Rockets’ point guards make the point in win over Lakers
March 16th, 2008by John
Shane Battier gets a hand in Kobe Bryant’s face Sunday afternoon, something he did repeatedly to hold Kobe to 24 points on 11-of-33 shooting to help the Rockets win their 22nd game in a row and take over the #1 spot in the Western Conference.It doesn’t get much better than this. The Rockets shut up a lot of critics on national TV Sunday afternoon when they beat the big, bad Lakers 102-94 for their 22nd win in a row.
They were tested in the third quarter by scoring only 12 points to give up a big 15-point halftime lead, but they came up huge in the fourth quarter by scoring 33 points, including 5-of-9 from three-point land in the fourth quarter.
I felt good about the Rockets’ chances going into this game, but for awhile in the third quarter it looked like I was going to be wrong. However, every time you think the Rockets are going to lose, someone steps up, like Rafer Alston (career-high 31 points) and backup point guard Bobby Jackson scored 19 points. This is after fairly poor performances over their past few games. But they scored almost half of the Rockets’ points in the win. Amazing that Tracy McGrady only scored 11 points on 4-of-16 shots and they still won.
The Rockets’ offense was like a runaway freight train in the last half of the fourth quarter that couldn’t be stopped when they went on a 14-2 run to blow open a game where they only led by 2 with 6:07 remaining.
I was able to watch the entire game, but I’m on the West Coast right now and can’t post a complete report. But I’ll do that later tonight when I get settled into my hotel.
In the meantime, I’ll leave things off right now with, “HOW SWEET IT IS! 22 IN A ROW! 1st PLACE IN THE WEST. BRING ON BOSTON!”
March 16th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
GREAT WIN NUMBER 22 IN A ROW!!!!
I agree that I wish Yao was still in the line up for this historic streak…but at least he was part of it in the first 12 games of this run!!!
It’s a little sad that Gasol was out for this game because people will say that the Rockets won because Gasol and Bynum didn’t play…but doesn’t mention that Yao wasn’t in the line up!!!
I hate when Rockets fans say that the Rockets play better without Yao and they don’t need Yao and should trade him and that stuff!!!
What they forgot is that Yao was part of the streak in the first 12 games, and should have been more than 22 games in a row if Yao had played against the Jazz at Houston’s game!!!
The Rockets will win NBA Championships next season and beyond when Yao is back!!!
March 16th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Fantastic ! Unbelievable! For a while, when they were in the 3rd quarter, I thought the streak was going to end. But the Rockets, one after another, kept pouring it in - they were determined not to give up!
I can’t say enough of Rafer - and poor man, he now finally, should get the respect of the fans, and he deserves it. Afterall, he shot 8 three-pointers!
In the end though, it was the great team effort again that won the game. Without the blocking of Mutombo, the defensive plays of Battier, Hayes, the passing/assists of Tmac, the 3-pointers of Alston, the gutsy plays of Scola, Jackson, and the rest of the team, win No. 22 would not have happened.
March 16th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Why hasn’t Yao been seen on the bench or interviewed. Did he return to China to recuperate?
No, he’s in Houston resting. Don’t know why he’s not being interviewed. Probably because there is not much to say just staying off his feet. — John
March 17th, 2008 at 8:47 am
John I can envision Yao coming back in the playoffs ala Willis Reed style. Man I should stop dreaming. What couldve wouldve shouldve if Yao wasn’t injured!