ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Mavericks 12/2/2004

Tracy played very well but when he missed the free throw at the end of regulation that was the end for us. The last call on Yao wasn't fair. He was timid on offense but he did rebound well and we did have an offensive plan today.
We have to build on the positives instead of hanging our heads down.

 

Tough loss, good game.

A couple points:

1. Give TMac the ball everytime. He is able to do so many things with the ball, he draws so much attention.

2. 100 FGA!! Even though we loss, this was a game we could have won. We need to play like this every game, push the ball when you can, take easy shots even if its early.

3. 10 Fast Break Points!! I think Break Check is about to go out of business.

Dirk put on a show tonight.

 

he should have his offense and defense together

 

the league keeps combined points stats btw

 

We needed to win it with Bobby Sura's last shot in the 4th qtr. Great game though, Nowitzki and T-Mac lit it up. I was looking for a decent effort and the Rox gave one, they gave it 110% and JVG threw the kitchen sink at the Mav's. I think though that 110% effort and a loss is an indication that we are in for a long season and in a rebuilding year. We shall see and I hope I am wrong but I don't see the playoffs this year. I think it will be a struggle all year and see .500 at best.

 

Sometimes the old saying still rings true, it's not if you win or lose, it's how you play the game. Tonight, the way we play the game was pure and fun, up and down, free flowing.

I don't see too many hesitations or standing around, if we keep playing like this we should win our fair shares. One issue we have to solve is how the Refs are treating Yao, unless we do something and I mean something fast, Yao's progress maybe taking a step backward soon, it's damn hard to play night in and night out when people put shackles on your feet.

 

It's about time too! This loss doesn't feel bad...

 

I hope I do not hear Van Gundy making comments about how we can't win playing this way. I am sick of his negativity.

 

I'm not sure if I should be happy that they played well and exceeded expectations by almost pulling it out, or worried that it took a monster game by McGrady to stay in it. Oh well, I'm going to look only at the positive because this was ALOT better effort overall.

It was GREAT that we were able to see McGrady play like TMac for the first time this season. For those who question the trade over the summer, THIS is the reason they pulled the trigger and gave up so much. Steve had his good games, but he cannot put a team on his back and carry them to a victory. TMac showed everyone the superstar he is. It's just too bad it came in a loss.

I thought Steve Kerr's take on the PF position for the Rockets was spot on. Everyone points the finger at Yao when he doesn't get 10+ boards, but he has to single-handedly be THE guy down low as our PFs will not battle inside. The opposition only has to worry about one player rebounding and they do whatever they can to stop him. I think it proved that point tonight, when the whole team made a concentrated effort to get rebounds, Yao was able to get 14 because the Mavs then had to worry about boxing out other players other than Yao.

Again, I'm going to look only at the positives tonight (especially after the last few days). I know it is only one game but, if this is what we are looking at the rest of the season, I am excited for the future. Get a basher at the 4 (duh!), a PG that can push the ball (duh again!), and Yao continues to progress, this will be a super team within the year or so.

 

These stats are great for someone like Cato. But we are talking about our SUPPOSED franchise center. If Shaq got 13 points and 14 boards, I think everyone would think he had a bad game. Now, if you no longer think of Yao as a franchise center, then, yes, he had a good game.

 

Damn the refs, Damn the refs, Damn them all to hell.............

 

If we play like this for now on I might consider taking the "fire gundy" chant off my sig. He motivated the team the right way tonight. This looks like a different team and different flow than the other games, even on games we have won this season. T-mac should have the green light to do whatever he wants whenever he wants. He can be Me-Mac all he wants with 9 ast and 9 rebs to go along with it.

 

NBA refs are a bunch of sorry Yao haters...

 

This game, unfortuanately, looks very similarily to the games that were played in Orlando when tmac was there. Just give tmac the ball and let him play one and one. I'm sorry but this isn't a good sign at all. Tmac won't have games like this all the time and if our offense is now, to just give tmac the ball and let him shoot 40 times, we're just gonna lose as many games as orlando lost last year and maybe even more cause we're in the west.

Plain and simple, we need better offense sets and more continuity and flow with our offense. Its nice to see tmac break out but this aint gonna happen 65 more times.

 

It was not the refs who made Yao miss 11 of 15 shots.

 

The Refs treat Dirk better than anyone I have ever seen....I think Dirk flails and flops more than Pau these days.

Yao gets NO respect at all...NONE, if this does not prove that the aggressor gets the benefit of the doubt, I don't know what does.


And..Tmac played great, but he CHOKED that Free Throw that would have given us the lead with 22 seconds...inexcusable.

DD

 

Yao just wasn't hitting his shots, we really needed him as well on the offensive end

 

If your arms kept getting hacked like that, you probably would mis-hit the toilet bowl 11 out of 15 times too.

 

Look man, when Yao is pushed out of the lane on a turn around jump shot and it isn't called, it does affect his rhythm and makes him hesitant. There was one play where he was pushed to the floor on the shot, and no call was made. Dirk comes down a few minutes later and takes a jump shot in the lane, Juwon is holding out his hand barely touching Dirk, and Dirk gets the whistle. The refs not blowing the whistle on the contact Yao receives when he shoots DOES affect his shooting. It causes him to have to anticipate contact and no whistle and it throws off his shooting. All I am saying is give Yao the same calls that Dirk and the other superstars get. Yao's shooting will be right there with the rest of them and his ppg will go to 25.

Another thing I don't understand about Van Gundy. This has been going on now for a couple years. And Van Gundy never says anything about it, or gets on the refs about it. If Van Gundy is so loyal to his players, he oughta go out on the floor and get a tech arguing some of those ridiculous calls and no calls against his players.

 

I wonder why Deke didn't play tonight? Also, during the game, I heard the commentators say that Don Nelson likes to play zone with Shawn Bradley (while he was in the game in the 1st quater) protecting the lane. Now, he is 7'6" and I would imagine he is as quick as Yao. How come JVG doesn't play zone some. Mix up the D like Donny does. I just don't understand. He doesn't have to play zone the whole game. Just mix it up a little. Keep the other team unbalanced.