Yao had 39 points and yet Lakers didn't get blown out. They almost won it if Kobe didn't foul T-Mac on that 3pt attempt. That was why PJ kept Kwame Brown guarded Yao one on one. If they started to double team him and Rox 3s started raining, the game wouldn't be close.
I repeat: Both Rafer and Tracy were off from outside; Luther didn't even play. This wasn't a game the Rockets were likely to go 15/30 from long range. After Yao's 1st half, it was time for a change in defensive strategy. The only reason the game was close at the end was because the Rockets hit the skids in the last 4 minutes and Kobe went ballistic. Also, if Tracy's outside shot was on we would have probably led by 20 at the time (instead of 12) and won easily. The game was close because of Kobe on offense, NOT because the Lakers played their defense right. They wasted Kobe's game.
again, yao should have easily scored over 40 points. please demand the ball more in the 4th quarter when k.brown was guarding you one on one and tmac & alston couldn't make a damn shot. Run down the floor and get to the block and just demand for the ball. use your hook more, especially if guys like brand, ben wallace, adonall foyle, and dampier, who are capable of blocking your shot. it is painful to watch short guy like elton brand block your shot.
they should have been doubling Yao... if not at the start of the game... then the 2nd half... it was easy to see... Yao was pretty much the only one hitting his shots... other then maybe Chuck who was in foul trouble... or Bat who was 4 for 8 Tmac who had a great night at the foul line 15 of 16 but a poor shooting night 7 for 24 and rafer 6 for 18... but hit all his ft's 4-4 and Juwan going 0-5 this was a no brainer... they had to get the ball out of Yao's hands, into the other players force them into jump shots and keep everyone away from the basket... this one was a win for JVG... against PJ
Correct me if I am wrong, I don't think the Lakers have too much to play for at this point. It is not that they don't want win, it is just that a loss doesn't do them too much harm.
You are overlooking the fact that T-Mac had a very inefficent shooting night (7 of 24) and Rafer was "evil Rafer" from three point land. Had T-Mac had an average ahooting night FG% wise, it would have been a comfortable victory. LA did a terrible job guarding Yao. He scored almost 40 points on 18 shots. Almost unheard of.
yea, if we double kobe, there was no one could score but if they double yao, we got Tmac to shot freely
You really want to do some math, don't you? The 3-point shooting percentage of Rox is 38.4%. So basically every 3-pointer attempt will yield 1.152 points. Yao's season average is 50.8% now. As we all know, this stats comes from (shot made/ shot attemps). It doesn't include the shots Yao actually took got fouled. Yao is averaging 7.1 point per game from free throw shooting. Based on his percentage, this equals 4 shots attempt. So Yao is taking 17.1+4=21.1 shots per game. His season average is 24.8 points per game. So Yao can get 1.175 points per shot attempt. If your math is OK, Who is more effecient? ALso keep this in mind, feeding yao will create open shots oppotunity for others. The best strategy is still inside to Yao first. Either he takes the shot or inside-out for others.
It is his career high free throw attempts. But when a reporter told him about that after the match, he quipped: "What does it matters? I only made 17 of them, missing 4. That's still too low for my standard."
Boy, some people are never satisfied. Yao scores 2 points below his career high. Shoots an incredible FG%, gets to the line for 21 FT attempts and converts 17 of them, grabs 11 boards, blocks 4 shots, made the game winning shot (credit to JH for a great dish also) and is in on the defensive trap that sealed the game. Get real and dial the expectations down to the stratosphere. I bet you are one of those chaps that would see a man walking on the water and ask, "yeah, but can he swim?"
if you was watching the lakers game, you would agree that he could easily score over 40 points. yes, i'm not satisfied because i believe he is the most dominant big man in the NBA, offensively better than duncan. With his size and skills, he should be unstoppable. he should have destroyed elton brand or ben wallace with the left/right hook shot. JVG -- GO TO YAO in the 4th quarter, especially when tmac and alston are throwing up bricks. so what if we lose a few games. it will only help yao and the rockets in the playoffs. yao needs to know he is the 1st option. he has to dominate; otherwise, the rockets will not go far in the playoffs.
