Really starting to get nervous about this series...

Hmm some people will never ever be happy with their lives, we are freakin up 2-1 and our D has been tremendous.

Porty is out of options, they play Yao straight up, they lose. They front, they leave huge holes in the lane, and lose. They double Yao w/o the ball, Scola becomes God, and they lose.

Again, remind me, why are you worried, oh yeah thats right, because Yao isnt Dream.

 

Honestly, The past couple years against Utah I've been incredibly nervous. But for whatever reason I'm extremely confident we get past Portland.

 

You have no artesticles.

 

I know exactly how you feel, watching the Rockets blow a 17 point lead to Portland also gave me flashbacks to our first series against Utah. Particularly because Utah (back then) was a young unproven team brimming with potential. Portland was able to adjust at halftime and showed some composure in making the comeback, something that the Jazz excelled at the first series they played us. Weren't the Jazz called the "Comeback Kids" or something that season? I also saw a stat that showed Portland this season has made the most comebacks in the regular season which also likens them to the Jazz team we played before.

The Rockets have also had strong starts in the first round only to fade and eventually lose. Of course I'm talking about the Dallas series where we were up 2-0 coming back to Houston, and when we were up 2-0 against Utah, both series we went on to lose.

I'll admit I felt queazy watching Portland mount that comeback, but I can tell you that I believe things are different this time around. Here's why:

1) We are mindful of the past.

In the Dallas series, we scraped through 2 wins on the road to start the series. T-Mac hit some clutch shots in Game 2 and everyone declared the series over. Dallas however, was very deep and talented that year and hit us at home when we relaxed. We also got comfortable against the Jazz when we were up 2-0 before T-Mac declared infamously, "it's on MY back!" Yao was in both of these series and there is no doubt that he remembers this. We
won't let ourselves relax because we REMEMBER what has happened in the past.

2) Portland is not good as the Jazz or Dallas were.

In the first Jazz series, they played us very well in Houston, they were able to sustain double digit leads and we were forced to rally and grind out tough wins at home. Portland has not shown that they are capable of doing this.
They had a small lead in the early minutes of Game 3, which we easily took back and held. The Jazz also defeated us soundly in Utah. We blew Portland out in Game 1, and in Game 2, we had the lead several times, including one in the fourth quarter. There is no way in hell we could have done same against Utah on the road. Dallas had a deep and talented team the year they beat us. Didn't they go on to the finals? Portland is good, but I don't think they are good enough to make it past the second round, if god forbid, they make it past us.

3) Nate McMillan is inferior to Jerry Sloan, and perhaps Avery Johnson.

Nate McMillan is making adjustments, but I think we can all agree that Jerry Sloan is a superior coach. Sloan not only took Yao out of his game, but forced turnover after turnover whenever we tried to get him the ball. Okur's
cheap tactics were incredibly effective and he was able to successfully defend Yao 1 on 1. In the Dallas series, we also kept trying to feed Yao repeatedly, and we paid dearly with costly turnovers. Portland pays when they double Yao, and Yao is not getting turnovers. He is actually more efficient than he has been in the past.

4) Our team is different.

We have a new coach in Adelman, who has only been with us for 2 seasons. Last year we didn't have Yao, so this is the first year Adelman can really prove himself in the playoffs. We also have a much deeper bench that has actually SHOWN up in this series so far. Landry, Von, and Lowry have been excellent for us so far. In past, I remember Head and some others not showing up. Also in the past, we DID NOT have a 3rd scoring option, we now have multiple scoring options and have proven that we can win a game without going to our superstars. We won Game 3 with Yao AND Artest scoring in the single digits. Do you think we would've won a game against Utah or Dallas with Yao or T-Mac scoring in single digits? Probably not, in fact, I think we've done poorly in past when both Yao AND T-Mac are contained.

 

McMillan still has to figure out a way to negate our role players. He has found it impossible to do this all while defending Yao.

Yao is helpped us win last game, not with his offense, but his ability to give his teammates offensive opportunities. Even if he scored 0 points, his effectiveness for this team means that he may just be worth his contract, even without the statistical output.

This series could really go either way. Most likely, I see us taking out the Blazers in 6 (we WILL lose if it goes to a 7th). The rest of the series is going to be hard faught and dirty. That is exactly waht the playoffs is about and I LOVE IT!

I only share the OP's depression when it comes to ronud 2 vs. Lakers. Before this series started, I thought the Rockets had a great chance at knocking out the Lakers, however if they employ the same defense that Blazers have, they will beat us, simply because their own offense is much stronger than Blazers. Kobe has proven that Ron/shane can't contain him. And I also see Gasol taking over whenever Yao is benched (since our beloved Deke is out). Maybe hayes can hold gasl down but I doubt it.

 

our defense could secure us to win this series.

 

before the series started, i predicted rockets in 6 if we win game 1 or portland in 7 if they win game 1. I did not predict game 3 and 4 being close as it was. which is why i am nervous about game 6. i am still sticking by rockets in 6. but if we lose game 6 then its over. i don't see rockets winning game 7 in portland.