This game should never have been close. We should have been ahead by double digits and walking out of there for a decent night's sleep before the Clips. We slacked and slacked and slacked, let them have one loose ball after another, one layup after another, one clean look after another, until we had to pray for them to go cold so we could have a chance to get back in it. Yao wakes up with like 3 minutes left in the game, and from that point on, we're just rolling the dice on make or miss. Well, the dice finally rolled against us. The game was close because they fought harder, worked harder, focused harder. They played defense like we should have, hustled for boards like we should have. They were the more admirable team. They earned it. We tried to slack our way to victory and we lost. In the playoffs, we won't even be sniffing overtime if we play like this. And if Roy had missed that last shot, I bet you $1,000 Tracy McGrady would have been smiling as he walked off the court, thinking, well, I guess what we did was good enough. Let it hurt. We deserved it.
They certainly did play harder, just look at the rebounding....pathetic effort..especially by our bigs....just pathetic. DD
Honestly, it doesn't hurt. I mean, it's November. How could it hurt lol I was just in awe. Great shot under tremendous pressure Even though the clock didn't start until he released teh ball
It does indeed hurt but you're right two of our star players played like garbage or it woundn't have been close.
They plain and simply wanted it more, Yao didn't show up, Ron didn't play hard enough D, and we just didn't want it. I miss Battier. I can say one thing tho, Ron Artest is amazing player, I'm glad we added him, but he doesn't replace Shane Battier, he compliments him.
im complaining bout the clock not starting on time......................booooooooooooooooooooo.........the fukin refs *** us over once again.....................
I love how people were complaining about the defense when Roy basically took a 40 foot shot. If he would have missed it, people in Portland would have been saying it was an awful possession and an awful play. Funny how that works.
Did we struggle this much on the boards last season when we went small? I don't remember giving up so many offensive rebounds to the other team. That's been killing us. Chuck Hayes doesn't seem to be the rebounder he once was. He did a very good job on Aldridge, though. That last play where he hurt his shoulder should have been an offensive foul against Aldridge.
Well yes, they should have easily won that game. Why? Because we didn't play as a team. It is all about post ups and tonight it was all about Tracy McGrady. Give him the ball, if he makes shot, good, if not that we will lose. It is all one on one, no team play. The same thing on defense. At least we were able to play hard TEAM defense at the end of the 4th quater but you gotta do that through the entire game. Yao once again failed and rebound as DD said were just pathetic. We deserved it but it is always hurts when you know there was a big chance of winning.
OK this is what I don't get. I agree we should stop whining about the last play too. We had no business being in this game. Why wouldn't Tracy smile when he walks off the court? I understand what you say when you say "good enough". We didn't play good enough. We deserved to lose and a loss we get. But if we somehow squeaked that game out with a W, considering all the stuff that went down in the last few minutes, I don't see why ANYONE shouldn't give a brief smile. Especially Tracy, who kept us in the game. I am willing to bet $1000 also that Tracy wouldn't think that's good enough to win anything but steal a game from a team that's not going to be a contender this year.
Thanks Will, good post. Rockets d**cked around too long and got burned. That team is nowhere close to our class. They know it, we know it, and even their fans know it.
I think he meant a smile as in, "we got away with one. Crappy effort until the very end, but we pulled it out."
Not quite as sadistic, I would still like a win. But problems are clear there. Let's see the Lakers game.
that last play is bad... real bad. I think there is 1 screen shot then, that could show Roy shooting with all 3 of the Big 3 around him. I actually thought we had the game won. And was smiling ear to ear when Yao was put on the inbounder.
Anybody who really wants some pain, try this: make a highlight video of all the rebounds and loose balls in this game. That would be some truly ugly viewing. Just watch the Rockets react (not). Every one of those plays was a gift. Enough gifts, and you've lost, incredibly, to the Blazers minus Oden.
I don't care how badly we deserved to lose or how we got to that point. If there was a delay it needs to be reviewed by the league.
