[Round 1, Game 3] Houston Rockets vs. Portland Blazers

[TMU]

Houston Rockets @ Portland Blazers


SEASON SERIES
Rockets lead 2-1
Nov 6, 2008: Rockets 99 @ 101 Blazers
Feb 24, 2009: Blazers 94 @ 98 Rockets
Apr 5, 2009: Blazers 88 @ 102 Rockets

PLAYOFF HISTORY
Previous Meetings
'87 NBA Western Conference 1st Round: 3 - 1 Rockets
'94 NBA Western Conference 1st Round: 3 - 1 Rockets

Championships
Rockets: 2 ('94, '95)
Blazers: 1 ('77)



Date: Apr 24, 2009
Time: 9:30 EST
Where: Toyota Center, Houston
Channel: ESPN

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TEAM STATS
Season Record: 53-29, 2nd in NBA Southwest Division
Pace Factor: 90.3 (19th of 30)
Offensive Rating: 108.3 (15th of 30)
Defensive Rating: 103.9 (4th of 30)

STARTERS
PG: Aaron Brooks #0


SG: Ron Artest #96


SF: Shane Battier #31


PF: Luis Scola #4


C: Yao Ming #11


BENCH
G - Von Wafer #11
F - Carl Landry #14
G - Kyle Lowry #7
G - Brent Barry #17
F - Chuck Hayes #44
C - Dikembe Mutombo #55


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TEAM STATS
Season Record: 54-28, 2nd in NBA Northwest Division
Offensive Rating: 113.9 (1st of 30)
Defensive Rating: 107.8 (13th of 30)
Pace Factor: 86.6 (30th of 30)

STARTERS
PG: Steve Blake #2


SG: Brandon Roy #7


SF: Nicolas Batum #88


PF: LaMarcus Aldridge #12


C: Joel Przybilla #10


BENCH
F - Travis Outlaw #25
G - Rudy Fernandez #5
C - Greg Oden #52
G - Sergio Rodriguez #11
G - Jerryd Bayless #4
F - Channing Frye #44


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Pictures from ClutchFans.

LET'S GO ROCKETS!!!

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PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING SIG.
GET ON THE CHUCKWAGON!!!

[MaxRider]

i hope Mutombo is okay

we also need someone to do the ericka dumpier on roy but not telling anyone

[TMU]

Dikembe is done for the series and is expecting to get a surgery. The rest of his teammates should play the next 2 games for Deke and his 18-year legacy. Without Deke, this means more playing time for Chuck Hayes. He looked lost in Game 2, because he had to guard Oden on few occasions, but hopefully he'll be more focused at home.

[MaxRider]

Dikembe is done for the series and is expecting to get a surgery. The rest of his teammates should play the next 2 games for Deke and his 18-year legacy. Without Deke, this means more playing time for Chuck Hayes. He looked lost in Game 2, because he had to guard Oden on few occasions, but hopefully he'll be more focused at home.

i know Deke is done for nba by the look from last night game
i just hope mentally and physically he's okay
basketball is only part of his career not his whole life

[barnsleyman123]

The game is in Toyota Center not Rose Garden

[TMU]

The game is in Toyota Center not Rose Garden

Thanks. I forgot to change the pictures.

[moofs]

After last night, even though it wasn't his fault, I don't like Greg Oden anymore.

[MaxRider]

After last night, even though it wasn't his fault, I don't like Greg Oden anymore.

how can you even like oden to begin with?
i still like aldridge just because he's a longhorn

[franchise73]

i just hope the refs dont GIVE them another game.....

[ChinaTown]

Hopefully starting lineup for us is as follow for game 3

PG = Brooks
SG = Wafer
SF = Artest
PF = Scola
C = Yao

Bench:

Battier
Lowry
Landry
Hayes
Barry

[HTown_TMac]

i just hope the refs dont GIVE them another game.....

Refs didnt GIVE them the last game.

[franchise73]

i just hope the refs dont GIVE them another game.....

Refs didnt GIVE them the last game.

u gotta admit they helped at least

[farzi]

i just hope the refs dont GIVE them another game.....

Refs didnt GIVE them the last game.

u gotta admit they helped at least

Wow...

[Got em Coach]

i just hope the refs dont GIVE them another game.....

Refs didnt GIVE them the last game.

u gotta admit they helped at least

that and our inability to hit free throws

[HTown_TMac]

i just hope the refs dont GIVE them another game.....

Refs didnt GIVE them the last game.

u gotta admit they helped at least

Come on dude. There were calls BOTH ways that were questionable. We lost this game, not the refs and it is very understandable as a Rockets fan.

[stockmarketgod]

I happen to think we came out ahead... when it came to fouls... and non calls...

what did they shoot like 50%?

even without the big stiff... our offense was more than enough to win the game... what did we shoot? like 50%

in any event... I think we lost because we couldnt shut down Roy and LA, where was our vaunted defense?

[franchise73]

u gotta admit they helped at least[/quote]
Come on dude. There were calls BOTH ways that were questionable. We lost this game, not the refs and it is very understandable as a Rockets fan.[/quote]


Bro did u see Yao's 4th foul??? That foul alone KILLED us, and the fact that the refs buy in to that Flop by Chris Pszvilla or what ever his name is makes me sick, the man dove like hes jumping into a swimming pool....the refs dont have to kill the game with 20 fouls, they kill it by putting ur superstar player in foul trouble. And shame on the NBA for letting those anouncers be on NBATV. I know they get paid by portland but come on announce the game the right way. Every word that came out of their mouth was in portlands favor.

[franchise73]

Wow...

Wow is what i said too believe me....

[HTown_TMac]

Bro did u see Yao's 4th foul??? That foul alone KILLED us, and the fact that the refs buy in to that Flop by Chris Pszvilla or what ever his name is makes me sick, the man dove like hes jumping into a swimming pool....the refs dont have to kill the game with 20 fouls, they kill it by putting ur superstar player in foul trouble. And shame on the NBA for letting those anouncers be on NBATV. I know they get paid by portland but come on announce the game the right way. Every word that came out of their mouth was in portlands favor.

Which is why we had a chance to come back, but failed to execute at the end? That made Brooks and Wafer miss wide open threes, thats what cost us two turnovers. We did everything to lose that game, and that is what we did. Quit using the refs as a scapegoat. This is the postseason.

[TMACFORMVP]

We should have won Game 2 had we made our FT's and executed down the stretch. We don't have an answer for fronting, we've never had one the past 2-3 seasons, and that won't change overnight. I'd expect a better performance, mainly because we're at home, but not a dominating performance from Yao. Partly joking, but partly intrigued, we should bring Yao off the bench, or greatly limit his minutes if he were to start the game being ineffective when fronted.

Scola
Hayes/Landry
Artest
Battier/Wafer
Brooks

our defensive match-ups are much better too, allowing Scola to switch off at C, and have either Hayes/Landry guarding Aldridge, both of whom are proven having done a better job defensively on Aldridge. I know it'll never happen and shouldn't, because bringing a player of Yao's caliber off the bench or limiting his minutes by a significant margin is a dumb idea, but an interesting one is all I'm pointing out.

We need to win both these home games, otherwise I think Blazers will take it in 7. We did our job in the first two games, stole a game on the road and remained competitive in the other, now we have to take care of business at home and win those games. Win those, we win the series