<div align="center"> <font color="red">Houston Rockets (47-27)</font> vs <font color="navy">Golden State Warriors (35-39)</font> Wednesday, April 4, 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 - 25.1 PPG Leading Rebounder: Yao Ming - 9.6 RPG Assists Leader: Tracy McGrady - 6.4 APG </font> <font color="navy"> <font size="1">(B. Davis, M. Ellis, J. Richardson, S. Jackson, A. Harrington)</font></font> <font size="1">Leading Scorer: Baron Davis - 20.1 PPG Leading Rebounder: Andris Biedrins - 9.7 RPG Assists Leader: Baron Davis - 8.2 APG </font> <font size=""1""><font color="red">Juwan Howard (6th Man)</font></font> <font size="1"><div align="center">26.9 MPG, 9.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.7 APG</div></font><font size=""1""><font color="navy">Andris Biedrins (6th Man)</font></font> <font size="1">30.0 MPG, 10.2 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 1.1 APG</font> Predictions: <font color=""Red"">Rockets 98</font>, Warriors 91</div> Keys To The Game: <font color=""Red"">Rockets:</font> T-Mac had a bad game after the bad loss to the Jazz. Yao has started now to get on the offensive side of games and defense on games and he is slowly recovering back to the player he was before his injury. The Rockets had a bad offensive game after losing to the Jazz. 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 homecourt race is still on because that game was big but the Rockets can still get homecourt but they need to keep winning and hope the Jazz lose not to mention one more matchup against the Jazz. The Rockets defense needs to continue and they need to lower the opp ppg. We have to contain Baron Davis and Monta Ellis because they are great shooters. The Rockets really need to contain Jason Richardson because he is a threat on the offensive end and is a hustle player. This game is needed for the Rockets so they can start a new streak for these final games before the playoffs. Juwan has been in a slump for a while and luther head has been injured for this small strech so the Rockets really need Juwan to make shots that are open because they need some bench scoring. The Rockets need to rebound, score, and defend. Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington are big players too so they need to contain them. The Rockets will have trouble guarding Richardson but they need to do their best on him. T-Mac also had a bad shooting game against the Jazz but if he can distribute well this game, the Rockets will be hard to defeat. The Rockets have to contain the penetration of Baron Davis. <font color=""Red"">If you come back Luther, hit some 3's!! </font> <font color=""navy"">Warriors:</font> Keep Tmac from scoring more than 30. The Warriors need to rebound and get points in the paint and make open 3 pointers. They also need alot of transition points and need to control the pace by pushing the ball up every chance they can get so they can ware Yao down. Davis should continue what he is doing and keep scoring on and on. The Warriors should give the ball to Ellis because he is a good scorer and run plays for Richardson. Andris Biedrins will come off the bench so he needs to contribute well and they also need Harrington to score and he is a good threat for the Rockets because he spaces the floor out well and Yao may not come out to guard him every time. The bench needs to produce and Pietrus needs to give them energy with points and rebounds. Jackson is also a key player because he is offensive minded and he can help the Warriors on the offensive end. Harrington needs to use his perimeter offense to force the Rockets to open the paint a little bit. Use Richardson to space out the offense and give Biedrins the ball from time to time on offense to score on Yao so he can ware Yao down. The Warriors need to really push the pace so it favors them and the Rockets have scoring droughts so they need to score as much as they can. The offense needs to go through Davis and Ellis. The Warriors need this win because they are fighting for the last playoff spot in the West and they need to win this game. The Warriors, if the game comes down to the line, have to find a way to get the ball in to Richardson's or Davis's hands. Cover luther head on 3's if he plays! <font color=""Black"">Bottom Line:</font> This is the game that will help the Rockets closer to getting homecourt advantage again after they failed to do it Sunday in the loss to the Jazz. This game will be exciting to watch because this team runs a fast pace and is like the Phoenix Suns. The Rockets are on a roll right now so they need to continue it and win so they can get a new streak. The Warriors won against the Grizzlies on Sunday so they will be hungry for this win also to help them for that 8th seed in the West. Richardson is a tough player and is good at scoring so the Rockets have to be ready. 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 will win. If the Rockets can close the game out well they will come away with the victory. The Warriors are still a tough team to beat because they have Harrington at the C to contain Yao and Jackson at PF and they are both tough players, nonetheless the Rockets should do good. The Rockets lost the game earlier in Golden State but they need to get this win just to stay with Utah. There is no report on Luther Head as of yet and Bonzi may play now because our winning streak has just ended and the playoffs are about to start. The Warriors will really come out strong so the Rockets need to do their best and execute in crunch time in the 4th quarter because if you dont, you will lose the game. Hope for a great game at the Toyota Center and may the best team win.
Luther should be back. This is a game the Rockets have to win if they hope to get home court advantage in the first round. GS isn't a good road team, so we should have a clear advantage. I hope it's a game that's relatively close throughout, and we actually step on their necks in the fourth quarter instead of folding like we usually do.
Better pray we're hitting our jumpers tomorrow. Bein strictly a jumpshooting team and last in the league in free throws, the only way we slow the Warriors down is HOPE we have a good shooting game. If we don't have a good shooting game, their gonna run our azz's outta the gym. Their athleticism and size at the guard positions has alwayz gave us problems. Tmac needs to make up for Bonzi not playing and get to the free throw line.
<div class="quote_poster">Rock4life Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Better pray we're hitting our jumpers tomorrow. Bein strictly a jumpshooting team and last in the league in free throws, the only way we slow the Warriors down is HOPE we have a good shooting game. If we don't have a good shooting game, their gonna run our azz's outta the gym. Their athleticism and size at the guard positions has alwayz gave us problems. Tmac needs to make up for Bonzi not playing and get to the free throw line.</div> We are not a jump shooting team. We are an inside-out team. There is a difference. Inside out requires a dominant post player that draws the double team (Yao). Which we then kick out to the open three. We require that players be setup for the three (and wide open). Jumpshooting team implies that we create our own shots through jumpshots, which we don't. We rely on the open man that results from Yao drawing the double team, and us swinging the ball. If Novak can pick up his defense, we would be set. Hopefully he can get with Battier in the offseasn for some tips.
I do somewhat agree with Rock4Life, we take too many shots even though its INSIDE-OUTSIDE and it plays out through Yao. Maybe I dont like it because of Rafer, he doesn't shoot well at all. Bricks flyin everywhere... I wish he could shoot.
Rafer shoots over 40% on threes in the fourth quarter. The only player I'd want to see really down his three point attempts in the final quarter is McGrady. He relies too much on the outside shot late in games.
Nice preview. GS probably won't use that line up. They have gone super-small the past 2 games to counter Phoenix and Memphis who like to run. Monta Ellis will probably go back to 6th man and they will play a real center to try to defend Yao. Hopefully, that will be Biedrins but the last few times the Warriors and Rockets have played Nelson has started Adonal Foyle just to put a bigger body out there. The Warriors have been playing great lately so Houston has got to get the ball down to Yao to keep GS from running.
<div class="quote_poster">steam03 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">is tmac hurt?? how come only 6 mins</div> It seems like he was just benched. No idea why. Keith Jones said there's nothing wrong with him physically.
The Rockets announcers said T-Mac was out with a stiff lower back and expected to miss the rest of the game. He went to Waco on Monday, saying he didn't need to because he felt fine, got a checkup and everything looked good until tonight. The Rockets can't get the ball into Yao against teams like the Warriors. I don't really want to watch the rest of the game since I have a quiz due, but we just might win this if they can get the ball to Yao somehow.
its the 4th quater, Yao with only 9pts. Whats happening? did he get hurt? says on Box score he played only 29 mins...
<div class="quote_poster">Umair Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Here goes Tmac again with the back problems. I thought his back was all healthy and stuff?</div> Don't think much of it. We're good in 5th seed. Goldenstate can tire out Dallas.
Why!??!?!........why Was Yao Sitting When They Put In Biedrins????......................................................................
Can some1 please tell me why Yao has only played 29 mins and has 9 pts? IS HE HURT? or is he just have a bad game? He took 4 shots... odd..
<div class="quote_poster">ownage Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Can some1 please tell me why Yao has only played 29 mins and has 9 pts? IS HE HURT? or is he just have a bad game? He took 4 shots... odd..</div> Hopefully this is a ploy setup by JVG so that GS can get into the playoffs and knock off Dallas for us
hahahah.......soo jokes......with 1 min. left....he plays yao....wth man...wth....jvg...i dont think no1 would ever understand jvg....even yao is confused......a game full of ''????''
