Rockets shake up LA with Game 1 upset
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
by John
I know many of you are like me after watching what we witnessed against the Lakers Monday night. Words can’t explain the amazement Yao and Rocket fans must be feeling after they shocked the basketball world with a 100-92 victory IN LOS ANGELES against the vaunted Laker machine in Game 1.
There was no 4th quarter collapse, nor a dramatic buzzer-beating shot that made you feel like the Rockets were lucky to win it. Instead, as the game progressed you actually felt they could win this thing, and would deserve it. What’s going on here?.
And Monday night Yao Ming showed casual basketball fans who are just tuning into this series what his fans, and Rocket fans, have known for years: that Yao will do whatever he can to not let his team down. His return from the tunnel was mini-Willis Reed moment.
No one knows if the Rockets will win this series, but if they don’t, at least Yao’s toughness will never be questioned as it once might have.
When he went down in the fourth quarter with 4:54 remaining in tremendous pain after bumping knees with Kobe Bryant, you had to think during the commercial break that the season might be lost. It was so demoralizing to see him go down like that and writhe in pain. I was soon thinking the worst: a 4-game sweep. The basketball gods couldn’t be this cruel, could they?
As the commercial continued, I tried not to panic, but to suck it up and think positive thoughts. After all, I have banged my knees several times, as I’m sure all of us have, and when it happens, it’s got to be one of the most painful things you can experience. Just a few weeks ago I banged my knee in a bus, collapsed into a seat and was completely paralyzed because of the pain, similar to how Yao looked as he fell to the floor. But after a few minutes, I felt lucky that I got my range of motion back and could actually walk. Surely, that must be what Yao would do, right?
After TNT came back from the commercial, we got to see what could become one of the most memorable sports moments in Rockets history, and it didn’t happen on the court. It was Yao telling trainer Keith Jones in the tunnel on the way to the locker room to get his knee checked out that he wanted to go back into the game. He then stretched his knee a little bit, said it was okay, then headed back to the court still with a grimace on his face.
Yao would check back into the game, and it wouldn’t just be a token experience with him hobbling around out there filling up space. No, instead he would hit a 20-foot jumper with 3:18 remaining that pushed the Rockets’ slim lead to 87-81 to give them a little more breathing room (I’ve been saying all season long he needs to take more of those long jumpers, and he’s doing more of it lately). He would also go on to hit 6 free throws down the stretch to seal the deal.
My favorite plays were the three moves he made down in the low post, being very aggressive taking it to the rack for dunks, including the move he made with 3:59 remaining in the 3rd quarter when he was double-teamed along the baseline, but somehow was able to spin around both defenders, elevate and throw it down one-handed. In all my years of watching Yao get double-teamed, that’s the best reaction I’ve seen him in that situation. Jaw dropping.
By the end of the game, the numbers were big: 28 points on 9-of-17 shots, 10 rebounds, 10-of-10 free throws, and 2 blocked shots in 40 minutes of play, longer than normal compared to his 33 1/2 minutes he averaged during the regular season. Oh yeah, he only had 2 turnovers, which we thought was going to be Yao’s Achilles heel against the aggressive Laker defense, but wasn’t too bad considering we’ve seen games where he’s turned it over 5-7 times a game.
I still can’t believe they pulled this game out when no one thought they could actually win this game. The confidence in these guys is growing before our eyes, very reminiscent of last year’s 22-game winning streak. Except now it’s happening in the spotlight right when every game is critical to survival.
All game long you had to wonder as the Rockets built small leads only to have the Lakers chip away at it, how long it would take for the Rockets to fall behind, raise the white flag, and chalk the game up to the Lakers as being a better team.
But Houston continued to will its way to make plays to hold LA off, especially in that fourth quarter where the Lakers have had so much success in their 4 wins over the Rockets this season, outscoring them 127-80 in the fourth quarter. Instead, the tables were turned, with the Rockets outscoring the Lakers 30-25 in the fourth quarter, and hitting 15-of-16 free throws in that final quarter.
The Rockets came out as strong as they finished, bolting out to a 19-12 lead after an 11-4 run. Ron Artest started out making 3 of his first 3 shot attempts, one including a Von Wafer-esque throwdown dunk along the baseline that showed he meant business in this game!
By halftime, Artest was demonstrating his Portland Game 6 return to prominence was not a fluke. He was 5-of-9 from the field with 12 points which included two 3-pointers, along with 3 assists, and only 1 turnover. By the time the clock hit zero at the end of the game, his shooting percentage was thankfully still above 50% (8-of-15), he was 50% from three-point land (3-of-6), and had 7 assists with only 2 turnovers.
And the sometimes-maligned Aaron Brooks shocked a few people in this Game 1 like he did in his last Game 1 against Portland: the Lakers couldn’t stop him either. He consistently attacked the basket and got to the rack multiple times, confusing the Laker defense who didn’t know what to do to stop him. He’d blow by Derek Fisher and then put quick shots off the glass among the Laker bigs on his way 19 points on 7-of-14 shots, and that’s after making only 1-of-5 three-pointers.
I know many people wish he’d throw the ball to Yao more, but who can complain when he gets to the rack like he can to score, forcing the defense to think about ways of stopping him? That can only be better for his teammates as the Lakers will most certainly have to adjust. He’s got them on their heels, and he’s in their heads.
I like what Rick Adelman did with Brooks in the fourth quarter: he paired him up with point guard Kyle Lowry. For a man who only scored 6 points, Lowry was sensational, hitting 2-of-4 shots, making 2 free throws late in the game, grabbing 4 big rebounds, and dishing 2 assists.
Luis Scola had a “quiet” 10 points on 4-of-9 shots, but he grabbed 8 boards and had 2 steals. Just a quiet day at the office for Luis. And we can’t forget about Shane Battier, who in my opinion received a cheap shot from Sasha Vujacic after he had a “free shot” on Battier’s head after knocking a ball away that Shane was about to grab. Vujacic had no right to continue swinging his arm down like he did, and knew he could probably get away with throwing his hand down on Battier’s noggin as a pure accident. The strike right above Shane’s eye made him bleed like a busted tomato. It wasn’t pretty, as I’m sure the 4 stitches Battier needed above his eye. If Vujacic’s haymaker had landed just a couple of inches lower, Battier might be out of this series for good.
I will be curious to see if the Rockets players, after taking a look at the tape, come to the same conclusion I did and are going to try to send a message that they aren’t going to let a cheap shot pass like that, kind of like how a pitcher in baseball will throw a fastball right into the ribs of an opposing player who tried to show them up
If the Rockets keep playing like this, that image of Battier all bloodied could be the signature photo used by ESPN and TNT in their video montages to show the toughness of this Rockets team if they beat the Lakers. That, and Yao hobbling back from the tunnel to come back into the game.
As each one of these playoff games grow in importance, especially with the drama the Rockets are providing to us, there’s way too much to write in one sitting. I could continue to ramble on as I try to put everything into perspective on what this game meant to Houston’s confidence. But rather than try to predict what will happen or talk about the details of this particular game, who can’t help but just wanting to look forward to the next game to see what will amaze us next.
Photo links from Game 1:
– Monday’s practice where there was a Steve Novak and Marcus Camby sighting
– Monday’s shootaround at Staples Center where he talked with Sun Yue
– Action photos from the game
– Close-up of Ron Artest’s new haircut
I know many of you are like me after watching what we witnessed against the Lakers Monday night. Words can’t explain the amazement Yao and Rocket fans must be feeling after they shocked the basketball world with a 100-92 victory IN LOS ANGELES against the vaunted Laker machine in Game 1.
There was no 4th quarter collapse, nor a dramatic buzzer-beating shot that made you feel like the Rockets were lucky to win it. Instead, as the game progressed you actually felt they could win this thing, and would deserve it. What’s going on here?.
And Monday night Yao Ming showed casual basketball fans who are just tuning into this series what his fans, and Rocket fans, have known for years: that Yao will do whatever he can to not let his team down. His return from the tunnel was mini-Willis Reed moment.
No one knows if the Rockets will win this series, but if they don’t, at least Yao’s toughness will never be questioned as it once might have.
When he went down in the fourth quarter with 4:54 remaining in tremendous pain after bumping knees with Kobe Bryant, you had to think during the commercial break that the season might be lost. It was so demoralizing to see him go down like that and writhe in pain. I was soon thinking the worst: a 4-game sweep. The basketball gods couldn’t be this cruel, could they?
As the commercial continued, I tried not to panic, but to suck it up and think positive thoughts. After all, I have banged my knees several times, as I’m sure all of us have, and when it happens, it’s got to be one of the most painful things you can experience. Just a few weeks ago I banged my knee in a bus, collapsed into a seat and was completely paralyzed because of the pain, similar to how Yao looked as he fell to the floor. But after a few minutes, I felt lucky that I got my range of motion back and could actually walk. Surely, that must be what Yao would do, right?
After TNT came back from the commercial, we got to see what could become one of the most memorable sports moments in Rockets history, and it didn’t happen on the court. It was Yao telling trainer Keith Jones in the tunnel on the way to the locker room to get his knee checked out that he wanted to go back into the game. He then stretched his knee a little bit, said it was okay, then headed back to the court still with a grimace on his face.
Yao would check back into the game, and it wouldn’t just be a token experience with him hobbling around out there filling up space. No, instead he would hit a 20-foot jumper with 3:18 remaining that pushed the Rockets’ slim lead to 87-81 to give them a little more breathing room (I’ve been saying all season long he needs to take more of those long jumpers, and he’s doing more of it lately). He would also go on to hit 6 free throws down the stretch to seal the deal.
My favorite plays were the three moves he made down in the low post, being very aggressive taking it to the rack for dunks, including the move he made with 3:59 remaining in the 3rd quarter when he was double-teamed along the baseline, but somehow was able to spin around both defenders, elevate and throw it down one-handed. In all my years of watching Yao get double-teamed, that’s the best reaction I’ve seen him in that situation. Jaw dropping.
By the end of the game, the numbers were big: 28 points on 9-of-17 shots, 10 rebounds, 10-of-10 free throws, and 2 blocked shots in 40 minutes of play, longer than normal compared to his 33 1/2 minutes he averaged during the regular season. Oh yeah, he only had 2 turnovers, which we thought was going to be Yao’s Achilles heel against the aggressive Laker defense, but wasn’t too bad considering we’ve seen games where he’s turned it over 5-7 times a game.
I still can’t believe they pulled this game out when no one thought they could actually win this game. The confidence in these guys is growing before our eyes, very reminiscent of last year’s 22-game winning streak. Except now it’s happening in the spotlight right when every game is critical to survival.
All game long you had to wonder as the Rockets built small leads only to have the Lakers chip away at it, how long it would take for the Rockets to fall behind, raise the white flag, and chalk the game up to the Lakers as being a better team.
But Houston continued to will its way to make plays to hold LA off, especially in that fourth quarter where the Lakers have had so much success in their 4 wins over the Rockets this season, outscoring them 127-80 in the fourth quarter. Instead, the tables were turned, with the Rockets outscoring the Lakers 30-25 in the fourth quarter, and hitting 15-of-16 free throws in that final quarter.
The Rockets came out as strong as they finished, bolting out to a 19-12 lead after an 11-4 run. Ron Artest started out making 3 of his first 3 shot attempts, one including a Von Wafer-esque throwdown dunk along the baseline that showed he meant business in this game!
By halftime, Artest was demonstrating his Portland Game 6 return to prominence was not a fluke. He was 5-of-9 from the field with 12 points which included two 3-pointers, along with 3 assists, and only 1 turnover. By the time the clock hit zero at the end of the game, his shooting percentage was thankfully still above 50% (8-of-15), he was 50% from three-point land (3-of-6), and had 7 assists with only 2 turnovers.
And the sometimes-maligned Aaron Brooks shocked a few people in this Game 1 like he did in his last Game 1 against Portland: the Lakers couldn’t stop him either. He consistently attacked the basket and got to the rack multiple times, confusing the Laker defense who didn’t know what to do to stop him. He’d blow by Derek Fisher and then put quick shots off the glass among the Laker bigs on his way 19 points on 7-of-14 shots, and that’s after making only 1-of-5 three-pointers.
I know many people wish he’d throw the ball to Yao more, but who can complain when he gets to the rack like he can to score, forcing the defense to think about ways of stopping him? That can only be better for his teammates as the Lakers will most certainly have to adjust. He’s got them on their heels, and he’s in their heads.
I like what Rick Adelman did with Brooks in the fourth quarter: he paired him up with point guard Kyle Lowry. For a man who only scored 6 points, Lowry was sensational, hitting 2-of-4 shots, making 2 free throws late in the game, grabbing 4 big rebounds, and dishing 2 assists.
Luis Scola had a “quiet” 10 points on 4-of-9 shots, but he grabbed 8 boards and had 2 steals. Just a quiet day at the office for Luis. And we can’t forget about Shane Battier, who in my opinion received a cheap shot from Sasha Vujacic after he had a “free shot” on Battier’s head after knocking a ball away that Shane was about to grab. Vujacic had no right to continue swinging his arm down like he did, and knew he could probably get away with throwing his hand down on Battier’s noggin as a pure accident. The strike right above Shane’s eye made him bleed like a busted tomato. It wasn’t pretty, as I’m sure the 4 stitches Battier needed above his eye. If Vujacic’s haymaker had landed just a couple of inches lower, Battier might be out of this series for good.
I will be curious to see if the Rockets players, after taking a look at the tape, come to the same conclusion I did and are going to try to send a message that they aren’t going to let a cheap shot pass like that, kind of like how a pitcher in baseball will throw a fastball right into the ribs of an opposing player who tried to show them up
If the Rockets keep playing like this, that image of Battier all bloodied could be the signature photo used by ESPN and TNT in their video montages to show the toughness of this Rockets team if they beat the Lakers. That, and Yao hobbling back from the tunnel to come back into the game.
As each one of these playoff games grow in importance, especially with the drama the Rockets are providing to us, there’s way too much to write in one sitting. I could continue to ramble on as I try to put everything into perspective on what this game meant to Houston’s confidence. But rather than try to predict what will happen or talk about the details of this particular game, who can’t help but just wanting to look forward to the next game to see what will amaze us next.
Photo links from Game 1:
– Monday’s practice where there was a Steve Novak and Marcus Camby sighting
– Monday’s shootaround at Staples Center where he talked with Sun Yue
– Action photos from the game
– Close-up of Ron Artest’s new haircut
