# Regular Season Game 78 Thread: Houston Rockets @ Seattle SuperSonics



## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

​*(48-29)/(31-46)*

When/Where:
*Monday, April 9, 9:00 p.m.*
*KeyArena*​












































*Alston / McGrady / Battier / Hayes / Yao*














































*Watson / Wilkins / Lewis / Wilcox / Collison*



*PREVIEW

The Rockets are still chasing the Utah Jazz for home-court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.

That, however, isn't their prime concern over the final two weeks of the regular season.

While opening the postseason inside Toyota Center would be a nice bonus, the Rockets are more concerned with trying to get back on a roll and regaining their swagger heading into the playoffs.

Since a surprising setback in Oklahoma City on March 25, the Rockets have dropped four of their past seven games including three straight in their own building. Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy has been so troubled by his team's recent play that he finds himself tinkering with the team's rotation.

The Rockets will try to rediscover some momentum Monday night when they visit the Seattle Supersonics.

"We have to seize the opportunity in front of us because it could be the best one that we get," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "You want to try to be playing your very best right now. Not necessarily to build momentum, but to build your confidence and trust that's how we're going to go about it in the playoffs. I do not want us to stumble to the finish line. I've been around long enough to know that's not a good recipe for playoff success."

The Rockets have a favorable enough schedule over the final two weeks to get on a hot streak.

Counting Sunday's game against Sacramento, Houston will play four of its final six games against teams with a losing record.

With that said, Rockets shooting guard Luther Head said his team should be more concerned with improving their own play over the final stretch of the regular season rather than worrying about their matchups.

"We've got injuries and everything else, so you can't look at it like that," Head said. "We might have a favorable schedule, but it's going to be hard on us because we've got to find a way to play better."

The Rockets have a list of concerns that they'd like to resolve before opening the playoffs.

Besides needing a healthy Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, the Rockets need to find a rotation around them.

Van Gundy has been disappointed in the team's bench play of late, forcing him to activate Bonzi Wells and examine his rotation over the final seven games of the regular season.

"I'm a bit unsettled by some of the play we've gotten off our bench," Van Gundy said. "It's not hard enough. It's not smart enough. It's not good enough."

The Rockets are even seeking more consistency on both ends of the floor, especially on offense when one of their two stars are rendered ineffective against a swarming defense.

"We've got to get back to playing hard," Head said. "We've gotten this far because we've defended, rebounded and held team's to a low shooting percentage. We can get back to doing what we do."

Above all else, Van Gundy wants his team to play with more of a sense of urgency. Despite having a chance to move ahead of Utah for home-court advantage on April 1, the coach didn't feel like his team had the appropriate response.

"We needed to seize that game against Utah," Van Gundy said. "I'm still baffled, befuddled and perplexed (by that game). That was the most significant regular season game in many of our guys' career because it was the one game that could have tipped the balance of our destiny for home-court advantage. And to come out and play the way we did in that first quarter and play the last 16 minutes like that, it bothers me."

The Rockets might not end up catching the Jazz because of that performance. But if they can learn from that effort, it could have an impact when the playoffs begin.

"We can't have this letdown," Rockets forward Chuck Hayes said. "Not now. We can't do this going into the postseason."*

_*Next Games*_
vs.








vs.








vs.


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## houst-mac (Aug 7, 2004)

There is only one thing we need to do, STOP Rashard Lewis, he's been killing people lately.


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## ztpc_lukui (Mar 3, 2006)

Can Rockets exceed the Jazz tomorrow ? Let 's wait and see !


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## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

BETS ON! No offset!


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Hate it when I miss a game............

Hope we win.

Battier Wells got to stop Lewis


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## Krimzon (Feb 26, 2007)

We can win this. Stopping Lewis is the key to win this game.


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## AllEyezonTX (Nov 16, 2006)

A Seattle SuperSonics win over the weekend helped the Houston Rockets move closer to the Western Conference's No. 4 playoff seed. A Sonics loss on Monday when the teams meet in Seattle could move the Rockets even closer.

Houston (48-29) is one-half game behind the Utah Jazz for fourth place in the West, a position which carries with it home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The Rockets moved closer to that spot over the weekend, as they won 112-106 against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, one night after Seattle defeated the Jazz 106-103. Utah visits the Golden State Warriors on Monday.

*"It's very important to get it going," said McGrady, who scored 40 points and added 10 assists after sitting out Saturday's game because of back pain. "It's coming down to the last few games before these playoffs ... You don't want to wait too late. ... We're not about trying to catch Utah out here. We're just trying to get better."*

Sunday's win snapped a three-game losing streak for Houston. Yao Ming also returned to the lineup after missing Saturday's game with back problems, and had 18 points before spending most of the fourth quarter on the bench.

The Rockets have five games remaining compared with Utah's six, and Yao expressed concern that the best chance to catch the Jazz may have already passed.

*"Actually, the best chance has slipped out of our hands already, in those last three home games that we lost," Yao said. "We had the chance to have home-court advantage in the playoffs, but we probably lost it."* - I agree w/ Yao

The Rockets have won both matchups against Seattle (31-46) this season as McGrady has averaged 33.5 points, and eight of the last nine meetings between the clubs.


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## PriceIsWright (Oct 11, 2006)

If we lose, we should tank for the draft


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## Dream Hakeem (Apr 20, 2006)

Watson got a big head


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## ztpc_lukui (Mar 3, 2006)

Wilcox was maneating lately ! The guy may give Yao some troubles !

I don't hope Yao would get into fouls-trouble !


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## AZNoob (Jan 21, 2006)

Hope we win! Oh, and on an unrelated note, since this is gonna be the most viewed thread for tonight, if you look on the Clippers forum, they have an article about Billups possibly leaving Det. How would you guys feel about him coming here? I know, long shot, but still...


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

bit of a slow start for the Rockets, but no doubt we'll beat this Jesus-less Seattle team at full strength.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

AZNoob said:


> Hope we win! Oh, and on an unrelated note, since this is gonna be the most viewed thread for tonight, if you look on the Clippers forum, they have an article about Billups possibly leaving Det. How would you guys feel about him coming here? I know, long shot, but still...


Can't afford him, and we don't need more guys who're moving past their prime


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

starting to run away with this now. Seattle's line-up is just pitiful out there... anyone know what happened to Ridnour?


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

What got into Tmac's Wheaties?


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Considering the competition we're up against, I'd expect no less than a 30pt output from T-Mac this game. I'm expecting bigger things from Yao in the 2nd half.


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## AllEyezonTX (Nov 16, 2006)

Tmac knew that 50pt @ the half is important to us winning this game...lol


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Tmac is driving to the basket. What a rarity


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

It seems like we're playing well, but as a team we're actually shooting under 40%. We should be blowing them away by now, but somehow Seattle's staying with us.


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## AllEyezonTX (Nov 16, 2006)

Seattle fighting in the 3rd


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

OT: Utah is losing big to Golden State

So if we win, and if Utah loses, we are up .5 in the standings.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

we'll win this, but I don't like how we can't see to pull away and make the stops that an elite team is capable of doing... 

woo, what happened with the flagrant? info?


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

its like we kinda have an unwritten alliance with Golden State right now. We help them beat the Clippers, they help us beat the Jazz. I'm really hoping for GS to make the playoffs, they can really give Dallas some trouble in the 1st round.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

20+ pts for both Yao and T-Mac, that's what I like to see. Yao PERFECT from the charity stripe, 9-9.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Yao Mania said:


> we'll win this, but I don't like how we can't see to pull away and make the stops that an elite team is capable of doing...
> 
> woo, what happened with the flagrant? info?


I dont know, but by me following the box score, Tmac got T'd up right after it, maybe arguing out of defense and anger perhaps. But Yao made the FTs so its all good


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Well, Yao is pissed...


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## darkballa (Sep 19, 2003)

Yao dominating the 3rd. I think he has like 13 this quarter already.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

still only a 6pt lead despite all this... where's the D fellas??


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Seattle's right back in this game. Unacceptable. 

Battier with ZERO points.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

thank god Shard Lewis's shooting Seattle out of this game, else we'd be losing. 

c'mon, lets put an end to this and get our starters some rest...


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Meanwhile, Utah is losing big time to GS right now. Looks as if we are going to take over.


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## darkballa (Sep 19, 2003)

Is t-mac playing!!?? i haven't seen a change in his stats from the box score.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

31 for Yao, 11-11 at the charity stripe. Can't say I'm thrilled though, because I'd expect him to have a good game against conventional big bodies like Collison, Wilcox, and Petro. Its against the small, speedy Cs that I want to see him do well against.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

We win, and the Jazz will lose, but not happy about having to play our starters 'til the end at all... No disrespecting Seattle because I've always liked the team, but they are in semi-tank mode and playing without 3 starters from last year (Allen, Ridnour, Swift) amongst others, and we can't seem to pull away from them at any point of the game. 

We need to be playing better than this.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Damn golden state is killing Utah by 30 with 10:00 left in the 4th!


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## Dream Hakeem (Apr 20, 2006)

Considering Utah loses today

Technically Utah still has the 4th seed because they're leaders of there conference right?


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Dream Hakeem said:


> Considering Utah loses today
> 
> Technically Utah still has the 4th seed because they're leaders of there conference right?


Yes, but we have the 4th best record. Therefore we would have home court against them, even though they are 4th in standings.

If that makes any sense. Hopefully we can keep this up.


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## Dream Hakeem (Apr 20, 2006)

OneBadLT123 said:


> Yes, but we have the 4th best record. Therefore we would have home court against them, even though they are 4th in standings.
> 
> If that makes any sense. Hopefully we can keep this up.


Ahh yes i forgot we we're battling for home court :biggrin:


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## bronx43 (Dec 9, 2005)

Man, that Collison foul on Yao scared the crap outta me. But, it's good to see Tmac standing up for a teammate.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

A win is a win.
Seems like it got scrappy for a while.

Damn would have been nice to watch............
THought we would go better against a Jesus-less Sonics though...............


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## kisstherim (Jul 15, 2004)

bronx43 said:


> Man, that Collison foul on Yao scared the crap outta me. But, it's good to see Tmac standing up for a teammate.


I just watched it, wtf, that foul was just ridiculous, no wonder TMAC was so pissed.


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## Legend-Like (Mar 25, 2006)

But Yao was a beast after that, you could see the energy and anger flow right through him.


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## debarge (Nov 13, 2005)

bronx43 said:


> Man, that Collison foul on Yao scared the crap outta me. But, it's good to see Tmac standing up for a teammate.


I'm glad that he wasn't injured, and that we won the game. But if Stu Jackson doesn't suspend that jackalope one game, I will be so pissed. They suspended Kobe and Morris Peterson 1 game for lesser flagant#1's; so a flagant#1 on Yao should get the same penalty. Shaq/Yao/Dwight Howard need the same respect...just because they are big men (centers) doesn't mean it isn't a bad hard foul? How much you wanna bet, nothing happens this morning though? The Game hasn't even been shown on ESPN or SportsCenter. No Respect. This is :banned: Total BullSpit!!!


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## AllEyezonTX (Nov 16, 2006)

*Player of the game:* Even though he took a beating, Houston center Yao Ming dominated in the middle and finished with 31 points and seven rebounds. Yao converted 10 of 19 shots and blocked two shots. 

*Turning point:* The Sonics narrowed a 15-point deficit to two points (76-74) early in the fourth quarter before Houston regained control of the game. The Rockets scored six straight points and Seattle never seriously threatened again. 

*Key statistic:* Rashard Lewis moved ahead of Shawn Kemp into fourth place on the Sonics' all-time scoring list. Lewis has 10,154 points and trails Gary Payton, Fred Brown and Jack Sikma.


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## Krimzon (Feb 26, 2007)

I sure missed a good game. Do you guys have the video of Collision foul on Yao? It must have been something.


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

Yao Mania said:


> woo, what happened with the flagrant? info?


I was at the game. This is how it played out:

The Rockets were on defense and Collison had the ball inside and was trying to score. He got whacked a couple times by Yao and eventually the Rockets came away with the ball. The crowd exploded in anger over no foul call. The Rockets ran out and McGrady fed Yao moving towards the hoop. Collison grabbed Yao and jerked him to the ground, clearly a frustration foul. The crowd, basically in blood-fury for the previous possession, cheered Yao being thrown to the ground. Yao kinda of rolled around on the ground for a few seconds clutching his arm. Looked potentially bad, but then Yao got up, hit both free throws and started to dominate.

McGrady picked up the technical for getting in Collison's face after he threw Yao to the ground.


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## kisstherim (Jul 15, 2004)

Krimzon said:


> I sure missed a good game. Do you guys have the video of Collision foul on Yao? It must have been something.






















and this is the only video I've found so far:

http://china.nba.com/200704houvideo/82575.html

it takes a little time to buffer, tough


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## Krimzon (Feb 26, 2007)

Wow. I'm glad Yao is alright.


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