# Game 75 Thread: Lakers vs Rockets



## Brian34Cook (Mar 26, 2003)

<center>








Los Angeles Lakers (51-23, 2nd Place)
Last Game: Lakers 107 - Hornets 88 (3/30)
vs.









Houston Rockets (42-31, 5th Place)
Last Game: Timberwolves 94 - Rockets 88 (3/29)

Thursday, Apr. 1
7:30 pm 
vs. Rockets 
TV: TNT, TSN 
Radio: KLAC-AM 570/KWKW-AM 1330 

*Starting Lineups:*

    
vs.
    

</center>


----------



## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

Relatively close game through 2 quarters with the Lakers pulling away in the 3rd and winning by 15 by the end of the 4th.


----------



## Cris (Jun 18, 2003)

Lakers Lose by 27























April Fools
:grinning:
Lakers by 7


----------



## HallOfFamer (May 26, 2003)

The Rockets still havent seen the Lakers with a full lineup yet. The Xmas day game was the second game Malone missed. This is the first time they'll be seeing the Mailman, Im pretty sure they'll be as hyped about this game as they were about the Kings/TWolves. This is a big game and so is the Sunday game against the Spurs.


----------



## lakegz (Mar 31, 2004)

Stevie Franchise is always inconsistent against the Lakers. Yao is good for 18/8, the lakers really need to contain Jim Jackson and not let him get any open threes and they need to match up well against Mo Taylor, who always goes loose in the limited minutes he gets against the Lakers.


----------



## Lynx (Mar 6, 2004)

Oh boouuuuyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!

I've been waiting to see this game. Shaq vs. Yao match-up. Lake-Show Express loaded with future HOFs. You'd be fool not to watch this game!

*GO LAKERS!!!!!*


----------



## JeepLiberty03 (Dec 28, 2002)

*Yao and Rocks must go down, and.....*

they must go down HARD! I gots one word for all of you about this game: SHAQ! He needs to get back the respect from Yao out playing him head to head this season. 30 and 15 with a few blocks would get the job done. 

But, I would rather see the team have a good team game(here that Kobe), than see just my boy go off in a close game. Another statement game, as the Lake Show needs to let Houston know they got no chance come play-offs! :yes: 

Lakers by 10!

PS, GP your statement game is next.


----------



## Cris (Jun 18, 2003)

*OT*

just for tonight pray for a san antonio win 

Sac town v SA


----------



## Ghiman (May 19, 2003)

Prediction: *Lakers win by +15*


----------



## Fracture (Mar 31, 2004)

Lakers by 5.


----------



## HoopStar (Jan 2, 2004)

This is an important game for Shaq. He needs to show Yao who's boss. He hasn't looked too convincing against Yao this season and it seems Yao always saves his best for Shaq.

Lakers will win by 12


----------



## Locke (Jun 16, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>HoopStar</b>!
> This is an important game for Shaq. He needs to show Yao who's boss. He hasn't looked too convincing against Yao this season and it seems Yao always saves his best for Shaq.
> 
> Lakers will win by 12


Shaq has looked as good as he has in years lately. If he's gonna dominate Yao now's when he'll probably do it.


----------



## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Once is fluke, Twice is luck, Three times makes a fact (or sumthing like that).
Not like Yao still has to prove himself, but if he plays big against Shaq again, he's the legit heir to the "most dominant center" throne. This should be exciting to watch.
And I don't see the Rockets winning either, I don't see anyone beating the Lakers nowadays....


----------



## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Yao Mania</b>!
> Once is fluke, Twice is luck, Three times makes a fact (or sumthing like that).
> Not like Yao still has to prove himself, but if he plays big against Shaq again, he's the legit heir to the "most dominant center" throne. This should be exciting to watch.
> And I don't see the Rockets winning either, I don't see anyone beating the Lakers nowadays....


Yao has a lonnnnnnnnnnng way to go to prove he's 1/10th the player Shaq is. It's not even debateable, really.


----------



## Pinball (Aug 3, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>EHL</b>!
> 
> 
> Yao has a lonnnnnnnnnnng way to go to prove he's 1/10th the player Shaq is. It's not even debateable, really.


I wouldn't go that far. Obviously, Yao isn't as good as Shaq on a nightly basis but he has really improved and Shaq has declined to the point that this is a decent matchup. Shaq is still clearly better but Yao has outplayed him time and time again. Shaq hasn't even looked interested in some of the matchups. Shaq needs to abuse Yao just to show that he gives a damn. Kobe would never willingly let TMac and Lebron abuse him. MJ never let the young guards take it to him (when he was younger). Shaq needs to "restore order" here by dominating Yao.


----------



## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Pinball</b>!
> 
> 
> I wouldn't go that far. Obviously, Yao isn't as good as Shaq on a nightly basis but he has really improved and Shaq has declined to the point that this is a decent matchup. Shaq is still clearly better but Yao has outplayed him time and time again. Shaq hasn't even looked interested in some of the matchups. Shaq needs to abuse Yao just to show that he gives a damn. Kobe would never willingly let TMac and Lebron abuse him. MJ never let the young guards take it to him (when he was younger). Shaq needs to "restore order" here by dominating Yao.


Yao has outperformed Shaq time and time again? Don't you mean Yao and two other Rockets? Yao gets his because Shaq guards him one on one. That is the only reason Yao is getting his. 

And still, Yao's done well against Shaq a grand total of twice. Big deal.


----------



## Juan (Jun 13, 2002)

If Yao would play Shaq straight up, he would foul out. Yao always has help, were as Shaq doesn't. It is not Shaq againts Yao, it is Shaq againts Houston.


----------



## Pinball (Aug 3, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>EHL</b>!
> 
> 
> Yao has outperformed Shaq time and time again? Don't you mean Yao and two other Rockets? Yao gets his because Shaq guards him one on one. That is the only reason Yao is getting his.
> ...


Shaq was getting help defending Yao as well. At least, in the last game he was. That is a fact that people often overlook. Instead of worrying how he is being defended maybe Shaq should worry about defending Yao.


----------



## HallOfFamer (May 26, 2003)

Kings lose to the Spurs tonight and they have to play Dallas tomorrow, hopefully they lose that game. We need this game to tie the Kings(assuming they lose tomorrow), though they do have the tiebreaker. This game is a must.


----------



## Pinball (Aug 3, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>HallOfFamer</b>!
> Kings lose to the Spurs tonight and they have to play Dallas tomorrow, hopefully they lose that game. We need this game to tie the Kings(assuming they lose tomorrow), though they do have the tiebreaker. This game is a must.


We're sitting pretty right now. All we need is for them to lose one more game (other than us). If we can beat them and run the table, we'll have the #1 seed. We need them to slip up in one of these games.


----------



## HallOfFamer (May 26, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Pinball</b>!
> 
> 
> We're sitting pretty right now. All we need is for them to lose one more game (other than us). If we can beat them and run the table, we'll have the #1 seed. We need them to slip up in one of these games.


Im thinking theyll lose tomorrow to Dalls, because its a back to back. If they looked tired tonight, imagine how exhausted theyll be playing the Mavs. I have a feeling theyll beat the Rockets though.


----------



## lakegz (Mar 31, 2004)

San Antonio shot 57% percent against Sacramento's non existant D. That's just god awful.


----------



## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

> Shaq was getting help defending Yao as well. At least, in the last game he was.


Not true at all. I believe Rick Fox came to help Shaq double Yao a grand total of once, maybe twice. 95%+ of the time Yao was guarded straight up by Shaq.


----------



## lakegz (Mar 31, 2004)

I say watch Mo Taylor and Jim Jackson, you know Mobley's gonna get his slashes and threes and Francis will either suck or be really good, and Yao will be steady. Its up to How Malone guards Mo Taylor on the block and how he covers his 15 fot jumper. The lakers must also watch out for Jim Jackson shooting threes.


----------



## Pinball (Aug 3, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>EHL</b>!
> 
> 
> Not true at all. I believe Rick Fox came to help Shaq double Yao a grand total of once, maybe twice. 95%+ of the time Yao was guarded straight up by Shaq.


I thought I saw Yao get doubled several times in the second half. Regardless, I think we'll do a better job defending him this time around. At least Malone will contest his jumpers, as opposed to Shaq. Hopefully, Shaq holds down the "fort" inside.


----------



## Lynx (Mar 6, 2004)

Out of last five games, Yao has won three meetings with Daddy and the 1st meeting this season when Lakers and Rockets had(the game won by Houston) just before the start of All-Star weekend, Yao did outplayed Shaq. That's the only game I admit he dominated Shaq.

However, in other two games, Yao wasn't much that BIG FACTOR in Houston's win.


----------



## Lynx (Mar 6, 2004)

*Daddy's gotta something to say, and Phil Jackson have some words of wisdom*

*From LATimes*

*O'Neal Keeps Hearing About Yao*


A year ago, after he'd put 39 points on the Houston Rockets, Shaquille O'Neal pulled a reporter close and said, *"Now, I don't want to hear any more questions about Yao Ming."*

As if that were that.

Nearly two years into it, the Rockets are 4-3 against the Lakers in the Yao era, and Yao is averaging 20 points and nearly 10 rebounds in the series. In the five games in which O'Neal was on the floor, the Rockets have won three, and Yao's numbers have fallen only slightly.

In fact, the numbers say Yao is getting more comfortable against O'Neal. In his past two games against the Lakers, both with O'Neal sound, Yao averaged 31 points and made more than half of his shots.

With the next meeting coming tonight, the Rockets are holding onto one of the final playoff spots in the Western Conference, and the Lakers, winners of nine in a row, have a chance to claim the conference's top seed.

Due to copyright laws, we cannot post articles of this length in their entirety. Thanks for providing a link.


----------



## lakegz (Mar 31, 2004)

good article.....i think offensively, Yao and Shaq now cancel each other out.......BUT......Shaq's style of play gets opponents in foul trouble and also wears the other team out in a way that Yao Ming or any other center alive cant. That's Shaq's intangible.


----------



## Spriggan (Mar 23, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>lakegz</b>!
> good article.....i think offensively, Yao and Shaq now cancel each other out.......BUT......Shaq's style of play gets opponents in foul trouble and also wears the other team out in a way that Yao Ming or any other center alive cant. That's Shaq's intangible.


um, shaq is still a much more potent offensive weapon than yao.


----------



## lakegz (Mar 31, 2004)

get your couch ready, lock the doors, unhook the phones, this games about to get started.


----------



## Cris (Jun 18, 2003)

Once again a decent half,


----------



## Brian34Cook (Mar 26, 2003)

Lakers 47 - Rockets 40 @ Halftime


```
PLAYER  MIN FG  3PT  FT RB AS PF PT 
BRYANT   24 5-10 0-0 4-6  3 3  1 14 
PAYTON  17  2-6   0-1 1-2  5 2  2  5 
MALONE 17 3-7  0-1 4-4  8  2  1 10 
FOX 12 0-1  0-0 0-0  1  0  0  0 
O'NEAL   21 4-6  0-0 2-4  1  0  2 10 
George  12  2-3 2-3 0-0  3  1  0  6 
Med  9 1-5 0-0 0-0  4  1  0  2 
Fisher 7 0-1 0-0 0-0  2  2  0  0 
Cook 1 0-0 0-0 0-0  1  0  0  0 
Walton 0 - - - 0 0 0 0 
Russell 0 - - - 0 0 0 0 
TOTAL 120 17-39 2-5 11-16 28 11 6 47 

Game Info 
Technical Fouls:  Houston - S. Francis 1.  LA Lakers - K. Malone 1
Officials: Derrick Stafford, Leon Wood, Steve Javie
```


----------



## Cris (Jun 18, 2003)

Houston-40 points
Big 4-39 Points


----------



## HallOfFamer (May 26, 2003)

Looks like the Lakers are gonna pull this one out, sloppy game, but Ill take the W. 

10 straight, but Seattle does worry me, they always play us tough.


----------



## Cris (Jun 18, 2003)

Ten in a Row, Yao Who?


----------



## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

Yao clearly dominated Shaq. Without at least a double team Shaq stands no chance guarding Yao. 

- *SacKings384*


----------



## Cris (Jun 18, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>EHL</b>!
> Yao clearly dominated Shaq. Without at least a double team Shaq stands no chance guarding Yao.
> 
> - *SacKings384*


where was that posted?


----------



## Pinball (Aug 3, 2002)

Great finish at the end. That is the way the Lakers have to play defense in order to win a championship. Shaq didn't shoot well but he prevented Yao from scoring. Bryant played better D in the second half. Malone was just all over the place for us tonight. Great win.


----------



## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

Yao is soft. Yao is soft.




Why does Van Gundy feel like Yao should get more calls? The guy avoids contact at all costs, and throws up sissy-like fade-aways that just piss me off, even though I'm not a Rocket fan at all. 



The Lakers played pretty damn good even though they didn't shoot the ball well, but the Rockets just flat-out sucked in the last 5-6 minutes of that game.



By the way, Yao is soft.


----------



## Brian34Cook (Mar 26, 2003)

:clap: Cook 2 boards and 1 Foul in 1:30 minutes :laugh:


----------



## lakegz (Mar 31, 2004)

Watch out for seattle, they always manage to sneak away with a win whenever the Lakers are on a roll.


----------



## Ghiman (May 19, 2003)

:vbanana: :banana:Tied for FIRST PLACE IN THE WEST!!!!!!!!!!!!:vbanana: :banana:


----------



## JeepLiberty03 (Dec 28, 2002)

*Sac L, makes this W good, but....*

another bad game(not bad win). Shaq on offense was offensive tonight. His D on Yao was great. Maybe Van Gundy and his Rockets are just a bad match-up for the Lakers. I have a bad feeling about tonight's game in Seattle.:sour: LA needs to shut down Ray Allen, or it could be a long night.


----------



## Cris (Jun 18, 2003)

Its gonna be a 3 party and lakers arnt invited :sour: :dead:


----------



## Damian Necronamous (Jun 10, 2002)

Same record as Sacramento baby!!!! 

I'm worried about tomorrow night's game...we always have trouble with the Sonics on the road. A win against the Sonics in Seattle would be fantastic.:yes:


----------



## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

Rockets pose matchup problems for the Lakers, kind of like the Suns did for the Spurs last year. It's not surprising the Rockets were tough. 

Plus, you have to take into account that the Rockets are probably the best defensive team in the league next to the Pistons. They close out on their man on D so well it's truly amazing. JVG really knows his defense. Too bad he's an atrocious O coach.


----------



## Sean (Jun 7, 2002)

Well said, EHL. Last night's game was about D and both teams played it pretty well at times which may have attributed to the horrid offensive output by both.

Anyone have any POG Nominations?


----------



## Juan (Jun 13, 2002)

> Anyone have any POG Nominations?


I vote for KM.


----------



## Sean (Jun 7, 2002)

me too.


----------



## Lynx (Mar 6, 2004)

*There's only on Dominant Center*

...Daddy did his thang. He took the energy out of Yao, who avg. 26 pts last 3 games, scored only 10.

The shooting was horrible, however, Lakers kept on rebouding the ball, kept on hustle and that was the reason Lakers edged Rockets.

Did anyone see ticked off JVG after the first half? I like the guy but that was funny. :laugh:


----------



## Juan (Jun 13, 2002)

> Did anyone see ticked off JVG after the first half?


I did, at least he wasn't hanging on to anybodies legs on the floor.


----------



## Sean (Jun 7, 2002)

I wonder if the league saw it as well.


----------



## Hibachi! (Sep 18, 2003)

What was he mad about?


----------



## Lynx (Mar 6, 2004)

According to JVG, ref Derrick Stafford didn't talk to him with respect which is why he reacted.

I don't think league is going to suspend/fine Jeff.


----------



## Jamel Irief (May 19, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>EHL</b>!
> Yao clearly dominated Shaq. Without at least a double team Shaq stands no chance guarding Yao.
> 
> - *SacKings384*


What the hell? I only remember him making like 2 shots.

That is even more absurd than Wally being a better defender than Devean.

SacKing are you saying things for shock value?


----------



## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Jamel Irief</b>!
> 
> 
> What the hell? I only remember him making like 2 shots.
> ...


I made that up.


----------

