I love it: "This is the gym I built by myself," Francis said. "The baskets will be like an ocean to me." http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...jan25,0,1028025.story?coll=orl-home-headlines Houston sweeps post-deal Magic Orlando came out flat and lost 89-78 to a host Houston team without Tracy McGrady. By Brian Schmitz | Sentinel Staff Writer Posted January 25, 2005 HOUSTON -- The stage was set for a grand homecoming for Rockets alums Steve Francis and Kelvin Cato. Tracy McGrady was out at the 11th hour, suddenly turning the Houston Rockets into the Houston Relics. But Francis, Cato and the Orlando Magic were treated like a homecoming opponent before making a late run in an 89-78 loss to the Rockets at Toyota Center on Monday night. Francis and Cato were making their first return to play their former team since the seven-player blockbuster trade this summer between Houston and Orlando. The trade scoreboard now reads: Rockets 2, Magic 0. McGrady, the centerpiece of that deal, had led Houston to victory in his return to play his old team last Thursday at TD Waterhouse. But he wasn't in the building for this one, telling the Rockets two hours before the game that he had to attend to a family medical emergency. Ryan Bowen, averaging 1.3 points, replaced McGrady, but the Rockets didn't miss T-Mac's team-leading 25.3 average until the cold-shooting Magic gave them a fourth-quarter scare. The Magic (22-18), who trailed by as many as 21 points, cut the Rockets' lead to seven. But they couldn't catch up thanks to poor shooting early, especially by Francis, and off nights by Grant Hill (10 points) and Hedo Turkoglu (eight points.) Francis finished with 23 points, but missed 18 of 28 shots. The Magic shot 40 percent and broke a franchise-record for fewest points in a first half with 27, reeling off 12 points in the second quarter. The previous all-time low for a first half was 29, set Nov. 22, 2002 against the Indiana Pacers. The Magic made just four baskets in the second period, missing 15 of 19 shots to trail 48-27 at halftime. Francis had just two points. The malaise was framed by 12 turnovers and little defensive effort. The Magic were no threat in a first half against the NBA's oldest team. It was highlighted by a play right out of the Dark Ages, executed by two Rockets born in the '60s. Center Dikembe Mutombo threw down a dunk after catching an alley-oop pass from guard Rod Strickland, the 38-year-olds giving Houston a 38-14 lead. Here's the way the night was going for the Magic: With the shot-clock running down, Rockets guard David Wesley, 34, threw the basketball like a baseball from the 3-point line, and a foul was called on Hedo Turkoglu. Orlando cut the lead to 11 at 70-59 with 8 minutes, 22 seconds remaining in the fourth. And Francis was not just warm, but simmering. He hit two more baskets, Cato blocked a shot, and rookie Jameer Nelson added a layup to trim Houston's deficit to seven points. It's as close as they would come. Cato received a moderate ovation. But Francis -- the last Magic player introduced -- moved the fans to stand and cheer for about 20 seconds. Nary a boo was heard. The reception for the player known as Stevie Franchise was the flip side of the booing and jeering that welcomed McGrady's return to Orlando. "Thanks for the memories, Stevie," read one sign. "this franchise misses the real Franchise," said another. Francis took some extra shooting after the Magic's light morning workout, then said he had "no ill feelings" that Houston dealt him, Cato and Cuttino Mobley. "I can't be too mad at them," he said. "They went their way, and I went mine." While he was bitter about the trade, Francis said, "It drove me. That matured me a lot." After practice, he looked around the Toyota Center, a downtown arena the Rockets opened just last season. "This is the gym I built by myself," Francis said. "The baskets will be like an ocean to me." Except that the way he was shooting, the baskets seemed about as wide as soda-bottle tops. Francis missed seven of his first eight shots, mirroring his team's wayward night.
Remember what Steve said after the first month of the season, when the Magic jumped out of the gate, the Rockets were struggling and the Orlando media was crowing like .... well, like they still do. "I wouldn't say it's vindication as much as it's an indication -- an indication that change is good for some, bad for others," Francis said. Indeed, change has been good for some.
Francis needs to start letting his play do his talking. Seven TO's is completely unacceptable for a NBA point guard.
Not that is matters much but it was Jon Barry who made the alley-oop pass to Deke not Strick. Not that I was expecting OS to ever get their story right....
Francis just needs to shut his trap and play ball. He lost tonight against a team who didn't have their best player on the floor.
There are a handful of ways games like this can go: Pulling a Barkley Description: Returning star, motivated by perceived slight from former franchise, goes off for huge numbers. Example: Barkley scored 71 points and had 24 rebounds in his first two games against Philly, and grabbed 33 rebounds in his first game as a Rocket against the Suns. Pulling a 'Toine Description: Returning star, eager to avenge what he perceives as an unfair trade to prove what a mistake his old franchise made, tries to do too much and has a sub-par game. Example: Antoine Walker's return to Boston last year was a thing of beauty-- if you detest Walker. 7 points on 3-14 shooting; Dallas lost to an awful Celtics team. Note that I wanted to call this "pulling a Pippen" but the data simply doesn't support it. Stupid facts. Pulling a Hakeem Description: Returning star, so old that he sweats dust, so decrepit that Joan Rivers and the Crypt Keeper make fun of him behind his back, barely makes an impact worth noting. Olajuwon had cumulative totals of 13 point and 12 rebounds in his two games against the Rockets in 00-01 and was heard to complain about the "damned whippersnappers" not passing him the ball. I admit, I read these two games wrong coming in. I honestly expected Francis to pull a Barkley and go off for huge points-- we've all seen it, he has the ability and like most NBA stars, when he's properly motivated he can really do some impressive things. Instead we got a 'Toine out of him. And some chuckles.
funny but i thought the saying was farts dust, funny anyway,still love the dream and preferred "old hakeem" over cato anyday..
In reality, it is the house the Rockets couldn't build by themselves. In 1999, the city overwhelmingly rejected their first bid they so arrogantly thought they could win just because they were the Rockets. After flirting with places like Louisville, it took a monumental effort on the part of fans and key business leaders to get the thing done. If anyone from the Rockets organization could be credited, it would be people like George Postolos who helped craft the deal, Rudy T, the only former player (and then current coach) to literally go door to door and never refuse an event for the campaign and even Van Chancellor who, along with a number of the Comets, went to events and spoke to business groups. Gene Peterson spoke to groups in his home in Kingwood - one of the hardest sells in the city. Calvin Murphy spoke to leaders in the African American communities. Clutch the Bear turned out for numerous events to entertain folks. Francis, on the other hand, attended only a single event - the one required of him - the open practice. Anyone who thinks the Rockets won the arena election doesn't have a clue about how that thing went down. Some of the city's most powerful businees interests were involved from stem to stern. There were literally hundreds of people who worked their asses off to convince people of the benefits of the building. There were nearly as many COMETS fans working on it as there were Rockets fans. And, IMO, the single most important supporter of the arena effort wasn't a person but a building - Minute Maid Park. The excitement and blow to skepticism that marked the opening of the downtown ballpark in 2000 created a HUGE shift in how the city viewed sports facilities, particularly those being built downtown. Many who had decried the notion of downtown being anything but a crime-ridden hole for homeless people had an instant shift of awareness when they saw the opening of the Astros new home. So, I'm sure Steve would LOVE to take the credit for the TC. But, he'd be wrong.
The jilted ex-girlfriend writing is getting crazy. "But he wasn't in the building for this one, telling the Rockets two hours before the game that he had to attend to a family medical emergency." Anyone else catch how this was written in a less than convinced manner? As if it were a high schooler giving a BS excuse for why they missed class? "Nary a boo was heard." Odd, from where I was sitting, I did here a smattering of boos in the building as well. And he was certainly booed throughout the game by a minority of fans. "Thanks for the memories, Stevie," read one sign. "this franchise misses the real Franchise," said another. Apparently the writers missed the "Steve Who" signs that were also present. Talk about seeing only what they wanted to see. The Sentinel needs to hire a company therapist. Evan
