Yao shoots over Mehmet Okur, who tried to flop to draw a foul, Thursday night in Utah. Yao scored 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, but the Rockets and their bench shot terribly to lose Game 3 in their playoff series with the Jazz. The Rockets still lead the series 2-1.
Click here and
here for more photos from the game.
Well, I wrote before Game 3 (see blog post directly below) that Rocket fans shouldn’t panic if Houston loses it. Although they were pathetic in so many areas Thursday night and lost 81-67, I still feel it’s no time to say the Rockets are doomed.
It’s no surprise for the Rockets to put up a stinker every once in awhile, even during the all-important playoffs. But the thing about this team you have to give them credit for is bouncing back after disappointing losses this sesaon. And that’s what I think they can still do in Game 4.
There is no need to panic that:
* The Rockets shot 32.8% and scored the lowest number of points in a playoff game in franchise history. After all, the Jazz shot 38.8%. There was a reason why this game was televised on NBA TV, a channel that many people don’t have compared to ABC, ESPN and TNT. Bad shooting doesn’t get good ratings.
* Only four Rocket players scored, the first time that has happened in a playoff game in 52 years, according to TNT.
* The Utah bench outscored the Rockets’ bench 33-0. Near the end of the game, I was kind of hoping a Rocket bench player would NOT score a bucket during garbage time. The damage had already been done by them not contributing anything, so I wanted them to end up with a big zero because I knew the bench would get more questions from the press over the next couple of days before Game 4 by being shut out, and I wanted them as angry, fired up, and wanting something to prove in Game 4 as much as possible. And I have no problem how T-Mac said after the game the bench has to “step up.” Now is not the time for the team leader to be “Mr. Nice Guy.”
* The Jazz went on a 15-4 run in the fourth quarter to open a 17-point lead. The Rockets defense fell apart. That’s rare. The best defensive team in the league will address that situation in Game 4.
* Luther Head was 0-for-5 in Game 3 and is now 2-for-16 in the series (1-of-12 from three-point land). I really believe he is going to start hitting some clutch shots because he did it so often in the fourth quarter during the regular season. They don’t call him Cool Hand Luke for nothing. In some way, he reminds me of Kenny Smith during the 1994 playoffs (championship season) when Kenny’s 3-point shot abandoned him during the playoffs big-time, but he finally got it together when the pressure was on. That’s where Luther is.
* The Rockets turned the ball over 19 times, with Rafer Alston making at least 3 dumbheaded passes into the post for TOs (5 turnovers overall).
* Yao turned it over 8 times and was terrible at the start of the game. It all started when didn’t block out Carlos Boozer for a rebound, who laid it in for a score. Yao was so out of position trying to contest the shot of a Utah guard (Deron Williams I think) on the perimter, T-Mac slapped his back after the play to let him know he shouldn’t take himself that far away from the basket, and should have been in better position.
Let me tell you how bad it was for Yao in that awful first quarter, and part of the second….
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