# Regular Season Game 70 Thread: Houston Rockets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers



## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

*Houston Rockets (30-39) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (40-29)*​*Sunday, March 26, 4:00 p.m.*​*Toyota Center*​ *vs.*​
*ROCKETS*




































Alston / Head / Bogans / Howard / Yao 

*CAVALIERS*




































Snow / Murray / James / Gooden / Ilgauskas​
Rockets.com Preview 


> The Rockets return to action Sunday when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Toyota Center. Houston (30-39) heads into Sunday after a come from behind win in Oklahoma City Thursday against the Hornets. LeBron James and Co. host Boston Friday night at Quicken Loans Arena before heading to Houston for the Sunday matinee. Tip-off is 3:00 p.m.
> 
> Sunday’s game will be the second and final meeting between these two teams this season. The Rockets have taken the last five meetings against the Cavaliers, including a 90-81 win Jan. 5 at Cleveland. Tracy McGrady scored a game-high 34 points as the Rockets held the Cavs to 20 less points in that contest than Cleveland was averaging (102.1) coming into the game.
> 
> ...


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## Gotham2krazy (Nov 22, 2005)

Should be a good matchup of 11 against 11, who am I kidding? Yao's going to ****ing ownerz on Z.


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## thetennisyao (Mar 10, 2006)

hope we lose, cuz the season is over.


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## jworth (Feb 17, 2006)

thetennisyao said:


> hope we lose, cuz the season is over.


Sort of like the Houston Texans mindset with the "Bush Bowl."


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## CrackerJack (Jul 2, 2005)

so we're in the lottery bowl then


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## jworth (Feb 17, 2006)

Yeah, pretty much. In terms of draft picks, moving down slots in the standings certainly doesn't hurt. I mean, we know we have problems, but we know we'll have two very good players returning in Yao and McGrady. So losing right now doesn't hurt anything. I wouldn't say lose on purpose, but since the playoffs are out of the picture, thinking lottery wouldn't really be that bad of an idea.


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## Gotham2krazy (Nov 22, 2005)

jworth said:


> Yeah, pretty much. In terms of draft picks, moving down slots in the standings certainly doesn't hurt. I mean, we know we have problems, but we know we'll have two very good players returning in Yao and McGrady. So losing right now doesn't hurt anything. I wouldn't say lose on purpose, but since the playoffs are out of the picture, thinking lottery wouldn't really be that bad of an idea.


We still could make playoffs if we wanted, but it's better we just stick with sucking for the rest of the season to give Yao rest in april and june to improve and do whatever he wants before going back to China. With the losses we will tally the rest of the season, it'll provide us with good pick (hopefully Brandon Roy) to provide us with a young player on the team. By next year, the Rockets will be great with a healthy Yao and T-Mac.


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## Pasha The Great (Apr 9, 2005)

If McGrady was to return before the long road trip I'd still have hope because we'd probably beable to win the rest of the games... but hes not so the season is over but losing game after game to get a good draft pick is just bad. Theres too many good future players on this team that need to know how it feels like to win.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Again, just wanna see Yao kick *** and show that he's the MVP of this league, and have a bigger game than Lebron (which I realize is very difficult to say the least). Big Z's gonna give Yao trouble as his perimeter game will take Yao out of the key on defense.

Role guys have got to step up.


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## sherwin (Mar 21, 2005)

go cavs........................


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## HayesFan (Feb 16, 2006)

This game isn't on TV?? Darn.. I can't even find it on ppstream. 

sigh... I guess gamechannel it is!


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## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

Should be a good game, Yao has a good match up with Big Z. If Yao can still dominate the zone, it should be a close game. Well, every game now is the same, the out side shooters need to take smarter shots. More assists to the big man inside, less turn overs. BTW, if the game is out of control, DO NOT PLAY RYAN BOWN. I want to watch Hayes makes impact. Thank you JVG.


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## Gotham2krazy (Nov 22, 2005)

HayesFan said:


> This game isn't on TV?? Darn.. I can't even find it on ppstream.
> 
> sigh... I guess gamechannel it is!


Hayesfan, how can I watch games online?


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## Gotham2krazy (Nov 22, 2005)

It seems Bogans has stepped up today


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## HayesFan (Feb 16, 2006)

Gotham2krazy said:


> Hayesfan, how can I watch games online?


typically I use ppstream but I can't find it on there today.


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## debarge (Nov 13, 2005)

The officiating in this game has been atrocious! The league has has some sort of issue w/ Yao Ming and how they choose to officiate him. This really pisses me off... Z has been wrestling Yao all damn gamelong. :curse: :curse:


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## TracywtFacy (Mar 29, 2005)

debarge said:


> The officiating in this game has been atrocious! The league has has some sort of issue w/ Yao Ming and how they choose to officiate him. This really pisses me off... Z has been wrestling Yao all damn gamelong. :curse: :curse:



well yao's got 50 pounds and 3 inches over Z, rite? he should just wrestle back


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## TracywtFacy (Mar 29, 2005)

ugh, and 1 play by Lebron sends the game into OT...


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## bronx43 (Dec 9, 2005)

Z's defense on Yao is ridiculous. Every single time Yao makes a move, Z gives Yao a little shove in the side with his elbow. I hate him more and more everytime I watch the big Lithuanian.


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## Gotham2krazy (Nov 22, 2005)

bronx43 said:


> Z's defense on Yao is ridiculous. Every single time Yao makes a move, Z gives Yao a little shove in the side with his elbow. I hate him more and more everytime I watch the big Lithuanian.


He's detestable.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

damn it...


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## Gotham2krazy (Nov 22, 2005)

score anyone?


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## HayesFan (Feb 16, 2006)

Gotham2krazy said:


> score anyone?


 103-101 cavs
and Bowen is in


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## HayesFan (Feb 16, 2006)

GtK you can "watch" the game if you go to espn and find the nba scoreboard... then hit gamecast

That's what I do when I can't see the game on tv


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## Gotham2krazy (Nov 22, 2005)

Son Of A *****! **** Lebron And Zydrunas!


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Damon Jones with 22 pts. WTF??


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## The OUTLAW (Jun 13, 2002)

Good game fellas, good luck for the rest of the season.


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## Pimped Out (May 4, 2005)

cornholio said:


> Damon Jones with 22 pts. WTF??


the rockets dont guard the 3 pt line.

yao only had 7 rebs and 5 TOs. he also had the 4 blocks though.

bogans had some nice production today.


*Go NeTs*


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Still, for awhile Damon Jones shouldn't hit anything even if he was left wide open

Ah well....


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## The OUTLAW (Jun 13, 2002)

For a while? Neither Jones nor Marshall could make a shot for about half of the season. It's great to see them finally coming out of their long slumbers.


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

Pimped Out said:


> yao only had 7 rebs and 5 TOs. he also had the 4 blocks though.


Often when Yao doesn't grab many rebounds, Juwan Howard gets a lot. That's because Yao does a great job of boxing out.


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## The OUTLAW (Jun 13, 2002)

The Cavs outrebounded the Rockets 43-42 and had 14 offensive rebounds, that doesn't sound like that great of a job of boxing out if you ask me.


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

The Rockets often get outrebounded. I don't see how that neccessarily means Yao isn't great at boxing out.


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## CrackerJack (Jul 2, 2005)

man it frustrates me how we keep getting close to teams but just cant finish them off, i reckon this team is playoff material without t-mac but man they got to close out games, we won all quarters this game except for the important 2, 4th and OT


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## Legend-Like (Mar 25, 2006)

Ah man we could have one that game, if it werent by that 3-point play bt LeBron


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## bronx43 (Dec 9, 2005)

The OUTLAW said:


> The Cavs outrebounded the Rockets 43-42 and had 14 offensive rebounds, that doesn't sound like that great of a job of boxing out *if you ask me*.


A difference of one rebound is hardly statistically significant. Most of those offensive boards came from Z, who has a series of tip-ins at the beginning when Yao helped out on Lebron. Also, no one was asking you...


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## debarge (Nov 13, 2005)

bronx43 said:


> A difference of one rebound is hardly statistically significant. Most of those offensive boards came from Z, who has a series of tip-ins at the beginning when Yao helped out on Lebron. Also, no one was asking you...


Kudos, I concurr, Yao may not have grabbed down every darn board like in those other games, but he was tipping balls to Juwan? He is a great boxer-outter, is that right? Anyway, I can't say how many times he's the only one down there cuz everyone else ran back on D, and that's how Jeff likes it. He doesn't wanna give up fastbreak points, so he sacrifices some OffRbds. I can't get on Yao for going for 27 7 4 3 in one game against a good playoff team? :clap: 

Besides guys, we're trying to lose??? I thought....


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

Bogans is a good player ya'll. Normally players without length don't bother LeBron, but Bogans bodied him up and forced him to shoot way too many fadeaways. LeBron is going to get his, but forcing him into 20 missed shots is a job well done.

Offense still doesn't seem to be moving much without McGrady on the floor. Rafer doesn't have the ability to consistently create shots for others, and for a while the Cavs weren't even guarding the perimeter (all collapsed around Yao). Good to see the guards knock down their open shots, but this is normally balanced out by a 1-16 or 2-14 performance from beyond the arc next time.


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## Gotham2krazy (Nov 22, 2005)

debarge said:


> Besides guys, we're trying to lose??? I thought....


True, we'll be the better fans and let this go. The Cavs need all the wins they can get, but anyways, we got robbed because LeBron was practically GIVEN that one freethrow, like he was given that Slam Dunk title in the McDonald's game back in HS.


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

Mr. Roger's Cardigan said:


> Bogans is a good player ya'll. Normally players without length don't bother LeBron, but Bogans bodied him up and forced him to shoot way too many fadeaways. LeBron is going to get his, but forcing him into 20 missed shots is a job well done.


There was never any question about his defense, was there? He did have a good game on both ends, but it's his shot selection and ability to finish that have been worrying everyone recently.


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## Demiloy (Nov 4, 2005)

Watching that and-1 play again, I think there were two mistakes on that play that, if rectified, meant the Rockets probably would have won.

The first, most obvious mistake, was that the Rockets didn't foul. They should have fouled LeBron before he even got near the basket. It was a bone-headed play by both Jeff Van Gundy and Keith Bogans; Jeff for not specifically saying that, and Keith for not doing it anyway.

Now, the second mistake was one by Yao. Now, obviously, he didn't foul LeBron, but, actually, he shouldn't have been there in the first place. He should have either stepped out of the way and let him make the shot, or fouled him hard enough so that he wouldn't be able to get the shot off. If he was going to challenge the shot, he should have gone up to block it, instead of standing with his arms in the air.


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## HayesFan (Feb 16, 2006)

Demiloy said:


> Watching that and-1 play again, I think there were two mistakes on that play that, if rectified, meant the Rockets probably would have won.
> 
> The first, most obvious mistake, was that the Rockets didn't foul. They should have fouled LeBron before he even got near the basket. It was a bone-headed play by both Jeff Van Gundy and Keith Bogans; Jeff for not specifically saying that, and Keith for not doing it anyway.
> 
> Now, the second mistake was one by Yao. Now, obviously, he didn't foul LeBron, but, actually, he shouldn't have been there in the first place. He should have either stepped out of the way and let him make the shot, or fouled him hard enough so that he wouldn't be able to get the shot off. If he was going to challenge the shot, he should have gone up to block it, instead of standing with his arms in the air.



Wasn't there a quote where Keith said that he thought about fouling? I can't find the quote now, but it seems like I read it somehwere.

Isn't that the coach's job to make that decision though? If Keith had fouled without JVG telling him to would he have been just as accountable as since he didn't?

I dunno, I would have just let the guy shoot on a drive, like you said.. all Yao had to do was step out of the way (but again.. isn't that the coaches job to tell him "let him score the two")


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## Demiloy (Nov 4, 2005)

> Wasn't there a quote where Keith said that he thought about fouling?


Ya, he said that. He should have gone beyond thinking, though, and fouled him. But, as you said, I suppose Jeff should have said specifically to foul.


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