Game 5: Rockets @ Blazers

[Sports Arsenal]

Houston Rockets at Portland Trailblazers
**************GET RED************
________________The Rose Garden________________
___________________9:30 PM____________________
______________________FSHOU_______________________



Houston Rockets Starting Lineup
PG-Rafer "Skip to My Lou" Alston

SG-Tracy McGrady

SF- Ron Artest

PF- Luis Scola

C- Yao Ming


Portland Trailblazers Starting Lineup
PG- Steve Blake
SG- Brandon Roy
SF- Nicolas Batum
PF- Lamarcus Aldridge
C- Joel Pryzbilla


Keys to the game:
Defense,Defense,Defense!!!
Although I am optimistic about our chance in a 7 game series with Boston after last night being able to compete with them in a good game ,where we are able to regain our composure, giving up 50% fg shooting is a concern. Transition defense has to be adressed and we can not allow so many layups.
Portland is 8th in the NBA in 3 point shooting, so perimeter defense is a must.
Get Yao involved early
With Oden out, the Blazers are weak up front. Yao can not be held on man to man coverage like Boston was able to do. I tip my hat to Perkins, but Yao should be able to put up 20/10 numbers every night, against any team. Any time we can expose a weakness down low, it pressures the defense to respect our interior game and leaves open men on the court for easy baskets.
Convert in the open court
Rafer and Aaron love to run the ball, if the rest of the team would commit to running with them, our distributors will get them the ball for easy baskets in the fast break.


My prediction:
Rockets- 94
Trailblazers- 86

[ShaY]

This will be their 2nd night of a back to back , I hope we can jump on them early and it will be tough for them to chase us.

[jove9]

Back to back games should not be too much of an issue for them - they are a young team.

Still, I say we improve to 4-1.

[Iggyemu]

Time to bench Alston.

[jove9]

Time to bench Yao. He had a HORRIBLE game against Boston.

No offense, no defense. Slow. Clumsy. Uncoordinated.

[A.J.]

^And play Brooks more.

Should be a good game. Hopefully Batum doesnt make me wonder what could have been. Nah jk.
Getting Yao involved is a must. He should dominate Joel.

[dunleavyjr]

Yao needs to show sincere apology to his team and the Rockets fans. The best way to achieve it? Be like Amare, score 49 points in a game.

[CITYOFANGELSX3]

Go Blazers!

[MaxRider]

That's right it's time to GET REDD.

Let's trade for Michael Redd.

[moofs]

Time to bench Alston.

http://clutchfans.net/players/rafer_als ... eason=2008

Wasn't it like mid-December or January before he stopped sucking last year?

[Iggyemu]

Time to bench Alston.

http://clutchfans.net/players/rafer_als ... eason=2008

Wasn't it like mid-December or January before he stopped sucking last year?

Alston have never stopped sucking. He is the worst starting point guard on a good team in the entire NBA.

[Lebo13]

Ya i wanna see Aarron Brooks getting more time, at least he is an offensive threat unlike Skip who is sucking as per usual! He is a brick machine!!

Hopefully Yao can pick it up and no more flunked dunks...cos thats just plain embarassing!!! Lets see him have a good game, 28/12/3 should do!!

GO ROCKETS!!!!

4-1 after tonight

[RaoulDuke79]

I bet a gajillion zillion dollars Rafer has a big game tonight now that the hate has started to heat up.

It's inevitable. Then he will proceed to suck again for the rest of the road trip.

[moofs]

Time to bench Alston.

http://clutchfans.net/players/rafer_als ... eason=2008

Wasn't it like mid-December or January before he stopped sucking last year?

Alston have never stopped sucking. He is the worst starting point guard on a good team in the entire NBA.

I mean "SUCKING " not "sucking (if you ask iggy)"

[Iggyemu]

I bet a gajillion zillion dollars Rafer has a big game tonight now that the hate has started to heat up.

It's inevitable. Then he will proceed to suck again for the rest of the road trip.

A better bet would be that the Blazers leave him open for a 3 that he then misses and Reggie Miller says "Rafer Alston is going to have to make that shot for the Rockets to be contenders" or something like that.

[HTown_TMac]

I bet a gajillion zillion dollars Rafer has a big game tonight now that the hate has started to heat up.

It's inevitable. Then he will proceed to suck again for the rest of the road trip.

A better bet would be that the Blazers leave him open for a 3 that he then misses and Reggie Miller says "Rafer Alston is going to make that shot for the Rockets to be contenders" or something like that.

DING DING DING

Im with iggy.

[Ripcity4life]

Hey i was curious if Battier is playing tonight i noticed he was inactive for your guys last game. Also i hope it's a good game and that's all i will say.

[RoxFan08]

We were 4-0 against the Blazers last year, we are playing about the same or better, they are playing significantly worse.

I don't even expect it to be close.

103-85 Rockets.

[Iggyemu]

We were 4-0 against the Blazers last year, we are playing about the same or better, they are playing significantly worse.

I don't even expect it to be close.

103-85 Rockets.

Yea and we are essentially playing the same team they had. One difference though is Battier isn't here to shut down Roy. I hope Artest is up to the task.

Its a game we should win but I think we all need to see more games from the Rockets just to judge their level of play on a nightly basis. Regardless of if their shots are falling...if they bring a high level of intensity and focus into every game they play then I think we all would be more than happy to say that we'll beat teams that are good at home but average or above average overall.

We have more talent than most teams. I mean the only reason we were even in that Celtic game was because we were able to match their level of talent. We couldn't match their defense nor could we get the shots to go when we needed em thats why we lost. So at the end of the day if we 'bring it' on most if not all nights we'll win these games. If we are shooting well..we'll blow these teams out.

[2fast4u]

what this team needs is to practice more at home, because they're making toyota center a homecourt disadvantage.

how about luther head? does anyone here thinks that replacing alston with head would do good? i mean, atleast he can shoot better than alston ayt?