on the Rockets, doesn't happen often. While Steve had a good game with a triple double, we could have used 25-30 points from him.

Note to Cato: Don't ever shoot another jump shot again cause you never make them and your only hurting the team. Drive to the rim or pass the ball. You have no business shooting a jumper that has zero chance of going in. Play to your strengths and not your weaknesses.

 

Decision-making, decision-making, decision-making. It makes or breaks you. In the first half, the Rockets played "smart," in the second half, they played "dumb." End of story. Also, the talent gap between the two teams was on display, more so than any time this year. Francis was near flawless, but mistakes at critical times can turn a game. Ming looked spent in the second half, and the next time Cato takes jumpers, JVG should run from the bench and tackle him. As a Rocket's fan over the last few years, I have learned how to be disappointed, we have had sooo much experience.

 

PLEASE CATO! Unless it is a DUNK. Don't shoot the DAMN Ball.

They should've continued to go to Yao w/ Malone guarding him.


I think i realized i hate the Lakers much more with Malone's flopping ass on their team. Malone and Derek Fisher are the biggest floppers in the league (w/ Divac).

You barely touch Malone and his legs go flying up in the air. They replayed when fisher was fouled and he was barely touched.

I'd be tempted to slug those b****es if I was out there!!

 

I don't think Boki is a good 3 pointer....he is more likely to having penentration and getting lay-ups...he's not a good shooter at all.

 

That game sucked last night...A couple of thoughts:

1) Had a great time with Rimrocker and Batman Jones at Coaches...

2) No plays for Yao in the post after halftime...

3) Not going after Shaq after his 4th foul...

4) Leaving KCato in after his 2nd foul to immediately get called for his 3rd in the 1st Quarter...

5) Not feeding Yao when it was successful in the 1st half...

 

GAMES OVER!!!

 

what do you suggest the Rockets do in order to advance in the First round?

I was very surprised to see how Francis was playing last night.. yet that was how Steve is suppose to play and how JVG wanted him to and we came out with a big loss. Is it Yao? Is it Mobley? Mobley had great defense on Cuttino.. Yao seemed to do very well in the first half and our turnovers were low. What did we do wrong?

I think steve belongs in houston.. and so does Yao but something is not clicking right now and it suck

 

oops edit:

mobley had great defense on Kobe

 

Mobley had a great defense on Kobe? Are you talking about kobe's 36pts or the last second dambass foul on him by the end of 3rd QT?

 

I like to question JVG play logic when he set Yao to come out and play Pick and screen. Why you want your center to do that? Beside it waste a lot of his energy to run around, he is not qucik enough to out run the smaller guy. He did that a numerous of time during the second half and that is why our offense were sucked. He need to stay in the paint period.

 

Face it. Mobley probably sacrificed his offense and focused to defend Kobe. He only score 17pts in 2 games. If he can slow Kobe down like Game 1, then I will take it. But if he failed to do so like yesterday, then Rox are doomed. Because he is a big part of our offense.

But I am just amazed how much Lakers' bench had contributed in these two games and our bench had done nothing except MoT.

Pike, Griffin, Nachbar, Padget are useless in these two games.

 

We are not a good perimeter defense team. We could defend the paint area well with Cato, Yao and MOT. But we cannot defend the perimeter shots. This is why we lost because the Laker shoot better percentage from outside.

 

Exactly, what defense on Kobe? He was getting to the rim at will.

If u look at the stats for the Rox on yesterdays game, u would've guessed that they won, yet they didn't. They had low turnovers, Francis with an awesome triple double, Jim Jackson played pretty well, Yao did okay in the first half, iffy in the second. I really thought they were gonna pull it off until the last minutes of the 3rd quarter. These losses can be more discouraging than one point losses because it seemed that the Rox played really well, yet lost by double digits. I think the biggest difference was decision making, that and letting scrubs get wide open looks.