<div align="center"> <font color="red">Houston Rockets (43-25)</font> vs <font color="blue">Detroit Pistons (43-23)</font> Thursday, March 22, 2007, Toyota Center, Houston, TX 7:30 Central; FSNSW, SportsRadio 610 AM <font color="red"> <font size="1">(R. Alston, T. McGrady, S. Battier, C. Hayes, Y. Ming)</font></font> <font size="1">Leading Scorer: Yao Ming - 24.7 PPG Leading Rebounder: Yao Ming - 9.5 RPG Assists Leader: Tracy McGrady - 6.2 APG </font> <font color="blue"> <font size="1">(C. Billups, R. Hamilton, T. Prince, R. Wallace, C. Webber)</font></font> <font size="1">Leading Scorer: Richard Hamilton - 20.5 PPG Leading Rebounder: Rasheed Wallace - 7.8 RPG Assists Leader: Chauncey Billups - 7.4 APG </font> <font size=""1""><font color="red">Luther Head (6th Man)</font></font> <font size="1"><div align="center">27.7 MPG, 10.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.5 APG</div></font><font size=""1""><font color="blue">Antonio McDyess (6th Man)</font></font> <font size="1">20.3 MPG, 7.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 0.8 APG</font> Predictions: <font color=""Red"">Rockets 95</font>, Pistons 91</div> Keys To The Game: <font color=""Red"">Rockets:</font> T-Mac had an OK game after the good win against the Pacers. Yao was playing pretty good but needs to stay more positive on the offensive side of games. The Rockets had a great offense after blowing a few games before and the Rockets need to continue that. Bonzi may also play in this game if JVG lets him so it will be good for the Rockets. T-Mac needs to continue the offense but also now the Rockets need to start using Yao on offense alot because the Rockets will need it for the playoffs. The Rockets defense needs to continue and they need to lower the opp ppg. We have to contain Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups because they are great shooters. Juwan needs to continue to do good, and Yao also needs to continue and do a good job on Webber. The Rockets need to rebound, score, and defend. Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince are big players to so they need to contain them. It will be tough to defend Rasheed Wallace but the Rockets need to their best to limit the touches in the post for him and defend him as best as possible. The Rockets have to contain the penetration of Chauncey Billups. <font color=""Red"">Luther Head hit some 3's!! </font> <font color=""blue"">Pistons:</font> Keep Tmac from scoring more than 30. The Pistons need to rebound and get points in the paint. Billups should continue what he is doing and keep scoring on and on. There is a chance Hamilton might not play so if that happens the bench need to do good and Billups is a game time decision. Antonio McDyess will come off the bench so he needs to contribute well and they also need Webber to score. The bench needs to produce and Murray needs to give them energy with Points. Prince is also a key player because he is offensive minded and he can help the Pistons on the offensive end. Webber needs to use his perimeter offense to force the Rockets to open the paint a little bit. Use Rasheed Wallace on the post as much as possible because the Pistons have an advantage. The offense needs to go through Billups and Hamilton. Cover luther head on 3's! <font color=""Black"">Bottom Line:</font> This is another game to help the Rockets to maybe get a home court advantage in the playoffs to the Rockets need to win this. The Rockets need a streak because every good team has been on a streak lately and they need to prove that they are good and also to clinch the playoff berth. The Pistons have been a great team this season so it will be hard to defeat a great team but the Rockets need to use their advantages and take control early. The Rockets mainly need to score because you cannot win a game if you do not score. All the Rockets need to do is pickup their offense and defense and not play Lazy then they might win. If the Rockets can close the game out well they will come away with the victory. The Pistons are still a tough team to beat because they have Webber at the C to contain Yao and Wallace at PF and they are both tall players, nonetheless the Rockets should do good. The Rockets lost the game earlier in Detroit so they need to go good, but also close it out early. There is a chance that Hamilton may not play and Billups is a game time decision so the Pistons will be short-handed if they dont have either. Hope for a great game at the Toyota Center and may the best team win.
<div class="quote_poster">TmacGarnett Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">i heard if we win this game, we clinch playoff birth</div> We need to win 2 more to secure a playoff spot but I think we are already in coz I don't think the Clippers, Hornets, Warriors and Timberwolves will win all of their remaining games. The Pistons are a great road team. Take note that Tayshaun Prince has been successful in containing TMac. The Rockets need to have a good shooting night and balance effort from every on everyone to win. BTW Nice preview! Thanks tracymcgrady_01 for covering me up again on this game preview.
This very well could be a NBA Finals preview!. I gotta respect the Pistons after they dismantled Phoenix (IN PHOENIX). Skip can't let Billups go off like Tinsley went off last game. If we take our time and feed Yao we'll get good looks all night.
should be a really good one, a real test to prove how strong we are as a team. and the best part is i got hooked up with a ticket to this game tonight right behind the bench. yeah im gloating..lol.. a guy i work with is cousins of chris webbers. and he hooked up a few people at my job. lets go rockets.
<div class="quote_poster">Rock4life Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">This very well could be a NBA Finals preview!</div> NBA finals preview? Hold on there, I don't think we're that good YET. I want to see us make it to the 2nd round before I would consider us as potential finalists from the West. I've always dreamed of the day that we beat Detroit. Please let it be today..
One guy who we will need to guard, and that guy will be CHRIS WEBBER. They run a lot of their offense through him, Yao/Hayes' defense will be a key in this game!
<div class="quote_poster">Eduardo Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">NBA finals preview? Hold on there, I don't think we're that good YET. I want to see us make it to the 2nd round before I would consider us as potential finalists from the West. I've always dreamed of the day that we beat Detroit. Please let it be today..</div> Lets not and say we did...
Why did Shane get called for divig after that loose ball? Chauncey didn't run back fast enough. I thought such a thing would be okay, especially after that Zydrunas Yao incedent.
I hate the way we finish games. And McGrady has to find a way to play efficiently alongside Yao. And we need better play from Luther Head and Kirk Snyder. I really liked Rafer's game today (well, through most of it).
Good win, We need it, We got it, Now we have to look to face New Orleans who has also given us some problems
Our defense was sloppy on the floor. They were drawing Yao outside while going one on one inside. They got too many inside looks.
Nice to see that the Pistons fans are such good sports Can't believe that this is the first time we beat them since T-mac got traded here I have noticed this a bit, aside from his 34-point effort a couple of games ago, T-mac has been scoring the way he did before Yao got injured. I was hoping that he could keep up his scoring even with Yao in the lineup..
I'd still like our role players to get some balls and create. I Yao or Tmac aren't at their best, who's really gonna take charge and score?
I think Yao & T-mac aren't playing AS MANY MINUTES as they are capable of right now because of the playoffs.
