ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Mavericks 5/2/2005 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 5)

I know we lost this game, but in a strange way, I feel happy for the Rockets, because I see the maturization of our stars, and I see the hope. This is the first time I felt we'll win next game in this series, and win the series on their own court in game 7.

I felt this is the first time Yao & Tmac truely realized how good they already are, and how unstoppable they could be from here out. This series has speed up the mature process for those dynamic duo. I think we'll be a serious contender next year and beyond!

 

No matter what will happen to this series, I still believe, believe in our future. I frankly do not think we are good enough to win the title this year, but let look forward to our future.

I got this feeling from Yao's fight back and piss off in game 5, from TMAC's smile after he missed the last shoot, from the performance of all our ROCkETS. I saw the heart in them .

Tell you something, in 2004 olympic game, China has to defeat world champinon Yugslovia to qualify the second round. China never did it, but Yao believed, he fought very hard and lifted China to beat Yug by 1 and move on to next round.

Those who think Yao is soft, please watch today's game again and start to believe.

Yao is tough, TMAC is tough, JVG is tough and ROckets is tough, we will enjoy more when we defeat Mavs in game 7 instead of 4.

Believe, forget those stink refs.

 

Spot on. Mo Taylor would have gotten us over the hump.

 

A lot of people here want to bring up the BS argument that we could've won this game if we had just made our freethrows and we therefore have no business complaining about the officiating. Let me just state that Dallas missed exactly the same number of freethrows as we did AND actually shot a worse FT percentage overall. But hey, I guess that was good enough for them BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO OVERCOME THE OFFICIATING

 

^ ^ ^

Yep, it's the Rockets job to overcome bad shooting, not bad officiating. Extremely bad officiating at that.

Apparently, by some people's logic, the only way the Rockets could blame the officials is if they shot 100% from the field, 100% from the line, and commited 0 turnovers.

Even then someone would probably say "well you shouldn't have let Dallas score as many points as they did".

No team will ever play a perfect game! There will always be something that I team could have done better, but that doesn't mean it's ok for the officials to penalize them for it. Officials are supposed to be objective mediators, not handicappers. Without the handicap from the officials, the Rockets VERY likely would have won Game 5.

 

Hey, this is good!

I can see us winning game 6. I hope that Rox are really pissed off.

Game 7 will be deciedable.

 

hey thats waht i said after game 3 and 4.

 

good point. richard jefferson actually had a good smartass response once when some reporter asked him about needing a perfect game to beat the Spurs (in finals). He said that a perfect game would mean making every shot and stealing the inbound pass every time. So no - they didn't need to play perfect to win.

 

I just wondering, why the Rockets didn't excecute the P&R from Yao, I mean P&R not just pick, as many as possible in last 2 games? And suddenly we know how to beat the fronting defence of Yao? When TMac was obvious off tonight, JVG should order every pocession through Yao, either score or a pass to open 3. Guys should realize, they have to rely on both Yao and TMac to get the win

 

Probaly right. but there is noway in hell i'm blaming yao. if it were'nt for him, then there would have been no chance in gods Universe that we could have stayed so close to the red hot Mavs. I'm still Confident.. tha mavs played to the best of abality and yet just sneaked home due to some pretty horrid calls. the rockets will win this series!!BELIEVE!!!!!!!!!!!

 

This is really heartbreaking and frustrating.

I'm in Israel, where there is supposedly a large NBA fanbase and yet, I've yet to see a Rockets playoff game. I'm stuck watching the series with some of the least consequence: Washington/Chicago and Philly/Detroit.

My only contact with what is going on is this site. Taking all this in from game 5 really gets to me.

But then, I have to have some perspective. Looking back, nearly everyone of us here wanted Van Gundy tied to a stake and burnt at the beginning of the season. Most of us who weren't YOF's began to really question Yao's heart. Hell, some of us complained about trading Francis away.

No one would have ever picked this team to be the contenders that they are, and they are playing with incredible heart. That in itself is inspiring. To me, this is what makes sports so much more than than what it is: to see people like Van Gundy and McGrady and Yao scrapping it out to become a team no one had any faith in, not only becoming legitimate contenders to be feared, but needing the help of zebras to overcome.

At this point, I don't care if they go all the way. I just want to see them take this series and watch the whole damn world eat the same crow we have been eating for months around here.
At this point my hatred for the Mav's has eclipsed previous hate of the Suns, Sonics, Lakers, and yes, even the Jazz. These Mav fans remind me of the bandwagonest Cowboys fans of old back during the Luv Ya Blue days. I really, really, want to see them go home and talk about the Rangers.

I can't be in Houston for game 6, and probably won't even be able to watch it on TV here. For all of you that are going to be at the game, scream your lungs out, man. No one should be seen sitting down at a time like this. This series should make us all really proud to be Rockets fans. As bad as we feel about these stupid calls, we've waited patiently for years to feel this good about ourselves again.

The Mavs still need to take one more game to move on. Let's do all we can to make them work for it at least.

 

Well it was bad enough that I had to take this godawful business policy final exam last night, but I had to endure like the last 3 minutes of Game 5. I can't ever remember experiencing 3 such sh!tty losses as these last 3 games have been.

Mavericks go on 20-0 run in the 4th to steal a game in Houston (Game 3)

Jason F*cking Terry has the game of his life plus 2 incredibly lucky bounces (the last Terry 3 and the Howard knocking the ball off TMac play) for the Mavs help them steal another game in Houston (Game 4).

Great game by Yao but too many missed free throws, yet another horrible blatant miscall against the Rockets (the Finley steal on Barry) and then an almost miracle play by TMac leads to the Mavs' 3rd straight win.

It would be one thing if the Mavericks were just pounding us and clearly the better team, but in all 3 of their wins, they have YET to show me that. All they have shown is an ability to get all the calls and all the lucky bounces. If they are able to beat us, I guarantee they will lose in 5, maybe even 4 games to the Suns.

 

After a GREAT night's sleep, here are my thoughts-

We panicked, yet again. T-Mac and Yao are our leaders, and our team follows them. We were rushing shots, and bricking free throws. Yao may be the nicest guy in the NBA, and that keeps me from cursing his name for missing the free throws, but that doesn't keep me from calling it like it is- a choke. And just like the other two losses, we left their GREAT shooters open again and again. These guys don't demand a double-team, just a hand in their faces to keep them from getting an open shot.

All of that said, we WERE screwed once again by the refs, and we came close too. We are clearly the better team. I thought the 100k fine to JVG would fire the boys up, but I was wrong. It's gotta come from inside for us. All the fine and comments did was tick the refs off so they won't give JVG the benefit of the doubt, and we saw it last night. They just gave him the cold shoulder during the game.

I still believe, ladies and gentlemen! This series is entirely winnable. Feed the rock to Yao, get open shot for that sweet 18-foot T-Mac jumper, defend their shooters, and above all, KEEP OUR POISE, and we will come out of this series winners.

J

 

All this is because Stern wants us to win in 7.....sickening.
JVG stepped into the phone booth as a terrier at the beginning of the season...Now,he is a Superhero.
Major respect and kudos for JVG!

 

I was on a plane to the UK and was actually sure the team would win, but after reading about it, makes me glad I did not see it.

Better for my blood pressure.

Rocks in 7 - BANK IT !

 

Great Post.

 

I am waiting for that DAGGER: "One. WIN. AWAY." a-la Charles Smith from New York in '94. That will cut their throats.

 

Fak the off season, we going to win game 6 and 7.

 

I lost count how many times I said to myself, "We're not going to win this game." I don't know which was worse, maybe we should do a poll:

(a) the refs whistling a phantom foul on Padgett
(b) the refs not seeing Finley out of bounds on his steal on Barry
(c) the refs not pinning Nowitzki for his sixth on Yao
(d) Yao/McGrady choking at the line late
(e) James' missed steal on the inbounds to Terry
(f) Dallas' run in the last minute before halftime
(g) Defensive breakdowns leading to wide-open shots

Remember the Lakers-Kings series a few years ago when Horry made the last-second 3 after Divac poked the ball right to him.. that play deflated the Kings. Houston didn't get over Terry's 3 in game 4. They came out with no urgency at all tonight, and then broke down in the fourth when they had the chance to take control. For game 6, they need to blow up Nowitzki's tongue-hanging mug to poster-size and put it in their locker room... have the Game 5 miscues of the refs on the Jumbotron in Houston whenever the refs make a missed call... and show some aggression out there, go after every loose ball, shake up the lineup, do SOMETHING.

 

I was at the game and let me tell you, I was one of the very few Rox fans in my section...There was one other guy, but that was it...One the way into AA sucked these guys were nuts...After the game, it was like they won a championship or something, complete idiots...I had to remind them who had the championships...

Anyway, my take is yes, the refs totally sucked, on both sides, but more so on the Rockets...the bs calls at the end of the game were horrible, however, you have to make your free throws...Also, it seemed to me the Rox were not as intense as they should have been, but came around in the forth quarter...

It was funny, but when JBarry was introduced, he got this huge chorus of boos..., but especially T-Mac...Everytime T shot, it was like everyone saying "oh Sh*t"...

Overall, the Refs suck ass and someone needs to do something about it...btw, the $100K fine is total bullsh*t...