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[Deseret News] McGrady's happy Houston got the Jazz

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by jsmee2000, Apr 19, 2008.

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  1. jsmee2000

    jsmee2000 Member

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    McGrady's happy Houston got the Jazz
    By Tim Buckley
    Deseret News
    Published: Saturday, April 19, 2008 12:49 a.m. MDT

    HOUSTON — A postseason ago, the weight of the world was on Tracy McGrady.

    He famously declared before Houston's NBA Western Conference playoff series with the Jazz that if the Rockets didn't advance, "it's on me."

    As it turned out, it was on McGrady's watch that Utah won the best-of-seven series in seven games — and for the sixth time in as many tries, one of his teams fell in the opening round.

    It happened once with Toronto. Three times with Orlando. And now twice with Houston.

    This postseason, which gets under way tonight at the Toyota Center here with Game 1 of a repeat Jazz-Rockets first-round series, new Rockets and longtime NBA head coach Rick Adelman has gone to great lengths to make it known Houston's playoff fate is not and will not be "on McGrady."

    The seven-time All-Star, however, has made it abundantly clear he's out to finally back up the pronouncement.

    "The competitive side of me," he said, "wanted Utah for a little bit of revenge."

    Well then, he's got it.

    McGrady also has the watchful eyes of a skeptical Houston upon him.

    Wrote Houston Chronicle columnist Richard Justice after the Rockets and Jazz learned of the rematch:

    "You're a lucky man, Tracy McGrady. You've been given something precious, something a lot of people never get. Can you guess what that is, Tracy? That's right. You're getting a second chance. The Rockets drew the perfect first-round opponent. They get another crack at the Utah Jazz. This one's for you, Tracy.

    "Perfect, absolutely perfect. All those demons, all those insults and doubts and all the rest, can be kicked right out the window if the Rockets get by the Jazz.

    "Sure, the Jazz are bigger and stronger than the Rockets. Some might say they're mentally tougher. That's why they're so perfect. If you're going to prove people wrong, if you're going to confront both your doubts and your doubters, this is the place to start."

    So much for Adelman's team game.

    The burden clearly is on McGrady, and many — Jazz principles chief among them — seem to subconsciously recognize as much.

    Jazz coach Jerry Sloan defines McGrady as "... a great player that can make things a little bit easier for other people."

    "We have to focus on shutting down T-Mac first, because everything goes through him, and try not to let anybody else hurt us bad," point guard Deron Williams added. "You know, try to keep everybody to their averages."

    Jazz All-Star Carlos Boozer calls McGrady a "superstar player."

    "Everything starts with him," Boozer said. "If we can do a decent job on him, and try to contain their other guys, hopefully we'll have a chance to win the series.

    "He's a phenomenal player. We know he never got out of the first round. We don't want it to happen against us. But we know he's a stud," the Jazz power forward added.

    "He can score from the inside, outside, mix it up and get his teammates involved with passing. He's a tough matchup, but if we can do a good job as a team we'll have a chance."

    If not, McGrady finally can enjoy having it — all of it — off of him.

    And there may be no more satisfying way, one can only suppose, than by shedding it against the same team that last year made certain it stayed on.

    McGrady sure seems to suggest as much.

    "As a competitor," he said, "you just want to seek some revenge."

    E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com
     
    #1 jsmee2000, Apr 19, 2008
  2. flamingdts

    flamingdts Member

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    Thanks for the post.

    You know whats also different for t-mac this year? Its that he has never played the same teams twice in a roll for playoffs. Somehow, if t-mac had a chance to play with the same teams again throughout his career, I think he might've reached second round.

    T-mac's known to be an amazing playoff performer. Add that with the fact that T-mac has played Utah last season, I think t-mac is gonna come up big this time. After all, remember our "game 8" earlier this season. We blew the jazz out on road. And that game was pretty much all T-mac.
     
    #2 flamingdts, Apr 19, 2008
  3. magnetik

    magnetik Member

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    he better get better than his .182 shooting % in the last game... and better get out of the funk that he's been in the last couple weeks before he talks about going anywhere.
     
    #3 magnetik, Apr 19, 2008
  4. flamingdts

    flamingdts Member

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    Don't worry, he will. This intensity is more than playoffs. Its all revenge. And t-mac has a knack for coming up big in revenges. Remember the "game 8" earlier? As well as the 40 point treatment for the hornets.
     
    #4 flamingdts, Apr 19, 2008
  5. TiMacManiaa

    TiMacManiaa Member

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    comon tmac

    play like you can and we will all be happy
     
    #5 TiMacManiaa, Apr 19, 2008
  6. magnetik

    magnetik Member

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    i just hope at the end of the playoffs.. whatever happens.. I don't want to hear that Tmac cost us the series.

    I relied on him on my fantasy team way too much this year to think it's gonna flip in the next game after the past 2 weeks or so. He was doing great after he got back from the knee injury.. however he once he had the shoulder injury he was back to inconsistency.
     
    #6 magnetik, Apr 19, 2008
  7. magnetik

    magnetik Member

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    ....deleted dp
     
    #7 magnetik, Apr 19, 2008
  8. oomp

    oomp Member

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    Winning 22 in a row had nothing to do with Tmac taking everything on his shoulders. The last thing we want is everyone standing around watching Tracy.

    All they have to do is play good team defense and make freethrows and we have a great chance.

    Go Rockets!
     
    #8 oomp, Apr 19, 2008
  9. nancychang

    nancychang Member

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    well,hope this happy can last for long long ...
     
    #9 nancychang, Apr 19, 2008
  10. zforrest

    zforrest Member

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    McGrady's full of it. He has no "competitive" side in him anymore, that died along with his jumpshot. He'd better prove me wrong!
     
    #10 zforrest, Apr 19, 2008
  11. Tfor3

    Tfor3 Member

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    Calm down noob....

    He does not need to prove anything to you. :p



    go rox, get revenge
     
    #11 Tfor3, Apr 19, 2008
  12. t_mac1

    t_mac1 Member

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    and DOMINATE the boards. we win that battle, we're 70% to winning the series.
     
    #12 t_mac1, Apr 19, 2008
  13. BucMan55

    BucMan55 Member

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    Or what??
     
    #13 BucMan55, Apr 19, 2008
  14. declan32001

    declan32001 Member

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    I have no major axe to grind with T-Mac. But this article... ouch.
     
    #14 declan32001, Apr 19, 2008
  15. Possum

    Possum Member

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    If TMac settles for his jump shot we are doomed. If he takes it to the hole we have a chance. We will see soon enough who the real TMac is.
     
    #15 Possum, Apr 19, 2008
  16. Jeff Who

    Jeff Who Member

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    I agree but you know, you can't expect Tracy to drive all the time.

    Jumper is a very important part of his game and it is the most important thing to get it rolling for him. Why? Because than he has 2 weapons, drived and jumpers. It opens up so many things.

    But I agree, he can't settle for jumpshot so much, drive, drive, drive
     
    #16 Jeff Who, Apr 19, 2008
  17. LouisianaRocket

    LouisianaRocket Member

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    kind of hard to drive, drive, drive when utah packs up the Paint so much.

    Shoot, Shoot, Shoot is just as good as drive, drive, drive against Utah.
     
    #17 LouisianaRocket, Apr 19, 2008
  18. ToyCen428

    ToyCen428 Member

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    Tmac needs to DRIVE to start the game. If we can sit out OKUR who is a matchup problem with his long shooting. Long shots equal offensive rebounds which lead to easy putbacks. Jazz are BEST team in the league at this.

    Get Okur out so they become your standard NBA team where the bigs play like bigs. Better for Mutumbo. Otherwise its Mutumbo on Boozer. :confused:
     
    #18 ToyCen428, Apr 19, 2008
  19. BucMan55

    BucMan55 Member

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    Isn't packing the paint illegal defense if they do it more than 3 seconds?? :rolleyes:

    T-Mac has to go at the double team and the defense geared to keep him from the rim. The refs will give the benefit of the doubt to the out of contr.....er aggressor and wont call those blatant charges on him. :rolleyes:
     
    #19 BucMan55, Apr 19, 2008
  20. ktbballplaya

    ktbballplaya Member

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    tmac talks so good but the results after that are not so good
     
    #20 ktbballplaya, Apr 19, 2008
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