Wow what a great game.... I know I'm late posting anything regarding it but I feel there are some points that must be emphasized. Its good to see that Francis is starting to get the hang of the offense centered around Yao. Even from watching the TV at home I felt like standing and applauding everytime Steve penetrated on the fast break and then quickly pulled back to wait for the offense to develop. He is showing that he can mature in Van Gundy's offense and this will help the Rockets greatly when it comes time for the playoffs. I believe had Mark Jackson brought a better game to the table for the Rockets on Wednesday the final outcome would have been different. The backup point guard problem is starting to really become a factor. Although he did get some pretty assists (4 total) he turned the ball over 4 times as well and didn't make the open jumper. Jackson's 3 in the corner in the 3rd quarter could have really helped in the momemtum when the Rockets were enlarging their lead. I think a lineup including Mark Jackson works best when Cuttino is having a better shooting night as many of the open attempts Cuttino got during the game came from Jackson's passes.. he is really good of making the extra pass on the kick out the 3-pt line. My main problem with the game were these two stats: Clarence Weatherspoon DNP coaches decision and Adrian Griffin 1 minute played I know Griffin might not know the offense very well yet but he is an invaluable defensive stopper who must be utilized... I think he could have contained Kobe Bryant when he started to catch fire toward the end. and The Spoon... why wasn't he in the game?? When Mo Taylor was obviously struggling against Shaq we could have used another big body to bang with the big guy inside. I'm not saying that he would have done a significantly better job but when Mo was in the game the Rockets really struggled on the offensive boards, bring in the spoon!!! (he could have been injured, if that was the case I was just unaware) I think Wednesdays game was one of those that just slipped away but I still think that the team proved that they can bounce back after embarrassing losses (sonics) and that they can play an effective half court set (Francis-Cato set plays were beautifully executed). I liked Piatkowski's play although he was underused. When Yao was really rockin before the half we could have used Piatkowski more to get those open 3 pointers. He reminds me so much of Steve Kerr, and he wasn't quite the defensive liability that I was expecting as he consistently put a hand in the face of the shooter. It was a great game and I hope we can bring even more intensity into the Minnesota game Friday night. --Rocketman
