# [Regular Season Game 57] Houston Rockets vs. Portland Trail Blazers



## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

*vs.*

*(35-21)/(35-20)*


When/Where:
*Tuesday, February 24, 8:30 PM ET*






















































*Brooks / Artest / Battier / Scola / Yao*














































*Blake / Roy / Batum / Aldridge / Przybilla*


_*Preview*_


> Tracy McGrady is done for the season. That doesn't mean the Houston Rockets have given up on theirs.
> 
> In fact, they're playing better without McGrady in the lineup.
> 
> ...



_*Next Games*_
vs.








vs.








vs.


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## mtlk (Apr 25, 2005)

> Yao had 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting with six rebounds at Portland on Nov. 6, though his three-point play with 0.8 seconds left gave Houston a one-point lead. However, Brandon Roy countered with a 30-footer at the buzzer to give the Blazers a 101-99 victory.


Time to get revenge.:azdaja:


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Revenge for that lucky shot by Roy last time...


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## jdiggidy (Jun 21, 2003)

I see Batum in the starting rotation for Portland. How well is he playing? Curious to know how the guy we initially drafted is doing? On a side note, how is Dorsey's development doing?


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

John Hollinger said:


> *Battle For Home*
> Houston and Portland both won Sunday night, and those two are achieving some separation from their Western brethren in the playoff race. Houston has now won four in a row since Tracy McGrady excused himself, and all four have been fairly impressive wins. That continues the team's season-long trend of playing better without T-Mac, a good omen as they race for seeding. Meanwhile, the Blazers have quietly held on to the No. 4 position for much of the year, and have won five of their past six.
> 
> This is of note because the two teams play Tuesday in Houston. A win by the Rockets would push Houston within a half-game of Portland for the fourth spot and home-court advantage in the first round; as of today the Playoff Odds sill project the Blazers to hang on by a two-game margin, but the Odds don't know how many nights a limping McGrady dragged down the Rockets before last week.
> ...


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dime-090224


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

BTW, Tim Legler is an idiot.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

what did he say?


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## Spaceman Spiff (Aug 2, 2006)

OneBadLT123 said:


> what did he say?


He said we're not going to make the playoffs. None of his reasons held any water either.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Spaceman Spiff said:


> He said we're not going to make the playoffs. None of his reasons held any water either.


Ahh typical Legler stuff. He's just as relevant as an "NBA Expert" as he was an NBA player anyway.


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## Spaceman Spiff (Aug 2, 2006)

However, I think he favored us to win the title at the beginning of the year.


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## Legend-Like (Mar 25, 2006)

Oh man I can't believe that Im going to miss this game..... Time for some revenge.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

> The reason Yao is looking a tad frustrated in the above photograph is because he didn't play particularly well on the night it was taken. A night that saw the Blazers down Houston with a 30-foot *Brandon Roy* jumper at the buzzer.
> 
> I rewatched that game a few times before deleting it, and I have to say that a typical *Yao Ming* night (defensively, as well) wins that for the Rockets. And I didn't see anything in Portland that would stop Yao from not having a typical night.
> 
> ...


BDL - Game to pay attention to: Trail Blazers vs. Rockets


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Anyone watching? this is awesome


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Chuck with a season-high 6 points. :laugh:


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Great first half. And Yao only played 11 minutes.


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## Spaceman Spiff (Aug 2, 2006)

So far so good. We need to come out in the 3rd and extend this lead.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Yao gets cut, no foul called. :sarcasm:


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

We let them back in but we still have a 9-pt lead.


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## gi0rdun (May 31, 2007)

It's weird to see a point guard finish at the hoop in a Rockets uniform.


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## gi0rdun (May 31, 2007)

Lol at Lowry dumping the ball to a trailing Yao in a packed paint.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

gi0rdun said:


> Lol at Lowry dumping the ball to a trailing Yao in a packed paint.


Yeah, that was a bad decision. But he'll learn.


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## gi0rdun (May 31, 2007)

Yikes. Thank god for Scola.


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## gi0rdun (May 31, 2007)

Are we looking at another heartbreaker against Portland?


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## gi0rdun (May 31, 2007)

Artest is doing a good McGrady impression.


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## gi0rdun (May 31, 2007)

Thank you Aaron Brooks.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Clutch FTs by Brooks


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## gi0rdun (May 31, 2007)

Ron's D is overrated.


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

Clutch FT's by Artest.


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## gi0rdun (May 31, 2007)

Wow Brian Cook is on our team.


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## Legend-Like (Mar 25, 2006)

Dam just got in. Looks like we got this game. Who did good?


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

Nice win.


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## gi0rdun (May 31, 2007)

And we move into the 4th spot!


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Legend-Like said:


> Dam just got in. Looks like we got this game. Who did good?


Our defense.


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## Spaceman Spiff (Aug 2, 2006)

Great D to close out the game, but some old habits never die. Horrid offense in the final 6 minutes. We need to find a way to get the ball to Yao when he's fronted. We need to space the floor for Brooks to penetrate in those situations. This is where we miss T-Mac. With a 60% T-Mac fronting wasn't even an option for a defense.


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## rocketeer (Oct 7, 2002)

bad game for yao.

bad charges being called all game on flops.

rockets tried to give it away at the end. the whole blazers team is playing to deny yao the ball and then collapse on him defensively but the rockets still kept trying to force it inside to him when they had luis scola being guarded by travis outlaw. i understand trying to get the ball to yao with aldridge guarding him, but when they deny it, rotate the ball and take advantage of the mismatch on the other side of the post as well.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Cornholio said:


> Yeah, that was a bad decision. But he'll learn.


Yeah hes still new. I dont think he really knows what passes, or how to pass to a big man like Yao yet. He just needs more time with the team. I think hes been put in a situation where he does not know what to expect.


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## mtlk (Apr 25, 2005)

Great win,but we need to learn how to close out games.
Where was Carl Landry?


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## rocketeer (Oct 7, 2002)

mtlk said:


> Great win,but we need to learn how to close out games.
> Where was Carl Landry?


missing his 3rd(i think) game since he sprained his ankle.


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## jdiggidy (Jun 21, 2003)

Can we just call it what it is against Yao? The word everyone is looking for is "CHEATING". Yao gets cheated at a minimum on 25% of the calls that go against him and on the offensive side of the ball players are aloud to get away with a minimum of 40% blantant fouls against Yao.

Aside from Yao continuingn to get ripped, my only concern with this team come playoff time is what happened tonight in this game which is the fact that Portland rallied in the fourth quarter. Hopefully the team will develop the continuity it has lacked just in time to make a run in the playoffs.

Realistic POV: They still have to prove they can get out of the first round.
Optimistic POV: This team could possibly win two playoff series this year.

I won't list the Fantasy POV because this team would have overachieved if it wins two series so I won't even talk conference finals or finals.

Solid game tonight. This team has some ballers on it!


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

> *Locker room comics*
> 
> Rookie Joey Dorsey looked oh-so-preppy in his navy blue blazer and then he picked up his designed backpack, looped both arms through the straps and tried to walk out of the locker room looking like he was off to ask Mary Lou to the big dance.
> 
> ...


http://blogs.chron.com/franblinebury/2009/02/tightrope_rockets_98_blazers_9.html


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## Spaceman Spiff (Aug 2, 2006)

jdiggidy said:


> Can we just call it what it is against Yao? The word everyone is looking for is "CHEATING". Yao gets cheated at a minimum on 25% of the calls that go against him and on the offensive side of the ball players are aloud to get away with a minimum of 40% blantant fouls against Yao.
> 
> Aside from Yao continuingn to get ripped, my only concern with this team come playoff time is what happened tonight in this game which is the fact that Portland rallied in the fourth quarter. Hopefully the team will develop the continuity it has lacked just in time to make a run in the playoffs.
> 
> ...


Yao gets cheated 95% of the time. If it was 25% of the time Yao would average 30ft/game.


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## jdiggidy (Jun 21, 2003)

> Yao gets cheated 95% of the time.


I think 95% is a bit over the top. You know, reading my statement again it really doesn't make alot of sense. Maybe the best way to say this would be, when the Rockets are on offense, Yao blantantly gets fouled at a minimum of 40% of the time. I throw 40% out there because you have to let some of the smaller fouls (i.e. bumping, some slapping, and some holding) go because basketball is a physical game. The issue is the refs letting players get too physical with Yao.

On the defensive side of the ball, I am the first to admit Yao is slow, that being said, he is also an All-Star and should get the latitude of an All-Star when playing against tier 2 or tier 3 players. IMO, no name players get star calls against Yao when they drive to the basket. The argument that Yao should get at least 40% more calls on the offensive side of the ball is the same for his defense. He should be getting 40% less called on him defensively as well.

This subject just frustrates me. I probably made it worse and I am going to be quite now.


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## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

The late melt down is very worrisome. We need to close game up. We can't just use the lead that we built up in the first half and expect everything is going to be fine.


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