[Rd2 Gm2] Houston Rockets at L.A. Lakers Game Thread

MaxRider · Post #1 » by **MaxRider** » Tue May 5, 2009 6:28 am

Round: 2
Game: 2
Date: Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Time: 9:30PM CDT on TNT

Ron Artest says: "Mac, how you like my new haircut?"
Tracy McGrady replies: "..."

Guy986 · Post #2 » by **Guy986** » Tue May 5, 2009 6:31 am

I hope Tmac isn't mad that we beat his beloved Lakers in the first game.

rocketworld · Post #3 » by **rocketworld** » Tue May 5, 2009 6:34 am

lets all pray for good news on yao

jzmagik · Post #4 » by **jzmagik** » Tue May 5, 2009 6:34 am

Guy986 wrote:I hope Tmac isn't mad that we beat his beloved Lakers in the first game.

Roxflynorth · Post #5 » by **Roxflynorth** » Tue May 5, 2009 6:39 am

Had to work on Wednesday. Unable to take off to go to the game. I just hope we won the next game.

College Boy · Post #6 » by **College Boy** » Tue May 5, 2009 6:51 am

i expect the Lakers (Kobe) to come out very assertive next game. It will be interesting to see how both teams respond on Wednesday.

Jaykoolzboy · Post #7 » by **Jaykoolzboy** » Tue May 5, 2009 6:56 am

Just a reminder, we haven't lose one single game when the game is broadcast on TNT in the post season.

Roxflynorth · Post #8 » by **Roxflynorth** » Tue May 5, 2009 7:07 am

Jaykoolzboy wrote:Just a reminder, we haven't lose one single game when the game is broadcast on TNT in the post season.

plus we won every game when we had a lead at the end of 1st quarter.

College Boy · Post #9 » by **College Boy** » Tue May 5, 2009 7:12 am

How many of the games are on TNT this series?

hackle · Post #10 » by **hackle** » Tue May 5, 2009 7:16 am

rocketworld wrote:lets all pray for good news on yao

i'd feel so comfortable if Yao is OK and one hundred percent.

hackle · Post #11 » by **hackle** » Tue May 5, 2009 7:19 am

and may the refs stay out of the game and let the teams play.

stockmarketgod · Post #12 » by **stockmarketgod** » Tue May 5, 2009 7:23 am

well some Lakers fans want PJ to match up Bynum with Yao

I hope they mean Bynum as center and Pau as a forward, even that creates problems for LA offensively... but I get the impression they want Pau on the bench backing up Bynum...

I hope thats the case, I think Pau plays Yao alot better offensively

and if PJ decides to front Yao...

I think Pau would do a better job

btw I hope PJ has a brain fart and uses bynum

Fiasco West · Post #13 » by **Fiasco West** » Tue May 5, 2009 7:25 am

I honestly just hope we don't get blown out. Lakers will come out hard, but I know our guys aren't just going to fold up. Haven't done that all post-season. Hopefully we can keep it close, get lucky and still this one and really shock the world.

I hope Aaron continues to play well and the Lakers haven't seen Scola's best game yet so I do have faith going into this game.

hackle · Post #14 » by **hackle** » Tue May 5, 2009 8:03 am

Fiasco West wrote:I honestly just hope we don't get blown out. Lakers will come out hard, but I know our guys aren't just going to fold up. Haven't done that all post-season. Hopefully we can keep it close, get lucky and still this one and really shock the world.

I hope Aaron continues to play well and the Lakers haven't seen Scola's best game yet so I do have faith going into this game.

dude, we've all watched the game, the guys were fearless. it's like that were fulfilling a destiny or something, everybody had complete faith, not much panic, no flinching even when in the 4th they come head by 1. We can hang hard. as I said, we win by good closing, we lose by bad closing. Nobody can blow us out they way we played, only we need to finish strong.

blazersmaniac8 · Post #15 » by **blazersmaniac8** » Tue May 5, 2009 9:08 am

I must first say that I HATE your team :-?

, Scola annoys the **** out of me, Yao was once overated but I must say his talent is severely underated throughout the league. Like battier and of course ron ron, Brooks is a duck and I love people seeing him represent the northwest but I still question his D since he is undersized.
With that said I HATE the lakers even more, as long as the lakers don't win this year I'm still content going into the offseason. So although I haven't watched much playoffs besides the Portland Series :evil:

I'm gonna follow this series and the finals. I love teams that play hard and have such great chemistry that can pull out the victories and you guys have done it, losing tmac (although may be overated) didn't phase your team. So props and I wish you guys the best of luck and since your the lesser evil I'm soooo hoping you put a wrench into the flakers plans. That 1st game W in LA was really gutsty and I hope you guys pull out the series.
Still hate, err I'll be civil, still dislike you guys :box:

Roxflynorth · Post #16 » by **Roxflynorth** » Tue May 5, 2009 9:34 am

blazersmaniac8 wrote:I must first say that I HATE your team , Scola annoys the **** out of me, Yao was once overated but I must say his talent is severely underated throughout the league. Like battier and of course ron ron, Brooks is a duck and I love people seeing him represent the northwest but I still question his D since he is undersized.
With that said I HATE the lakers even more, as long as the lakers don't win this year I'm still content going into the offseason. So although I haven't watched much playoffs besides the Portland Series I'm gonna follow this series and the finals. I love teams that play hard and have such great chemistry that can pull out the victories and you guys have done it, losing tmac (although may be overated) didn't phase your team. So props and I wish you guys the best of luck and since your the lesser evil I'm soooo hoping you put a wrench into the flakers plans. That 1st game W in LA was really gutsty and I hope you guys pull out the series.
Still hate, err I'll be civil, still dislike you guys

Huh? enemy's enemy is your friend? Anyway, thanks for the support.

Teckon · Post #17 » by **Teckon** » Tue May 5, 2009 10:48 am

Just had a good read of Rocket's defense in game 1.
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-4 ... nsive.html
here is an example of rockets' defense deployed:
4th Quarter, 6:04] Derek Fisher leaves the ball at the top of the arc for Bryant, who's being guarded by Battier. Fisher clears out, as Pau Gasol steps up from the pinch post to give Bryant a screen. It's a fairly quick sequence: Battier runs beneath the screen. Meanwhile, as Bryant takes two dribbles to the right of the screen, Yao is four feet in front of him. Should Bryant try taking Yao off the dribble? Only if he's prepared to deal with the "third guy," as Battier referenced above. That would be Luis Scola, who has sagged off Trevor Ariza. Theoretically, Bryant could dish the ball off to Ariza to his left along the arc. Problem is: Battier has taken that angle away, too. As a result of their tight defense, the Rockets have effectively taken both the drive and the kick away from Bryant, leaving him with a contested jump shot -- which is exactly what Houston wants.

And Adelman said this:
If Houston's scheme on Bryant looked familiar, there's a good reason. "It was kind of similar to what we did with Portland with Brandon Roy," Adelman said.

There are some other examples and really good one. Really a good read on Basketball defense.

Teckon · Post #18 » by **Teckon** » Tue May 5, 2009 11:09 am

Was surfing the web for more write up on the Game 1... This piece is about the chemistry of rockets:
http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/d ... index.html

here is the exchanges between Yao and Brooks, the 2 key players for the win:
Brooks, still draped in his towel from a postgame shower, approached Yao who was icing his feet at his locker, not waiting to get dressed before relaying his concern.

"Don't play around like that, I was nervous," Brooks said.

"I was trying to say I was fine, it just hurt," Yao explained.

"Next time put your hand up and let us know that ... You took so damn long to get up."

Yao laughed and nodded before becoming serious again as Brooks readied himself to speak to reporters:

"By the way, great hustle when you dove to the floor for that ball."

Brooks looked Yao in the eyes, solemnly accepted the compliment and two minutes later answered a reporter's query about whether his team was surprised in Monday's outcome:

"No, not at all."

Alex_De_Large · Post #19 » by **Alex_De_Large** » Tue May 5, 2009 11:43 am

Is Yao fit?

Fiasco West · Post #20 » by **Fiasco West** » Tue May 5, 2009 2:52 pm

hackle wrote:
Fiasco West wrote:I honestly just hope we don't get blown out. Lakers will come out hard, but I know our guys aren't just going to fold up. Haven't done that all post-season. Hopefully we can keep it close, get lucky and still this one and really shock the world.

I hope Aaron continues to play well and the Lakers haven't seen Scola's best game yet so I do have faith going into this game.

dude, we've all watched the game, the guys were fearless. it's like that were fulfilling a destiny or something, everybody had complete faith, not much panic, no flinching even when in the 4th they come head by 1. We can hang hard. as I said, we win by good closing, we lose by bad closing. Nobody can blow us out they way we played, only we need to finish strong.

The team will just have to shed the image for me. Was I the only one who thought with about 1:30 left that we'd find a way to lose the game?

I'm used to Houston teams raising your confidence only to have it shattered again. In the end though, this team has had a good season, great season considering all that has happened. I have faith in the team though to win the games in Houston. I really wasn't expecting to steal one in LA so I guess I should be more confident of them.