# [Regular Season Game 34] Houston Rockets at Toronto Raptors



## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

*at*

*(21-12)/(12-20)*


When/Where:
*Friday, January 2, 7:00 PM ET*






















































*Alston / Head / McGrady / Scola / Yao*














































*Calderon / Parker / Moon / Bosh / Bargnani*


_*Preview*_


> With Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest, the Houston Rockets hoped to contend for the NBA championship this season. Though they've shown promise at times, each member of the "Big Three" is getting frustrated with the team's inconsistency.
> 
> After pulling out a shaky win over a lesser opponent, the Rockets look to put their recent rough patch behind them as they visit the struggling Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
> 
> ...



_*Next Games*_
vs.








vs.








vs.


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## Spaceman Spiff (Aug 2, 2006)

Since T-Mac isn't playing back to backs he should sit this one out and play ATL.


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## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

We are really shorthanded with both Tracy and Shane out. However, this happens in Raptors or Hawks game. I hope they make the right decision. Toronto is struggling and Atlanta is really soaring. That means Tracy should play in the Hawks game. For this game though, I hope Deke is ready to play. Landry and Scola needs to come up big in this one to offset O'neal and Bosh.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Yao Landry
Scola Hayes
Artest Wafer
Barry Head
Brooks Alston

Thats what I am hoping our rotation looks like, Artest and Wafer are two guys who cna create, while Barry and Head are two guys who can hit the open shot. While I hope Brooks starts in this game just to see how it works out with him starting.


ARTEST MUST START. Even when TMAC & Batman are back.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

TMAC needs to come off


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## Dream Hakeem (Apr 20, 2006)

And McGrady is playing!

(along with Steve Francis who is listed on the roster)


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

TMAC is dead weight.

We play better with him off.
Artest & Yao is where its at.


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## Spaceman Spiff (Aug 2, 2006)

We look lethargic. Right now we're in a slump. I'll be grateful if we could win 2 or 3 games on this trip.


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## Spaceman Spiff (Aug 2, 2006)

I'm gonna start to reflect on other things in life cause right now the Rockets aren't a positive. The only thing holding me up is the fact that we have a better record now at this point in the season than we did any other year this decade as far as I can remember.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Slowly we are turning into a team that isnt going to do anything come later this season. Pathetic.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

WOW this is starting to get embarrassing....................

I left at the start of the 2nd Q. 

Our shooters by the way (Luther Barry Brooks Alston) went 1 from 15 from deep. 


I didnt watch much of the game but shouldnt we be posting up with Yao Scola & Artest more.

Those guys are great post up players no idea why we arent doing that.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

I just cant put my finger on wtf is going on with this team. I dont know if its just the players, or the coaching. Or possibly a combination of both. I just dont know.

The only thing I do know is that we are probably one of the worst teams at hitting our shots. Never have I seen a team that has to work to hard to just try to make a bucket. Its not the opposing teams defense, its like we play defense against ourselves.


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

Brooks, Head, Barry Landry and Hayes went for a combined 3-28. 

I didn't watch this game, but the trend has been that we lack decisiveness on offense. 

McGrady lacks the confidence and aggressiveness to penetrate and make plays. 

Yao's passes out of double teams aren't sharp enough for the catcher to be able to immediately take the shot. 

The shooters are hesitant. 

No one cuts to the basket enough. 

We don't run enough basic plays. We seem to just waste time on the clock swinging it around pointlessly. 

Often you can tell within the first few minutes who's going to show up. That shouldn't happen. If a guy's playing poorly in the first quarter, there's no reason why he can't come back and offer something later later in the game. 

I blame the coach more than the players, since we definitely have talent. But for sure both are to blame.


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## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

I still don't understand why all the sudden we went really cold? There must be some reasons that made us lose the confidences.


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## jdiggidy (Jun 21, 2003)

> I just cant put my finger on wtf is going on with this team.


Perhaps our supporting cast isn't as good as we think it is. Maybe one more move is in order before the trade deadline.

I don't have the patience to wait for this team to "Get Healthy". This is why I am not a GM.

This effort was pathetic!


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## lingi1206 (Jun 2, 2006)

T-Mac....everyone is saying he gave up today i mean even the Toronto commentators say that he didn't even try.....is this the beginning of the end for T-Mac or....?


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

jdiggidy said:


> Perhaps our supporting cast isn't as good as we think it is. Maybe one more move is in order before the trade deadline.


If we're only once piece away from being a good team, we wouldn't be losing to horrible sides like the Wizards and Raptors. I think it's something more. With the players we have we have the ability to play at an extremely high level. We've seen that when healthy the past few years. We've even seen it this season against the Spurs, Hornets and Nuggets. But right now this team has a malaise and it's tough to say what has caused it.


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## mtlk (Apr 25, 2005)

RA deserves the blame for tonight's loss.


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## Wanderer (Dec 28, 2004)

I was watching a feed from the Toronto Station, and the Raptors' commentators were _laughing_ at T-Mac's pitiful effort. During the Jamario Moon dunk, they couldn't believe how much T-Mac had given up.


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## Legend-Like (Mar 25, 2006)

When the lead was slipping RA should have put the bench in instead of playing the starters through it.


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Legend-Like said:


> When the lead was slipping RA should have put the bench in instead of playing the starters through it.


He did that to make a point.



> However, Adelman kept McGrady and most of the starters on the floor through the third quarter, as if to teach them a lesson.
> 
> “You respond,” Adelman said of what he expected. “You respond when you’re getting (whipped). At least you start playing harder, even if you’re making mistakes. I wanted to find out what we were going to do.
> 
> “If you’re going to get out of this, you’re not going to be able to do it by just giving in.”


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