I like the way competed until the last whistle. Aaron his having a breakout Party and showing me something. Great Job. WE would've won if we gave Yao the ball more, but I can't be mad at the effort
Brooks amd not Artest is our wild card for this playoff series. How he plays will determine if we win the series. When Yao is doubled hard and fronted, he is the most consistent scorer outside of Scola. Btw Battier again have been a disappointed in the playoffs like he has been the last few years. No offense and no defense from him, AGAIN.
I read about 10 pages and many of you apparently did not watch the game. Our offense was fine. Not great but we did well enough. Except for a few bad shots (1 or 2 by each player, not just one), we had the shots we wanted, some wide open 6-15 ft shots that did not go in. Some layups that went in and out. We still made 50% and that was good. BTW, Yao was not just fronted with one man. He was doubled front and back with two 7fters before and after the catch. It means we play 4 against 3 else where, we just need to knock down the open shots. Our defense was more cause for concern. We could not guard them. LM went ballistic, our PF are just not long enough to bother him. Roy had a good shooting night, and he got a lot of shots at the rim, those are too easy and will continue to fall. On the PnR, Yao will not be able to stay with him. We need to change up and not do the same thing every time. Ask Yao to show on the screen but then he falls back and stays with his man. Roy's man needs to fight around the screen and try to catch up while our PF meet Roy at the rim. Our other F has to collapse and switch to their PF. Make Roy pass the ball and see if they can make an outside shot. I don't think we made Roy pass a single time in this game. The refs were ok for a while but they bailed Portland out down the stretch. Przybilla was a flopper. I guess he did not want Yao like he thought he wanted Yao.
Damn these refs and damn that stupid Joey Crawford. It's almost like the refs tonight said, "Hey, David Stern said we can't let the Rockets win tonight. You know what we must do." Poor Deke! I'm going to miss him! It's terrible he had to go out and end his career like that last night. Thanks for the 5 years Deke!
Without going through the 20 pages of this thread... For those of you, like me, who were forced to watch the game on NBAtv, I must say that the Blazers announcers have to be among the worst I've ever seen. Are they not aware at all that they're on NATIONAL TV? Would some semblance of objectivity hurt them? The only thing worse than the Rockets losing was the Rockets losing AND having to hear these crying little bit**es all night. At least when Clyde and Bill see the other team doing something well or the Rockets making a foul, they say it. These 2 morons last night might have actually shed a tear when someone actually touched Brandon Roy. I just hope that bunch of crap isn't forced on us again in this series...
im still high on brooks. he did commit a couple turnovers but keep in mind it's his first playoff series, and he's still shooting lights out. and at least both turnovers were trying to create stuff. now, for Ron Artest, it's like you know EXACTLY what he's going to do once he gets the ball its sickening. He's going to dribble dribble looking for a slither of space to hoist a 3ball. Adelman was talking about him in the postgame conference when he talked about players being impatient on offense im sure.
Thanks to stupid TNT/ESPN, I wasn't able to watch the game as I do not have the local access (since I live in TN) nor do I even know how to get a game on "NBA TV", so I was very curious at how Game 2 was going to go. Look, Portland is a very good team - I think it was highly unrealistic to expect us to beat them the way we did in Game 1. We knew they were going to make adjustments and that fronting Yao was inevitable. Roy went off on us as did Aldridge and we still lost only by 4 on their home court where they had to win. So I am not too upset. I think the Rockets are still in great shape - we just have to make sure that Portland pays when they front Yao which means guys hitting open looks. Yet, I still would like to see the Rockets run some pick and roll plays with Yao instead of doing these iso plays which allow the Blazers to front him.
- Brooks' confidence is too shaky to play him in the clutch. Lowry should be end at the end of the 4th quarter. - Joey Crawford can rot in hell. This example is just the tip of the iceberg, but that call in the 4th where Roy got the three point play driving to the lane and they blew the whistle before there was even contact (with Battier) was embarrassing. There was another one similar to it a couple of minutes before they called on Chuck Hayes where Hayes stuck his arm out and they anticipated contact but there wasn't any. Roy got D-Wade treatment in this one. - I feel confident we will win this series since it took everything they had to win that game, yet the won by only 4 points. That included Yao being almost non-existent, tons of missed free throws, and a meltdown by Brooks at the end that shouldn't happen again as long as Lowry is in.
The fronting of Yao is easy to solve. Stockton and Malone with Battier the entry person. Have Yao start at the elbow (free throw line extend), AB cuts off of Yao from top of key, if not open for layup he stops and goes to set screen on Przy. If Przy goes under the screen into the lane Yao has quick post up. If Przy goes over the screen it is an easy lob if Yao can catch the rock. Once Yao dives to the post, Scola should be rotating to the free throw line for an easy jumper. Scola missed way too many free throws and wide open jumpers. Please remember that Landry is recovering from a gun shot wound. Hops not back yet.
BTW, the way has Rick ever heard of a zone defense to stop a player driving easily to the buck. No one from Portland took a shot for extend periods. At some point you need to zone up on Brandon and force someone else to beat u.
1-2-2 Zone AB on top, Shane on right (Roy loves going left) Artest on left Yao on left (protect him from fouls Scola on right Portland would be so confused on how to deal with this.
How people hate AB on this forum is beyond me. He almost willed us to victory at the end, and he gets to the basket effectively. Our D was shoddy, it should pick up once we are back home. Portland barely beating us on their home floor bodes well for us this series.
Do people on this board use their brains or are they so quick to find someone to blame? Whose next after Brooks and Artest? Yao? Scola? Lowry will eventually join the list of Scapegoats.
