# [Regular Season Game 41] Houston Rockets vs. Miami Heat



## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

*vs.*

*(24-16)/(21-17)*


When/Where:
*Saturday, January 17, 8:30 PM ET*






















































*Alston / Wafer / Battier / Scola / Yao*














































*Chalmers / Wade / Marion / Haslem / Anthony*


_*Preview*_


> With Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest sidelined by injury, little-known Von Wafer has stepped into a much larger role for the Houston Rockets.
> 
> The Miami Heat got a similar boost from reserve guard Daequan Cook in their last game while Dwyane Wade struggled through his worst shooting performance of the season.
> 
> ...



_*Next Games*_
vs.








vs.








vs.


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## mtlk (Apr 25, 2005)

*YES, WE CAN.*


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## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

That's change we can all believe in.


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## HayesFan (Feb 16, 2006)

This has been the longest five days EVER!  I can't wait to see the guys get on the court, hopefully the crap is now behind us somewhat.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

> As much as the Rockets have changed, the priority of the offense remains getting Yao Ming the ball in the paint.
> 
> *“I’m not helping my teammates if I’m staying out on the perimeter,” Yao said. “If I’m still searching a shot in the middle range, they don’t need to play defense on me. They would say, ‘OK, the 7-foot-6 (center) wanted to shoot a 15-footer, that’s much better (than) if he gets into the paint.’ I want to play more aggressive in to the basket to draw the foul, if the referee gives it to me.”*
> 
> The Rockets scored 50 points in the paint against the Lakers. In the first seven games scoring 50 or more points in the lane, they shot an average of 24.7 free throws. Tuesday, they shot eight. The Lakers also scored 50 points in the paint and shot 24 free throws.


...


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## Spaceman Spiff (Aug 2, 2006)

> *I want to play more aggressive in to the basket to draw the foul, if the referee gives it to me.*





Dean the Master said:


> That's change we can all believe in.


eace:


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

Chronicle is saying Landry will play some SF. This is good. He is a better defender against quicker opponents than strong ones. It will also create mismatches on the offensive end when he and Scola are in together.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

I like the idea of Landry playing SF when Yao isnt on, but when he is having Yao Landry and Scola or Hayes in the paint is just a bad idea. Yao will have no room to operate.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

GO Yao.

Man about 3 plays before I had no idea what Rafer was doing.......


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Man Rafer's first score is on a goal tend.
But he has looked like nothing is going on with him

We need to go through Yao. Someone needs to tell Rafer.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

I have already given my opinion on Rafer & Aaron being on the court at the same time.....................

Its not like Rafer is playing well either.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

We need Yao back in there.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Who was Alston talking with?


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Wafer!


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Man I am loving Wafer.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Great defense by Shane. First on Marion and then making it difficult for Wade to shoot.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

LOL I dont wanna see Brooks on Wade again.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

That was a hard fall...hope Haslem is OK.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

No way they stop Yao down there.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

2 from 7 FG
0 from 2 3PT
4 TOs

Rafer Alston.

And apart from the open threes that Rafer missed the shot selection has been terrible as well.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Love this quote of Rafer on the Chron article:



> "You have those guys on the floor, you know you can give them the ball and they can do their thing," Rafer Alston said. "Now, we have to work off each other, work off Yao (Ming), set some good picks, and I think that will put more energy and play with more force on the offensive end, as opposed *to throwing the ball to Ron, Tracy and Yao and just standing.*


When those guys come back, you don’t have to just pass them the ball and stand there! You have to keep moving, *******!


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Quickly Haslem is tough as hell. I would be asking for a stretcher if I fell like that.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

hroz said:


> 2 from 7 FG
> 0 from 2 3PT
> 4 TOs
> 
> ...


I saw him make like two good plays on offense, and they were good because he passed the ball quickly. (Started watching when Yao came back in)


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

> "I'm very critical," Mutombo said. "Those are bull. I told him that. He's too tall to be taking charges. He needs to learn to play defense without using his chest. You don't block a shot with your chest. Maybe Yao is listening to Shane (Battier). Maybe he wants to be a guard or something. Maybe he's planning to lead the league in charges. So I have to stop him. I have to teach him to lead the league in blocked shots, not charges."


Deke about Yao's defense


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

I just wanted to post that above article to get peoples opinion


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Cornholio said:


> I saw him make like two good plays on offense, and they were good because he passed the ball quickly. (Started watching when Yao came back in)


Yeah he has had his moments. But he is trying to take people off the dribble and it aint working.

He had to baskets once when cutting to the rim, the other on a fast break that was given as goal tending.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

hroz said:


> Deke about Yao's defense


I posted it in the "Deke will take care of things" thread.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Nice by Rafer


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Nice pass by Rafer.
He is making plays now nice to see.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Lead cut to 1...


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Yeah Rafer has come out a new player in the 2nd


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Man I love this Wafer kid. Dude is going to get paid this offseason though. Unfortunately I don't see us signing him.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

with that, Yao is shooting 100% from the field. 8-8


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

OneBadLT123 said:


> with that, Yao is shooting 100% from the field. 8-8


I want to see him attack those double teams. He has Joel freakin' Anthony guarding him.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

9-9 for Yao


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

10-10


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Man Rafer came alive in that Q. He kept us in it.

I still want to see us feed Yao more though.


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## gi0rdun (May 31, 2007)

Rafer for MVP


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

NOTE: when Yao travelled he was getting hammered from both sides how the hell wasnt that a foul??????


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

3-guard rotation starting the 4th.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

10 pt lead!


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Why the **** did they hurry up that play?


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Chuck is playing great. I hope Miami goes more to Beasley.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Carl Landry!!!!!!!1


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Two plays saved by Landry at the last second! :clap:


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Landry is awesome.
Im liking this jumper he has added to his game


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

PS Yao did miss a FT. Do we still consider that a perfect shooting night


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Battier did well on Wade. Its when he wasnt on Wade that Wade light it up.


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## mtlk (Apr 25, 2005)

Wafer 0/7 2nd half.


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## Flash is the Future (May 12, 2006)

Cornholio said:


> Chuck is playing great. I hope Miami goes more to Beasley.


On behalf of Michael Beasley, I'd like to say that you guys are lucky he was missing the shots he normally makes tonight. 

Good game guys! :cheers:


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

I just saw a ref got hit at the tipoff. :lol:


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Flash is the Future said:


> On behalf of Michael Beasley, I'd like to say that you guys are lucky he was missing the shots he normally makes tonight.
> 
> Good game guys! :cheers:


It was all because of the Chuckwagon!! 

:cheers:


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## Spaceman Spiff (Aug 2, 2006)

mtlk said:


> Wafer 0/7 2nd half.


That's alright. We don't expect him to be en fuego all game. When T-Mac and Artest come back we know he can be a reliable scorer off the bench.

Yao with an NBA2k-esque game.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

yao shot 100% for the game lol


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

Flash is the Future said:


> On behalf of Michael Beasley, I'd like to say that you guys are lucky he was missing the shots he normally makes tonight.


On behalf of Chuck Hayes, I'd like to say that that's what everyone says when their favorite player goes up against him. :wave:


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

> Yao Ming set a Houston record by going 12-for-12 from the field, and finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds in the Rockets' 93-86 victory over the Miami Heat on Saturday night.
> 
> Yao's perfect shooting night eclipsed Joe Meriweather's 10-for-10 game against Atlanta in 1976. Yao's only miss came at the free-throw line, where he was 2-for-3.


Per ESPN Recap.


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

Rafer Alston is the most underrated player on this team. 

This game doesn't really change anything, but for all the criticism he takes, he's actually an OK player. People jumped the gun saying Brooks is better. There's a lot to be said for having the ability to smoothly run an offense for 30 mins every single night on a good team, regardless of how well you're shooting.

Yao, Battier and Landry were awesome. We've got some weak spots defensively, and we weren't as intense as usual this game, but it's good to see multiple individuals stepping up.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Hakeem said:


> Rafer Alston is the most underrated player on this team.
> 
> This game doesn't really change anything, but for all the criticism he takes, he's actually an OK player. People jumped the gun saying Brooks is better. There's a lot to be said for having the ability to smoothly run an offense for 30 mins every single night on a good team, regardless of how well you're shooting.


He was playing like absolute crap in the minutes I saw him play in the 1st half. After halftime, he was a different player, like hroz said.


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

He wasn't a different player. He was just making shots he normally misses. 

It's not for his scoring ability that we start him. It's because he can run the offense better than anyone else we have or can get. When you have a team with multiple offense weapons like the Rockets do, that sort of point guard is more valuable than one who can create shots for himself (and make them).


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## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

This gotta be one of the funniest Yao pic.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Flash is the Future said:


> On behalf of Michael Beasley, I'd like to say that you guys are lucky he was missing the shots he normally makes tonight.
> 
> Good game guys! :cheers:


NOTE: Beasley was making his shots until Chuck went on him. When he came off the bench to start the game he was on fire. Chuck is in the NBA because of his defense. He is one of the most remarkable post defenders I have ever seen.

It was a great game though. And hope to see on the board later. :cheers:

Rafer was awesome in the 2nd half. But what I saw in the first half was what I am worried about. Its not Rafer or Aaron that I am against. Its the depth we dont have at PG that really bothers me. There has been too many games where neither Rafer or Aaron have shot over 40%, but we always need someone on the floor because nobody else knows how to run an offense. (example Jazz series last year.) Though I would like to see Barry play a few minutes at PG to see if he has what it takes.

EDIT: Also while I understand Rafer especially but Aaron are out there to run the offense. They tend to take 20 shots between them a game easily. 

Also today in the 1st half Rafer was not running the offense well either. 4 TOs is very high for anyone.


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## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

Speaking of which, there is always Steve Francis, he is getting another buy out, maybe the Rockets can...

Oh, nothing, it would be terrible.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Hakeem said:


> He wasn't a different player. He was just making shots he normally misses.
> 
> It's not for his scoring ability that we start him. It's because he can run the offense better than anyone else we have or can get. When you have a team with multiple offense weapons like the Rockets do, that sort of point guard is more valuable than one who can create shots for himself (and make them).


I'm not saying we shouldn't start him or anything.

In the 2nd half he just started playing more in control. He had some stupid turnovers in the 2nd quarter and his shot selection was awful. The shots he took in the 2nd half felt more like in rhythm with the offense and I think he lost the ball just once (compared to 4 TO in the 1st).


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## Spaceman Spiff (Aug 2, 2006)

Flash is the Future said:


> On behalf of Michael Beasley, I'd like to say that you guys are lucky he was missing the shots he normally makes tonight.
> 
> Good game guys! :cheers:


Watch this video and then consider yourself lucky that Beasley even scored


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

> "I just don't want you to miss the story that Yao and I were combined 13-of-13. Don't overlook the efficiency of the dynamic duo of No. 31 and No. 11."


:laugh:


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## gi0rdun (May 31, 2007)

It's a good team we have if T-Mac really turns it around. If Rafer pushes on offense every game like he did in the 2nd half instead of just handing it off to T-Mac and Brooks doesn't hit the sophomore wall in the playoffs we should be fine.

Our rotation should be

Yao
McGrady
Artest
Battier
Alston
Brooks
Scola
Landry

Then Hayes/Barry/Wafer/MUTOMBO :naughty: depending on our needs. I can see Barry taking up more of Brooks' minutes come playoff time but I'm pretty optimistic.


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## Dream Hakeem (Apr 20, 2006)

That is if Tmac doesn't come back and turns into a Black Hole =/


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