Rockets lose sixth in a row
November 25th, 2005by John
Yao goes up for a rebound over the Grizzlies’ Shane Battier on Friday night. Although Yao grabbed 12 boards and scored 15 points, Battier led Memphis to a 86-81 victory by scoring 20 big points and grabbing 7 boards. For more photos from the game, click here. by John
FRIDAY, 11/25/05 – If the Rockets end up making the playoffs after T-Mac comes back this season, he should be immediately named NBA MVP because there would be no other player more valuable to their team than T-Mac. The Rockets are now 0-7 without T-Mac (3-10 overall) after losing to Memphis Friday night, 86-81. Without him, they are a lost cause.
The same story applied Friday night: the Rockets were competitive for a little over 3 quarters, but they couldn’t make enough big shots to win when it counted.
I thought this game was going to be different, especially considering the hot start the Rockets had. David Wesley started the game hitting 3 treys in a row, putting the Rockets up 9-0. Then Juwan Howard scored on a strong move to the hole, giving them an 11-0 lead. Finally some good karma that could break Houston’s five game losing streak, right? Naah.
That great start by the Rockets was wiped out by the Grizzlies going on an 11-2 run, and Memphis lead 22-20 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter wasn’t too eventful for either team, with both teams scoring five points in the last 5 ½ minutes of the second quarter, and the game tied 37-37 at halftime. Houston had only shot 40% in the first half, but Memphis was worse shooting 38%.
By halftime, Yao had only scored 1 point on 0-of-4 shooting. The fronting and double/triple-teaming defenses that are being applied to him while T-Mac has been out has really made it difficult for him to score. T-Mac provides valuable spacing to give Yao more room to operate down low. At the same time, the Rockets guards are doing a terrible job by throwing bad passes into the post, usually resulting in turnovers. All of this happened again throughout Friday’s game.
Memphis went on a 9-2 run in the third quarter, but then Houston went on one of its most promising and exciting stretch of three plays they had in quite awhile to stay in the ballgame.
After battling to make the game 46-43, then Derek Anderson hit a tough three-pointer to tie it at 46-46. On the next possession, Anderson scored on a beautiful fast break layup. Then on the next one, Luther Head pushed a fast break and fed Wesley for another layup to make it 50-46 with 6:11 remaining in the third. But then Memphis went on a 14-9 run to take a 60-59 lead.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Yao swished a baseline jumper that showed newfound poise and confidence in the fourth quarter, making it 61-60. Then Stromile Swift threw down a ferocious left-handed monster jam, was fouled, and made the free throw giving Houston a 64-60 lead with 11:18 remaining. Everyone was thinking that maybe this would be the game where Houston would get over the hump.
A couple of minutes later, Luther fed Stromile for another layup to make it 66-64. However, that’s when Shane Battier scored 6 points in a row to make it 70-66. Meanwhile, Yao missed a jump hook, and then couldn’t hold onto a pass for a turnover.
But Yao redeemed himself by getting fouled on a huge defensive rebound, going to the line, and hitting two big free throws to make it 72-72.
After Memphis’ Eddie Jones hit a three-pointer and Pau Gasol made a shot to make it 77-72, Yao hit a big jump hook in the lane to make it 77-74.
But then Bobby Jackson hit a three-pointer to make it 80-74 with 2:04 remaining, and Yao responded with another baseline jumper to make it 80-76.
So at least in this game, we could say Yao was stepping up. The only problem is that their usually solid defense was disappearing, like when Battier hit a baseline jumper to make it 82-76 with 1:30 remaining.
With hardly a chance to win, Yao was fouled on a dunk attempt and hit both free throws to make it 82-78.
Yao had a chance to close the gap on a spectacular spin move in the lane, but he missed, probably because he was so dizzy after attempting one of the most ‘spinful’ moves I have ever seen him attempt, and he obviously lost his perspective of where he was to accurately bank it off the glass.
A little bit later, Wesley stupidly fouled Damon Stoudamire with 23 seconds left to bail the Grizzlies out of an expiring shot clock. Stoudamire hit two free throws to make it 84-78, and that was the ballgame.
On the Rockets’ final possession, Yao hoisted up a three-pointer, which was close, but missed. Is that the best play they can get? I don’t know about you, but I think a big part of the blame is because of BAD COACHING!
These moves have typified the Rockets lately. I think one of the things that has kept them from winning their last 6 games is that they try to do things in clutch time that are past their capabilities, like the big spin move by Yao in the lane, a three-pointer by Yao, or a three-pointer by Stromile Swift along the baseline a couple of games ago.
At the same time, why is that every team that plays the Rockets makes all the clutch plays to look like the 1986 Boston Celtics reincarnated, while the Rockets look like a bunch of role players who never hit a big shot in their life?
To see the boxscore from the game, click here.
To read the Houston Chronicle’s story of the game, click here.