Rockets lose Game 3, but all is not lost
April 27th, 2007by John
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….
After not blocking out Boozer, he then traveled in the lane, mishandled the ball and turned it over on his patented baseline move, mishandled an easy pass for a turnover, was called for an offensive foul that erased the first time he put the ball in the basket to erase the score, had the ball tipped away for a turnover, missed his first four shots to start the game when the Rockets really needed his scoring, and was blocked by Mehmet Okur and called for a loose ball foul trying to get the ball back.
Later in the game, Boozer scored on a tip-in where Yao didn’t block out again (Yao was really mad at himself by slamming the ball down), and Okur stripped him of the ball as he was going up for a shot (Yao thought it was a foul).
Yao would eventually do some damage by going to the line 16 times, making 14 free throws and hitting 6-of-14 shots for a total of 26 points. But I really think the pressure of Utah’s defense as well as the wild-and-crazy Utah crowd unnerved Yao a bit; however, I think the crowd did that to every Rocket. Now that they Game 3 is history, I think the Rockets will be more accustomed to the crowd in Game 4.
T-Mac missed 10 shots in a row spanning the second quarter to the third, and 3 of his last 16 after the Jazz double-teamed him inside and put a bigger guy (Okur) on him on the perimeter. Instead of passing it off, T-Mac took one difficult jumper after another, clanging many of them off the rim after his hot 13-point start in the first quarter where he made 6 of his first 7 shots. Sometimes he’s hot in the first half, or hot in the second half, but rarely hot in both. And for some reason in this game he forgot to go to the basket and fell in love with the jump shot. That’s fixable, and look for him to go to the rack more often on Saturday night, and to dish off to other guys for wide-open jumpers. Getting Luther involved that way will really pay dividends.
The other thing they can fix is the energy level, as Yao explained after the game. “We had no energy. I didn’t see any energy on the court. I mean, the best way to get them off you is to run. But we were in a slow-down speed. We let them body us up.”
The only things I am worried about is the once automatic Juwan Howard is absolutely sucking from the field. On Thursday he was 0-for-5 and is now 2-for-13 in the series. He really doesn’t show signs of getting back to his old shooting self. The Rockets really need Juwan to hit those open jumpers he so often gets from the free throw line area.
In closing, the other thing that we can’t look back on is how valuable Bonzi Wells could have been coming off the bench if Van Gundy had cultivated him differently, and Bonzi had responded. It now may be coming back to haunt him. What a shame.
Note: On Friday I’ll have more coverage of the game, and will scour all the sites and provide links to the most interesting stories or video out there.
April 27th, 2007 at 9:06 am
Are you kidding? Kicking Bonzi off the team was the best thing the Rockets did since trading for Shane Battier. The guy’s an out-of-shape cancer who’s still hung up over how he screwed up his Sacramento deal. Supposedly Tracy doesn’t even like him.
Could he have been helpful to the Rockets? The Bonzi Wells who went up against the Spurs last year would have been, sure. But that man never showed up.
His time with the Rockets was supposed to be his opportunity to show the NBA that he’s worth big money contracts. Instead, he let his monumental ego and stupidity get in the way. He’s had a history of doing that, you know. Ask Portland and Memphis.
Bonzi’s a big boy. Don’t blame Jeff Van Gundy for the man’s actions.
That’s the easiest way to think about it — that Bonzi was a cancer. But the great coaches of the league are able to take talented, but moody and/or strange players, and harness their talents when other coaches would give up on them. Rudy Tomjanovich was very good at that. He might not have been a great X’s and O’s coach, but he took a player like Vernon Maxwell who no one else wanted (the Spurs “sold” him to the Rockets for a mere $50k), and Vernon was instrumental in helping them win a championship. Vernon was such a crazy guy, they eventually had to let him go, but at least they got enough out of him to win a ring. JVG didn’t even get to the first step with Bonzi.
The same goes for Phil Jackson with Dennis Rodman. There are countless other examples in league history. Even JVG said that Bonzi had improved and had a great attitude at the end of the season before he went AWOL. The problem JVG had with Bonzi is that he reported to camp out of shape, but everyone forgets that Bonzi had an injured groin and those injuries can take forever to heal, so no wonder he was out of shape. Of course, everyone in the media conveniently forgets about that.
Bonzi then asked if he could play himself into shape, and I guarantee you Rudy would have let him play himself into shape on the court without holding the injury and extra weight over his head. Remember Charles Barkley? He frequently reported to the Rockets over his expected weight, but Rudy let him play himself into shape. But JVG is not that kind of coach. He expects players to be like soldiers in how they prepare themselves, and he wants to treat everyone the same. I would probably be the same if I were a coach because it’s the easy way, but I wouldn’t be a great coach.
I remember the great John Wooden was asked a question if he treated his very good players (like Bill Walton) differently than his average players. Surprisingly, he said, “Yes,” and that there are different rules for them. I’ve heard other great coaches say the same thing.
But in today’s “talking head” media world, fans start believing what the talking head idiots jump on. I listen to the Houston sports talk show hosts, and some of them are pretty egotistical with not much insightful to say when it comes to evaluating personnel, so they go bash easy targets. Unfortunately, some fans start believing it.
April 27th, 2007 at 9:39 am
Although there is no need for panic, but Rockets missed a great opportunity to take Game 3 with the poor shooting of Jazz. If they could play just a LITTLE better (shooting and less turnovers), they would have won the game… I think they are not mentally tough enough to win on the road. Did you hear the guy from NBA TV made the prediction that Jazz would win the series after their two losses… I think JVG should post this on the Rockets locker room.
As nice of a guy he is, I don’t have much respect for Fred Carter’s predictions. No one knows who he is, and he’s so mediocre as an analyst, he’s never been able to get to a big network (the 30-minute ESPN show on the NBA doesn’t count). When you’re like that, you have to make contrarian predictions to try to make a name for yourself. And when you’re wrong, you dig yourself into a deeper hole. It’s just like gambling.
April 27th, 2007 at 10:02 am
Great post.
Just really perplexed during the game. I too hoped that none of the bench scored ever in the game, just to amplify the ZERO bench pt a bit more. How can they not hit one ? Hopefully they will get used to the noise and pressure in Salt Lake. Yao especially.
Guess he was scared and frustrated, lost his cool in the game, using the legs not head to play already. He’s such an intelligent player yet he has a hard time to get adapted to a newly-built difficult situation. However once he messed up and he watched the tape himself, he would come up strong and smart again until new problems are coming up. This is how he evolves his game and his court-IQ.
My take for game 4, Rockets s coming home with a 3:1,
Great observation about how Yao has a hard time getting adapted to a newly-built difficult situation. It must be more obvious than I thought. But I do agree he is very intelligent and can make the necessary adjustments to correct his mistakes. And those corrections end up improving him for the long-run, but sometimes he has the tendency to fall back into bad habits when the intensity of the situation is stronger than what he has seen before (Game 3 in front of a rocking Utah crowd can be considered one of them). But he’s human, just like the rest of us, so I guess it’s not that unusual.
April 27th, 2007 at 10:03 am
Only problem is that the game was not only history, it was historical. Either TNT or NBATV had a list of stats that Rockets had made history.
Yao’s defense on Boozer needs some adjustments. Can not give Boozer that much room to lunch Js. Boozer’s Js have high enough of arch to clear Yao who is two to three steps back. Boozer is considered a post player. Just close up on him. If he drives you need your team defense to help out.
April 27th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
Yes. jvg may be a good tactical coach. But he is only work oriented. A successful leader must be man oriented as well. Bonzi is not anything big deal as a bad boy in sports. Obviously, jvg only knows he is the boss and authoritative. He did not take the initial step to be tactful to motivate people. Talented guys are usually a bit queer in temperament. But they will behave under really good leaders. May be, that is part of the reason why jvg’s contract is not discussed by now. A one-sided tactical coach is not a champion calibre one.
Well said, Jeff. I agree.
April 27th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
It seems that the rockets sustained the physical plays of the Jazz for the first 2 games, now we understood that was just a preview of what’s coming on their home court. Now the rockets needs to be even better at overcoming aggressive defenders. It’s certainly not JVG’s fault, but I do hope that he gives Kirk Snyder more time. He is the only guy that is as strong as either Harpring or Giricek, and he was one of them, that may help as well. By the way, the obvious reason for playing Luther Head over Kirk Snyder is that he makes shots, but he didn’t make any shots so why not try Kirk.
April 27th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
Wow, I’m sure you didn’t mean to come across as insulting as that, so I’ll let it slide.
And I live in Australia. The country could barely care about its own hoops league, much less the NBA. I have zero access to these “talking heads” you speak of, and all the information I get about the Rockets are online, from websites like yours to SI.com, Clutchfans.net, ESPN, Truehoop.com, Freedarko, etc. Then I try to balance that out through little else but common sense.
I don’t care how much of a hardass JVG is (and from all accounts he’s actually a much nicer guy to the players behind closed doors, unlike Jerry Sloan, who’s a legit jerk. Ask Amaechi.), this was Bonzi’s ONLY chance to prove himself. If that means playing by Van Gundy’s rules, then so be it. He couldn’t even do that.
And all this talk about how JVG doesn’t “motivate” people is infuriatingly ridiculous. Just look at Chuck Hayes’s production, or the incredibly long leash he gives McGrady in the offence, because he knows that’s the best way to use him. The go-ahead he gives Luther Head to shoot in the fourth, no matter how badly he shot in the first three quarters.
Or, more importantly, how he made an undertalented team competitive in the West when Yao went out - you think that’s all strictly “tactical”? Or don’t you think him making the players believe that they can win games with Yao Ming out for 30+games could have played some part in that?
Maybe if JVG opened his practices to the public then maybe all this “bad motivator” nonsense would go away. But knowing the Internet, probably not.
I’m sorry if I was insulting. My response was more to the general thinking of people who listen not only to Houston sports talk shows, but follow the analysts on national TV and print and regurgitate their words like it’s The Gospel. I sometimes get frustrated by those people, and I can tell by your deep thinking response that you’re not one of them.
I never said JVG isn’t likeable, respected, or cannot motivate. I actually like his no-BS attitude. As I mentioned, that’s the way I would probably coach, but I would suck at dealing with difficult, stubborn personalities. And there are lots of players, especially good ones (i.e., Steve Francis), who can’t play by Van Gundy’s rules. You make it sound so easy by saying “He (Bonzi) couldn’t even do that.” That’s easier said than done in JVG’s system when you have had success as a player in more laid-back systems.
I believe JVG did an outstanding coaching job while Yao was out. But without giving T-Mac more freedom, they would have failed miserably. It was just two seasons ago when T-Mac was frustrated that he wasn’t given more freedom, and to JVG’s credit, he learned to let loose and it has paid off.
But I think JVG still has a ways to go. I talked to a Houston media person the other day, and I brought up the fact that a mediocre guard like Rafer Alston should not be logging 46 minutes per game in the playoffs with no true point guard cultivated enough to fill in behind him. Who knows what would have happened if early on in the season if JL3 or Vassilis had been given playing time to cut their teeth and hone their craft so they could contribute in the playoffs. I don’t understand in JVG’s system how players need to “get better” before getting playing time when the only way they have to prove themselves is in practice. I think game experience means something, and that’s what Bonzi was saying, but he really didn’t get the chance to play himself into shape because that’s not JVG’s way. And JVG’s way doesn’t mean it’s always the right way (re: Rudy T. examples).
Now the Rockets are stuck without a point guard who can give Rafer a blow, and a third legitimate scoring threat when T-Mac and Yao are drawing double-teams.
In sum, JVG is a great coach, but I think he has a little ways to go in cultivating young “skill” players (Chuck Hayes not included in that category) and being more patient with them as they make mistakes in real games early on in the season. If it hadn’t been for T-Mac’s injury, Luther Head probably wouldn’t have played as much last year because JVG doesn’t do that with young guards, and Luther wouldn’t have made the contribution he has made this season.
April 28th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
If Rockets ever going to win a championship ring, it is not going to be Yao, or TMac, or any supporting casts (to a certain degree, of course), it is going to be relied on a coach’s decision on the court and off the court, JVG, is not that coach, hasn’t been and never will be the one.
We should let the history tell the story, giving all the opportunities that JVG can pick, choose and use for all the players, this is the team the way he wants to play, there is no way they can win a ring with this settings, no matter how JVG pulling his hair and drawing darker eye bags, the system he is using and running is out-of-date, and not going to get a ring with the players he has sculpted them in, if anyone believes that JVG can use these 8-9 men and win a ring, give JVG a life-time contract in Houston.
I truly hope JVG leaves Rox and let another better or a great coach use exactly the same roster and play a season, when you compared 2 different systems, then you know what really went wrong, and in my heart, I believe JVG’s system on/off the court is wrong, how he thinks, uses, designs, and inability to solve the opponent’s game plan on the spot are the main reasons that Rox can not jump too far in playoffs.
peace out
April 28th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
Atrocious playing.Loosing by 20 points which now seems to be the case,I shudder to think where rockets are heading to.Total Disgrace.
what is happening to Yao and T-Mac