Official Rockets (15-17) vs Magic (22-12) Game Thread

[A.J.]

@




Probable Starters

Rockets


PG Rafer Alston 10.3 PPG


SG Bonzi Wells 10.4 PPG


SF Shane Battier 8.6 PPG


PF Chuck Hayes 3.3 PPG

C Yao Ming 21.3 PPG


Orlando Magic

PG Carlos Arroyo 6.6 PPG


SG Keith Bogans 10.4 PPG

SF Hedo Turkoglu 19.6 PPG


PF Rashad Lewis 18.2 PPG


C Dwight Howard 22.6 PPG









VS

[TMACFORMVP]

Team is too inconsistent to say anything. If we hit our open shots and Yao plays efficiently, we'd have a good chance, but if we play the opposite we get blown out especially playing on the road. Pretty much obvious with any team, but this team is far too inconsistent to know what's coming.

[compucomp]

The last time Yao went against Dwight, their individual duel was a draw, and the Magic pulled out a narrow victory. This is definitely a winnable game.

Let's see if the Magic continue with their strategy of doubling Yao on the catch, and let's see if the Rockets continue to have Yao guard Dwight 1v1. Bonzi will have his way, and Arroyo is not a good defender at all, so perhaps we can get the Rafer/Yao pick and roll working again.

[DraftBoy10]

We can try to go at this, depends a lot on our defense.

[etopn23]

Team is too inconsistent to say anything. If we hit our open shots and Yao plays efficiently, we'd have a good chance, but if we play the opposite we get blown out especially playing on the road. Pretty much obvious with any team, but this team is far too inconsistent to know what's coming.

Orlando has been pretty inconsistent this year also.

[A.J.]

man i hope we find our identity and quick.

[Baller 24]

IF the Rockets want to start a winning streak then its now or never. Because the after this our schedule gets easy, and we have a chance of going either 8-2 or 9-1 this month. Hopefully the team can make it threw .

[HTown_TMac]

Damn Bonzi is a REAL MWT

[Teckon]

This is definitely a winnable game for Rockets. The offense is finally taking some consistent shape and getting better with each past game. This game may be the starting point of a great recovery for the rockets leading to 10-0 or 8-2 (yes I am optimistic ) over the next 10 games.

15-17 now but possibly 25-17 (or 23-19) in 10 games later. yes again I am optimistic but i can see the light in the dark tunnel in the last few games

[TMACFORMVP]

-= original quote snipped =-

Orlando has been pretty inconsistent this year also.

True, but overall they are still 22-11 and won 4 of their last 5 games.

[dontel]

as long as we could score more than the magic, we'll win

[Grunt]

I would like to see Rockets going with the motion offense from the get go. Dont try and pound it to Yao every trip down the court. Look for him as the main target all the time, but run the plays, get the defense moving and let him pick his spots.

[McTracy]

Tough start to en easier month. But after what I saw in Boston we can beat them no doubt. Just do not let them get open shoots, control the paint, make some 3s, especially open and play with passion

We can win that really and we need this win as hell. Now it's time to make a run, win some games to pick up the winnin' streat and improve our record.

Go Rockets !

[Shabi__5]

Is Nelson injured or he is just coming off the bench now?
We gotta watch out for Turkoglu , he can light us up , Howard don't let him get easy dunks , Hayes and Scola will need to sacrifice fouls for Yao.

[compucomp]

Is Nelson injured or he is just coming off the bench now?
We gotta watch out for Turkoglu , he can light us up , Howard don't let him get easy dunks , Hayes and Scola will need to sacrifice fouls for Yao.

I think Nelson was benched due to suckage.

Yao has to guard Howard because he sure as hell can't guard Turkoglu or Lewis. He did fine with the fouls last time and in general contained Howard 1v1. Let's see if he can do it again.

I'm also curious to see if the Magic continue their strategy of doubling Yao on the catch, given how he's struggled lately. Maybe they'll be content to let Howard take Yao 1v1. Then Yao has to go to work and be effective or we will lose for sure.

[magicman123]

as long as we could score more than the magic, we'll win

cant ask for a better strategy then that...

[A.J.]

does anyone fell the least sorriest for getting rid of keith bogans?

[blank1234]

does anyone fell the least sorriest for getting rid of keith bogans?

The man was bricking shot after shot. Layups, threes, twos...you name it!

[TMACFORMVP]

Bogans was pretty bad for us (well who isn't these days) scored under double digits, shot under 40% from the field and 31% from three and even 58% from the free throw line.

He's played well for the Magic though, over 70 threes made on over 36% from deep. Really a good spot for him.

[compucomp]

Bogans was pretty bad for us (well who isn't these days) scored under double digits, shot under 40% from the field and 31% from three and even 58% from the free throw line.

He's played well for the Magic though, over 70 threes made on over 36% from deep. Really a good spot for him.

If he didn't shoot so poorly he would have had a place here, maybe we wouldn't have even had to trade for Battier. He basically had Battier's role when he was here, and he has that same role now with Orlando. I guess he worked on his jumper or something, he had the same open looks when he was here, created by Yao/McGrady.