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

Well i don't know. Both teams were champions before. Which heart are you talking about here

 

Revenge time. Rockets 85 - Lakers 83.

 

i'm talking about the clutch heart

 

Let's hope they shake the first-game jitters and come out strong in Game 2. We NEED this win bad! If we lose another one, and let's hope to God this isn't a blowout, then we will be in a terrible position for the remainder of the series. Two games for the Fakers will crush the morale of this young and inexperienced team.

As we all have seen during the past few weeks and regardless of whether he admits it or not, Yao is visibly tired and experiencing fatigue. His numbers are down and he looks to be just going through the motions out on the court. Players such as Francis and Cat have lost faith in him and rarely passes the ball inside anymore. This could be a good and a bad thing. It's good in that it cuts down on the turnovers and missed opportunities. With Yao losing his shooting touch, it is much wiser for us to pass it to a higher percentage shooter like JJ or MoT. However, on the other persepective, if you don't give Yao enough touches, he's NEVER going to get his shooting touch and confidence back. How is he going to carry this team without getting the ball? This is kind of like a Catch-22. I guess JVG needs to sit down with the team and figure out a way to get everyone involved. We can only win this when we play as a team and not as a bunch of separate units functioning on its own.

Individual heroics like what Francis did in the 4th quarter may keep us in the game, but it won't give us a W, as clearly shown by the result on Saturday. However, I agree with most of the clutchfans, that pass out to JJ at the end was a smart move by Francis and I would take that anyday.

 

With one playoff game experience under their belt. In another defensive battle the Rockets survive an early offensive explosion by the Lakers to get the W.


Rockets:89
Lakers:85


16 turnovers.

 

Audio Link


KVTA am 1520

*****Because of NBA restrictions you may need to log on at least 30 minutes before the game.*****

Hope it helps.

 

Article from of all places, the New York Times

-------------------

Rockets Think They've Found Weaknesses in the Lakers
By VITTORIO TAFUR

OS ANGELES, April 18 — Greatness comes with the benefit of the doubt. The Los Angeles Lakers, with four likely Hall of Famers on their roster, were inconsistent and injured during the regular season. All that was supposed to change in the playoffs.

But on Saturday night, the Lakers got lucky twice in the final 20 seconds to beat the Houston Rockets, 72-71, at the Staples Center in the opening game of their first-round Western Conference series.

"This is why I don't read or listen to sports people talk about these things," Lakers forward Karl Malone said, adding that the Rockets "are a team that's been laying in the weeds."

The Rockets, who split four games with the Lakers during the regular season, believe they have seen the chinks in their opponents' armor.

Gary Payton is 35 and cannot stop Steve Francis, who had 18 points and 5 assists on Saturday. Francis still has a hard time deciding when to shoot and when to set up Yao Ming and his other teammates, but his speed gives him an edge over Payton.

Malone is struggling with his jumper. He tweaked his ankle in the first quarter Saturday, and he could do no better than make 3 of 14 field-goal attempts. With the Rockets either doubling down on Shaquille O'Neal or sagging into the paint when Kobe Bryant drives, Malone will get more scoring opportunities. "I didn't make my shots, but I will not be bashful on Monday" in Game 2, he said.

Bryant is still trying to find his rhythm. He had one field-goal attempt in the first half on Saturday, making it, and shot 16 times in the second half, making 3. After being ripped by teammates for pouting and not shooting in last Sunday's loss to Sacramento, he played hard (five assists, four steals) in the first half on Saturday. Then it seemed as if a switch was flipped, and he forced most of his shots in the second half.

The Rockets say that Cuttino Mobley frustrates Bryant as much as a defender can, but they acknowledged that Bryant had been stopping himself a lot these days.

"We can't worry about that," Jim Jackson said, "but we know eventually it will come back around and he'll start shooting."

Bryant, who followed his 8-point performance against the Kings with 82 points in the final two regular-season games against Golden State and Portland to help the Lakers win the Pacific Division and gain the Western Conference's No. 2 seeding, did not talk to reporters on Sunday for the seventh straight day.

The Lakers would not be in position to take a 2-0 lead in the four-of-seven-game series had it not been for two breaks Saturday night.

They trailed Houston, 71-70, with 20 seconds to go when Bryant forced a wild 3-point attempt over two Rockets. The shot came up short, but O'Neal grabbed the air ball and dunked it over Yao.

If Bryant's shot had hit the rim, there is a good chance the Rockets would have rebounded the ball and won the game.

O'Neal was fouled. After he missed the free throw, the Rockets had 17.4 seconds to score. With the clock winding down, Francis drove the lane and, when he ran into roadblocks, whisked a pass to an open Jackson in the left corner. Jackson, who made 40 percent of his 3-point attempts in the regular season, shot from his favorite spot on the court but missed short.

"That was misery," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said of watching the shot.

The Rockets, who are seeded seventh, knew they had lost a chance to steal a road victory, but there was more resolve than dejection in their locker room. They had been anxious early in the game on Saturday night, committing 15 of their 22 turnovers before halftime. Francis was appearing in his first playoff game, and it showed. He twice stepped out of bounds on the sideline on offense and twice missed Jim Jackson wide on passes to the perimeter.

"I think we're in great position to play better in Game 2," Francis said.

The Rockets not only dictated the sluggish tempo, but they also outshot the Lakers, 38 percent to 33 percent, and outrebounded them, 51-41. Yao, Francis and Mobley, Houston's leading scorers during the season, combined for only 39 points, and Jackson may have tried too hard to compensate, attempting 19 shots and making only 5. Yet, if he had gone 6 of 19, Houston would be ahead in the series.

"This loss makes us more determined because we were right there at the door," Jackson said. "We had confidence coming in, but you could see some of the guys were pressing because it was their first playoff game. That's not a bad thing; it's only natural. Now we can calm down and turn this thing around."

Maurice Taylor was a force off the bench for the Rockets, scoring 11 points.

"We were in the best situation in the world," he said. "We were down 1, drew up a great play and had a great shot at the buzzer. We'll take that every time."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/19/sports/basketball/19LAKE.html

 

DOES ANYONE HAVE A SUBSCRIPTION TO ESPN INSIDER? THERE

IS A GREAT ARTICLE THAT POPPED UP TODAY... TALKS ABOUT

McGRADY, AI, ALLEN, BRAND and VC BEING ON THE TRADING

BLOCK. CAN ANYONE POST IT IN A NEW THREAD???

WONDERING IF THEY MENTIONED THE ROX IN ANY OF THESE DEALS!?

 

PS. FUG THE FUGGING LAKERS! GO ROCKETS!

 

I hope the Rockets SPANK the Fakers!

 

Don't be silly. None of the current Rox has a ring. Shaq, Kobe, Fox, Fisher and Slava each have 3 rings.

 

Man that game was gut wrenching on Sat. night. I was so mad I had to go out afterward and tie on a serious drunk. So close...so close.

I must give props to the Rockets for standing toe to toe with the Lakers. We were the only lower seeded team in the first games of the playoffs to not get blown out.

I was impressed with our poise down the stretch, not something usually seen from playoff novice teams.

Some are saying the rockets will get blown out tonight in L.A. I dont see it happening. I see the same kind of game as Sat. night, except with a few more points.

Rockets 93 Lakers 90

Make the "Beat L.A." signs, get the sunglasses ready to pass out at Toyota Center, Jack is coming to town, and his Lakers will be tied 1-1.

CLUTCH CITY...the rebirth is tonight.

 

I've got a bad feeling about this one, but I will just ignore that.

Rox 81
Lakers 77

 

great idea Lex.. people sitting courtside wear your shades and heckle the Lakers with a passion the way he annoys every other teams players.

J

 

Career night for Yao.

He plays best after one day of rest, and he's tasted the playoffs now. You could see him taking the whole experience in during the first game.

Shaq won't forget this night, it will be the beginning of the end.

However, I feel Kobe has to explode sooner or later:

Lakers 88
Rockets 85

 

Rockets: 95
Lakers: 88

 

Roxs, will come back strong! I think the Fake show is a bit worried, we will beat them soundly,

Roxs 91
Fakers 80


Winning ugly but sitting pretty!

 

from lakerstalk:

"Karl Malone, after going 3 for 14 in Game 1, shot jump shots Sunday until his fingertips bled. He was the last man off the court.

The Lakers didn't do any work as a unit, confining their "practice" to watching film and shooting. The people who have been favoring injuries, Malone among them, "are all better today than they were yesterday," Jackson said. "


So we will see how Malone does in game 2.

 

Malone is gonna stink up the joint again, he’s still looking for Stockton to show up

 

Hell yeah!!! Me and my wife are driving down for the game! That a great idea! We’re going to show up in our Rocket red and with some big BEAT LA signs!!