I just got home after a long drive from Portland and I am dead-tired! All I can say is this: WHAT A BLOODY BRILLIANT AND BLOODY FANTASTIC GAME! HEEEELLLLLLLL YEEEAAAAAHHHH!! Full recap tomorrow. I know you'll be looking forward to that! What a game! ------------------ Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon is the greatest player in the history of basketball. If you disagree, you are not a Rocket fan. Protrolls.com!
My god, you're still up!? Yeah, I might sleep in a bit... But that won't save you from having to read my recap tomorrow. Mu hu hu ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaaa! ------------------ Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon is the greatest player in the history of basketball. If you disagree, you are not a Rocket fan. Protrolls.com!
I'm REALLY happy we won this game b/c if they would have lost, we would have had the "OUR TEAM'S GOING TO SUCK FOR 30 MORE YEARS!!!" recap from ZRB. I prefer positive from ZRB, if he can be positive, who can't?
I would only have said that if they had come out and not tried. If they had lost by 30, then I would have been pissed. I was just happy to have a close game. The win was an amazing bonus. And thanks to the Rockets' defense, I got free chalupas! ------------------ Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon is the greatest player in the history of basketball. If you disagree, you are not a Rocket fan. Protrolls.com!
I'm really looking forward to your analysis ZRB. Now, aren't you glad you went, despite Dream's absence! ------------------ "Up and down, inside out, outside in, some you lose some you win" -- DMB -> "Sweet Up and Down"
....looking forward to you're recap ZRB. i'm going to hit the sack but try to have it ready by 2:00 pm when I get up. Thanks, you the man big dog. Peace. ------------------
Alright here we go: Portland was a three hour drive away. On the way, some maniac decided it would be fun to drive in between my car and the one in the lane right next to me while driving 70 mph. His car swerved across the road, spun around a few times, and landed in the ditch. He was lucky that there was a break in traffic, because there could have been a pile-up. So, I nearly got killed, all for the Rockets! After arriving in Portland at 3:30, it seemed like a good time to pick up the tix. I had ordered the tickets through a company that re-sells other people's unwanted season tickets. Well, they weren't in the will-call office when I tried to get them. After a few hours of worrying, they arrived at the office. I got in the arena at 5:30 and started watching the warmups. A non-profit group was sitting nearby, and I overheard the Blazer's statistician giving them a presentation. He was talking about what to expect from the Rockets. He said that they were coached by one of the top figures in basketball, and that they would have the opportunity to watch one of the greatest players in NBA history: Hakeem Olajuwon. I felt like saying something, but then I thought: "I'm sure that an employee of the NBA knows what he's talking about." I then looked up at the scoreboard, and noticed that number 34 was in the starting lineups. All of a sudden, I had hope that Hakeem would actually play! At that point, I was expecting a loss, so the possibility of Hakeem playing gave me hope. Of course, he didn't play. I can only imagine what those non-profit kids must have been thinking: "Where's that Hakeem guy they were talking about?" I find it pretty sad that a person with such a large role with an NBA team didn't realize that a player like Hakeem wasn't going to play. I enjoyed watching the warmups. For the first half hour, the only Rockets shooting were Bull, Langhi, and Sean Colson. Detlef Shremph, Dale Davis, and Steve Smith were also shooting. I noticed that the players talked quite a bit, even though they are on different teams. Detlef and Matt were talking quite a bit. Matt seems like a nice guy. A few little kids came up to him and he was happy to sign autographs for them. It is nice to see an athlete willing to give back to the fans. I yelled out "Air Bull" a few times, but he didn't hear me. I also find it quite amazing just how well these guys can shoot the ball. When they aren't actually playing in a game, they just don't miss. Sean Colson was draining threes non-stop. It's interesting that they can be such good shooters in warmups, but when game-time arrives, they are just role-players and bench warmers. Langhi? He can shoot. Wow, can he shoot... At around six, the rest of the players came out to warm up. I noticed that Steve and Cuttino were joking around and getting along really well with Rasheed. That was fun to see. I also noticed that Steve was missing a lot of his shots in the warmup. Of course, I thought: "Looks like Steve is going to have another bad game". Wow, I was dead-wrong. It just shows how the stars can turn it on at game time. The game itself was a shocker. I really didn't expect a win. I just wanted the Rockets to keep it close. So, you can bet that I was STUNNED with the way the game turned out. The fans around me were great. They were very polite, and didn't mind that I was yelling my ass off with every Rockets' shot. I even heard a few other Rocket fans a few rows above me. I like the fact that the Blazer fans were not hostile. In fact, many of them were asking me questions about the Rockets during the game. I kept saying: "Don't worry guys, I know this team. The Rockets will choke and the Blazers will win." You see, I didn't want to be drilled if the Rockets did in-fact, choke. I set my expectations so low, that the win felt even better. The Rockets were amazing. Every time I thought they were going to finally choke the lead away, they came back and hit big shots, and got big defensive stops. I have to say that the Rockets lucked-out on many plays. The Blazers missed quite a few open shots and finger-rolls that they normally make. It could have been a very different game, had Friday the 13th not gotten to Portland. Still, games always depend on luck. That doesn't take away from the poise they showed when the Blazers made their runs. When the Blazers got the score down to 74-72 in the third, the Rose Garden was rocking. I mean, it was LOUD in there. I thought it would be all Blazers from there, but the Rockets fed off that energy from the crowd and built back the lead. Incredibly, they kept the lead throughout the third, and managed to take a six point lead into the fourth. It could have been much closer, but the Rockets survived the Blazers' uh, Blaze. I was so impressed that the Rockets NEVER lost the lead after it was 5-4 Blazers. The fourth quarter was amazing. Every time it looked like the Blazers were coming back, Francis or Cuttino hit a clutch shot. I swear, this game was filled with the types of shots where I go: "No, no, no, no, YYYEEEEESSS!" They made so many unexpected shots. The crowd would finally get into it, and the Rockets would simply SILENCE THEM! Also, from my angle, it was difficult to see if they were shooting three-pointers or two-pointers. I would think that the Rockets just hit a big shot, then I would hear the PA guy say, "for three", and I would just be floored. "Wow, that was a three? Fantastic!" Still, those Rockets never make it easy. They were up 102-91, when the Blazers immediately cut it to 102-96. Once again, I was thinking "Choke City". Thankfully, I was wrong. Overall, this game was all about weathering the storm. Every time the Blazers made a run, the Rockets answered them. That is something they haven't been able to do most of this season. A very impressive performance. What can I say about Stevie? WOW! This guy more than made up for his horrible performance in Seattle a few weeks ago. He was simply incredible. He scored amazingly well, and dished the ball off as well. I am so happy this guy is with the Rockets. I was also impressed by the big-shot-making from Cuttino and Moochie. Those guys can be very Clutch at times. Just about everyone that played contributed, and that includes Cato and Walt. A word about Scottie Pippen. I have decided that despite his horrible exit from Houston, it is stupid to keep hating him. I am disappointed that he didn't put as much effort in Houston as he did yesterday against Houston. But I just have to forget about that. He made a big mistake, and handled himself horribly with the Rockets. I think its time to stop hating Pippen so much. He was awful, and has been a jerk at times, but it is time to let it go. Dwelling on his Houston problems is just as bad as the way he acted at the time. I am glad that I got to see him have a good game- AND LOSE. I also did get one booing session in during the starting lineups, but he silenced me with his play. Seeing him in person has allowed me to forget about his moments of stupidity in his career. I'm going to let it go. Overall, I am very impressed with the Rockets. I expect A LOT from them next season, and I am sure they will deliver. I had a great time seeing them play in person, despite the absence of Hakeem. After the game, I moved down and sat in the courtside seats. Wow, they really are close to the action. I think next year I'm going to save my money and go to one game and sit courtside, rather than going to three games 7 or 8 rows up. I also managed to get Calvin Murphy's autograph. He signed it "Hall of famer, Calvin Murphy, #23". He seems like a nice guy, though he was obviously in a rush to get out of there. It must be a terribly draining schedule at times. To have to do the game, get on a plane, and fly to another country to do yet another game. 80 times a year? Wow! I told him that there are a lot of Rocket fans in Seattle, and that he and Bill are the best announcers in the league. "Why thank you very much", he said. This game was a fantastic experience. Sure, I almost died in the process, but who cares! I didn't. I got a nice view of the Columbia River Gorge on the way, and had a great time. Its a shame that the NBA is changing the game so much. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE NBA! I LOVE THIS GAME! STOP TRYING TO FIX IT, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT! Oh, one more thing: Thanks to the Rockets' lousy defense , the Blazers managed to score 103 points. That meant that I got a free dinner. CHALUPAS BABY! THANK YOU ROCKETS FOR YOUR BAD D! ------------------ Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon is the greatest player in the history of basketball. If you disagree, you are not a Rocket fan. [This message has been edited by ZRB (edited April 14, 2001).]
That's weird they gave out free chalupas during a Blazer loss. I remember in Dallas the only way you could get the chalupa hookup was if the Mavs scored over 100 and won. Great story ZRB, I'm happy you didn't die. ------------------
GREAT post, ZRB. That was a bloody terrific experience. ------------------ Chris Webber at the July 28, 2001 3:00 PM news conference when he announces where he will go: "It seemed tough, but with guidance from Steve Francis, I learned my true destiny. That destiny is to play for the Houston Rockets, to bring them back to championship glory. One big man is all they need, and I believe I can fill that void. Thanks to the loyal fans in Sacramento, but Houston, Texas is where I belong."
Behind the basket, section 116. ------------------ Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon is the greatest player in the history of basketball. If you disagree, you are not a Rocket fan. Protrolls.com!
I just didn't want to leave Portland disappointed. Believe me, I was absolutely thrilled. I had an amazing amount of joy when that buzzer sounded. ------------------ Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon is the greatest player in the history of basketball. If you disagree, you are not a Rocket fan. Protrolls.com!
You know, I considered driving to Vancouver to see this "game" instead of yesterday's masterpiece. Thank god, I did the right thing. ------------------ Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon is the greatest player in the history of basketball. If you disagree, you are not a Rocket fan. Protrolls.com!
Those fans would have murdered me. ------------------ Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon is the greatest player in the history of basketball. If you disagree, you are not a Rocket fan. Protrolls.com!
I want to add something that happened after the game. I was driving out of the parking lot, when I noticed a group of fans behind a fence. They started cheering as Arvidas Sabonis drove by in his SUV. Sometimes these players seem larger than life, and seeing them doing something simple, like driving home from work, is quite interesting. Poor guy, he had back spasms and his team lost to an "inferior team". He was visibly upset... ------------------ Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon is the greatest player in the history of basketball. If you disagree, you are not a Rocket fan. Protrolls.com!
Just a stupid joke. I have been called a "professional troll" before. Now I'm just having fun with it. ------------------ Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon is the greatest player in the history of basketball. If you disagree, you are not a Rocket fan. Protrolls.com!
