ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Nuggets 12/20/2007

yao try his best.

 

Anyone blaming Yao for missing a few shots towards the end should have their head examined.

YAO MING played 51 minutes on the second end of a back-to-back. FIFTY-ONE MINUTES.

Much respect.

 

That would be a really good deal for the Rockets. Sam is a leader, and a fighter.

 

Excuse me, sir, but that's a bunch of bullcrap.

I'm taking an objective look at one issue contributing to why we are not finishing games. It's not just on Yao. I don't expect Yao to make every damn shot he takes...but he missed several in crunch time which could have sealed this game as a "W". If we want to say it's because of exhaustion, then fine...I have zero problem with that. Yao didn't look very exhausted when he was blocking shots late and playing good D late in the game. RA does play Yao alot more minutes in the game than JVG ever did. Yao had a good game. I'm not denying that. However, he didn't have a great game.

If you'll want to claim Yao's offense isn't a little erratic late in games, then fine...keep your blinders on and say that. That doesn't mean Yao isn't contributing throughout the game. Yao is the guy the team is going through. If the shot is there, then he is going to take it...as he should. He's just not making enough of them when it counts...which means he's having some problems getting the ball in the bucket late in games when we need points. Granted, so is the rest of the team...but their not the first option on offense.

That said...I don't claim this is the only reason we lost. It's one of several reasons. If Yao is so tired at the end of games that it affects his offense, then maybe RA needs to find a way to rest Yao more. Is this the pattern...play Yao the entire game until he's so tired at the end of games he can't finish? I don't even buy it's the exhaustion. I think he's just straight up missing some key shots. He had the looks. He had the moves. The ball just didn't go in.

You don't like it...sue me.

I thought was a hell of a ballgame, regardless, and I'm glad I lost sleep over it. The whole team played their hearts out...no doubt about it.

 

I love this game.

 

Luther had a really good game. He needs to gain that confidence because he can be a go to guy for offense. He played with a lot of heart.

Mike James is becoming more and more irrelevant in this rotation. He threw up too many contested jumpers and made like one.

Aaron Brooks played pretty good but got in foul trouble. He needs to attack the basket more.

 

He made just one, and it was contested. And after he made it, he started backpedaling as if he had accomplished something major, and Iverson blew right past him and got an easy layup (and1).

Mike James isn't becoming irrelevant. He's downright hurting the team, period. Like I said before, the Juwan Howard trade is looking more and more disastrous every day.

 

any doubt about who the real FRANCHISE player of this team is, was proven last night..
TMAC was out in the locker room chuckling (did you guys see that where TNT videoed him in the locker room) while his team was out there putting out every thing on the court...while Yao was out there helping us trying to win..

 

Is it just me or do many injured players come back from injury against the rockets?

Good game though..

 

I don't know if this has been said before, but Doug Collins is a fabulous color commentator. I love it when he does Rockets games.

JVG and Hubie Brown too...

 

great effort....Yao, Head & Bonzi ....though we lost

 

bonzi should not have been on the court on the last shot made by carter...james or snyder should have been in. heck i would rather see novak defend than bonzi...he is just so undisciplined on defense.

 

rockets should hire you right now

 

I have same feeling, with Yao in the middle, they would hesitate to shoot from that range. We were not guaring for 3 , why let Yao out?

 

he has never lost mine.

 

Good effort although we lost. But please please PLEASE practice your free throws, Rockets!!!!

 

The last defence was Bonzi's fault. He didn't stay close enough to Carter, that was the reason he had to jump up trying to save his mistake, but too late...

 

This was a very entertaining game to watch. Only after the third quarter that is. I go banned from the chat last night for simply saying that this was a boring game (in the 1st quarter).

I don't understand why the chat has become so strict and sensative in the last few weeks. I guess from now on, I just have to watch what I say and be thoughtful of other's over sensative emotions...

 

It was a good game, unfortunately, ended as a lose. This is one of few games this season that I love to watch so far. Yao showed energy but his shot was off mainly because he hesitated at shooting. I noticed that several times even when he was 1 on 1. He should wisely take less shots, that would bring the team a win. Our defense is not great, Nuggets' offensive board won this game. I saw a few times our player standing there still and watched Nuggets taking shot, maybe they were tired on the back-to-back game. Hayes did not show much energy.

Go rockets.

 

good game, good effort, bad loss.

the Rockets could have a chance to win the game if:
-they could make their FT.
-they could make their easy layups.