# Game 33: Official Rockets @ Lakers GAME THREAD. 1/7. 9:30 CST.



## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

*vs.*









*Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
January 7, 2005
9:30pm CST, FSN, ESPN*

*Probable Starters*





































Yao Ming/Juwan Howard/Tracy McGrady/David Wesley/Bob Sura 





































Chris Mihm/Lamar Odom/Caron Butler/Kobe Bryant/Chucky Atkins 

TMac meets Kobe for the first time this season. Yao dominated the last time these teams met, expect JVG to get Yao involved ASAP. We really need Wesley and Sura to start making entry passes, those guys are horrible when it comes to feeding the paint. Barrett was impressive as usual against Phoenix, and should get good minutes against the undersized Chucky Atkins.

The key to winning is containing Lamar Odom. Don't let him kill Howard from the perimeter and in the post. We must rebound.

Rockets 102
Lakers 92


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## Sweeper (Dec 7, 2004)

Expecting TMac to bounce back from his 8 of 25 performance. Think he missed 11 shots in a row at one stage against the suns. Yao will dominant as long as he gets fed the ball. Wesley better start hittin more open shots...

Lakers lost two in row, this will be their third...

Rockets 103
Lakers 94


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## kisstherim (Jul 15, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>Sweeper</b>!
> 
> 
> Lakers lost two in row, this will be their third...
> ...


too bad lakers has never lost 3 in a row this season,they would always bounced back and won in the 3rd game after two loses.
however,i have a strong feeling rockets can break this law!:grinning: 

Rockets:97
Lakers:91


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Yao always plays well against the Lakers, he WILL dominate tonight... (I know I've been saying the same thing a lot this season, but I'll keep saying it 'til he proves me right!!!)

Rockets 94
Lakers 88


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

I think we have gone from being a team that plays great on national TV to a team that plays frikin terrible on national TV. Yao is off to another poor start, we are missing layups, and getting killed on the boards.


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## HeinzGuderian (Jun 29, 2004)

We play poorly on nat. TV or not. This just isn't a good team. I have hope for the future, but this year has been pathetic. I find myself hoping we lose so we can get a high pick.


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

Something is seriously wrong with Yao physically. He is playing very lethargic and missing shots he can make with his eyes closed.


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

Lakers are scoring at will, everyone from Chucky Atkins to Caron Butler is getting to the hoop. We are missing a bunch of open layups again, maybe we can cut this lead down to 10-12 in the 3rd quarter if we play with some sense of energy. But right now it looks like one of those blowouts where Yao won't see the 4th quarter and McGrady will stop playing defense 4 minutes into the 3rd. Even if Yao starts dominating in the paint, I think the 24 point lead is too much to overcome.


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## kisstherim (Jul 15, 2004)

I just gave up.i was watching the game in univ laundry room. Rockets's offense is just too ugly and disgusting to watch.now i am back to my computer to do some other stuffs.:uhoh: 
and what's wrong with Yao Ming?is that the same person who dominated lakers not long ago?


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## thegreatnero (Jan 8, 2005)

Other than Yao and T-Mac there isn't one player on the Rockets that I would want except MAYBE Mo Taylor. All the rest look old, slow, and not worth their contract. We need to start getting rid of all of the low energy role players and JVG who's holding back Yao.


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

Phenomenal 3rd quarter. We scored 37 in the 3rd quarter which equals our first half total. It's a 9 point Laker lead, but could easily be 6.


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## kisstherim (Jul 15, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>Mr. Roger's Cardigan</b>!
> Phenomenal 3rd quarter. We scored 37 in the 3rd quarter which equals our first half total. It's a 9 point Laker lead, but could easily be 6.


why do they always play well whenever i don't watch them?  
i think it's better for me not to watch the game in the 4th quarter.:uhoh:


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## thegreatnero (Jan 8, 2005)

Yeah, and then Yao misses one shot and JVG yanks him. Why the **** does JVG have so little patience, it kills confidence. Just ****ing great. We lost.


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## Sweeper (Dec 7, 2004)

Just got home....

We're down by eight.... sounds like a good come back in the third quarter!!!

What the.... Wesley is 1 of 7, and Barry 1 of 6  

Pleez pleeez win


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## Sweeper (Dec 7, 2004)

Trading baskets down the stretch... that won't do!!!

104 - 94 2:33 left

Yao has 5 fouls

You watching it kisstherim??


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## kisstherim (Jul 15, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>Sweeper</b>!
> Trading baskets down the stretch... that won't do!!!
> 
> 104 - 94  2:33 left
> ...


no,i am just following the box score now.i watched the 1st half.seems they always play better if i don't watch,so now i am sacrificing myself. 
but looks there is no hope for rox to win this game now.Yao was fouled out.:no: 

BTW:this website is darn slow now.


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## Sweeper (Dec 7, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>kisstherim</b>!
> 
> 
> no,i am just following the box score now.i watched the 1st half.seems they always play better if i don't watch,so now i am sacrificing myself.
> ...


:laugh: hehe..... sacrificing yourself  

Shame your sacrifice didn't work... we lost. I didn't catch the first half, what happened?? How we get so far behind??

Yeah, this website slow and keeps crashing on me


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

Lakers 111
Rockets 104

Yea we lost to the slumping Lakers. It was a next to impossible task to outscore LA by 24 in 12 minutes when we can't contain Odom and Kobe is his usual self.

We are below .500 again. 

But I'm happy with the way we played in the 2nd half. Namely Yao, TMac, Sura and Howard. Sura sure can't shoot the ball but he can make plays. The guy is useless when he isn't penetrating to the basket, but in the 2nd half he got his game going. Wesley and Barry had dissapointing games, but I'm expecting these guys to get it going sooner or later. 

With Dallas, San Antonio and Memphis coming up there is no way we can afford to play like we did in the first half today. When Yao isn't getting involved frankly it is a no contest.


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## 777 (Dec 14, 2002)

Damn this team sucks, I hope Yao demand a trade.


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Sweeper</b>!
> Yeah, this website slow and keeps crashing on me


It looked like a scrimmage, everyone was tired, no one was hustling and everyone was missing their open shots. Yao wasn't being aggressive, he was missing easy shots, and everyone on the Lakers were scoring at will.

Throughout the game, Wesley, Barry and Sura could not make any open shots. With the exception of 1 trey all of Sura's points came in the paint or when penetrating to the basket.


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## Sweeper (Dec 7, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>Mr. Roger's Cardigan</b>!
> 
> Throughout the game, Wesley, Barry and Sura could not make any open shots. With the exception of 1 trey all of Sura's points came in the paint or when penetrating to the basket.


Hmm, we lost by 7, if a few more of those open shots had made it in, we would've had a ball game!! 1 of 7 .....1 of 6.... if they were all open jumpers, I could've made at least half :sigh: 

They just need to improve.....

Too bad we dug ourselves in such a big hole in the first half.


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Sweeper</b>!
> 
> 
> Hmm, we lost by 7, if a few more of those open shots had made it in, we would've had a ball game!! 1 of 7 .....1 of 6.... if they were all open jumpers, I could've made at least half :sigh:


We also blew 7 layups. 3 of those were from McGrady, surprisingly.


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## Sweeper (Dec 7, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>Mr. Roger's Cardigan</b>!
> 
> 
> We also blew 7 layups. 3 of those were from McGrady, surprisingly.


:jawdrop: OMG... sounds like we didn't deserve to win that, let alone get as close as 7points!

Back to basics for the team.... layup.... layup... repeat.... jump shots.... use your knees, shoot from elbow... repeat.... layup...jump shots.... repeat...


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## 777 (Dec 14, 2002)

This team needs a blue collar PF, everyone is charging Yao in the post try to get him out of the game.

And no one on this damn team can hit a wide open 3.


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## kisstherim (Jul 15, 2004)

this game tells why Kobe is better than TMAC:

the ball passed by Kobe would turn out be an "assist"
the ball passed by Tmac would turn out be an "brick"

 :sour:


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## Sweeper (Dec 7, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>777</b>!
> Damn this team sucks, I hope Yao demand a trade.


So you want Yao out?


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## kisstherim (Jul 15, 2004)

this game tells why Kobe is better than TMAC:

the ball passed by Kobe would turn out to be an "assist"
the ball passed by Tmac would turn out to be a "brick"

 :sour:


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## Sweeper (Dec 7, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>kisstherim</b>!
> this game tells why Kobe is better than TMAC:
> 
> the ball passed by Kobe would turn out be an "assist"
> ...


That just means TMac's teammates can't shoot after he's passed if off to them....


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## 777 (Dec 14, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Sweeper</b>!
> So you want Yao out?


As Yao's fan, yes.

I don't care about the team he plays for, I only want to see him succeed, and we can all see right now Houston is not the ideal place for him.


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## Sweeper (Dec 7, 2004)

Only problem is, what if he goes to an even worse team??? If we can somehow improve the supporting cast in Houston, there's definitely a good future for Yao.


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## kisstherim (Jul 15, 2004)

double post.


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

We need to find a way to get pumped up before games. This where vocal players come in handy, unfortunately we don't really have one. Last year it was Steve Francis, this year it could be Jon Barry but that's not realistiz considering he is not a top 5 player on this team.


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## 777 (Dec 14, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Sweeper</b>!
> Only problem is, what if he goes to an even worse team??? If we can somehow improve the supporting cast in Houston, there's definitely a good future for Yao.


I don't have the patience for more IF's.

Personally I don't think the Rockets know how to fully utilize Yao.


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## Sweeper (Dec 7, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>777</b>!
> I don't have the patience for more IF's.
> 
> Personally I don't think the Rockets know how to fully utilize Yao.


Okies.... though Yao will be staying put in Houston, at least for now.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

I missed the first half of the game, and I'm glad I did... 3rd Q was exciting to watch, but I just kinda knew that we wouldn't be able to come back, not against Kobe... Those 3s by Brian Cook killed any momentum that we had. Mo Taylor is an absolute liability on D.

Sura and Wesley has got to knock down open jumpers. Sura I can understand was never a shooter, but Wesley's gotta get his game going. I thought he'd shoot at least a little better than JJ, but that's totally not the case right now.

I hope the team's still feeling each other out. Seems like the rotation is set for the rest of the year.


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## On Thre3 (Nov 26, 2003)

brian cook shoots better than our guards... pathetic

im disgusted with this supporting cast


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Brian Cook just comes to show that young players CAN contribute to this team...


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## UndergroundBaller (Nov 17, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>777</b>!
> 
> 
> As Yao's fan, yes.
> ...


Don't worry.
Yao will be the part of the new Lakers dynasty very soon..


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