GT: Playoffs 2007 - 1st Round - Rockets at Jazz G4

This will be a tough game, but I think the Rockets will be able to pull this one out. T-Mac's will and desire to win this series is like no other so they will close this game out. Luther and Howard HAVE TO show up. If they do not and/or we have the same ugly game we had a game 3 we will have a hard time to beat them in game 4. BUT I don't look for that to happen as there will be an intense practice on Friday followed by a good win for the Rockets in Game 4 leading to a Game 5 on Monday on TNT. Game 5 will start at 7 P.M. CST.. Be aware we will close this series out in 5...

 

Yea to put this series in a bigger perspective, our 2-0 lead going into game 3 wasnt really a lead. We only won the games we're "suppose" to win. The ugly loss in G3 is good in the sense that we needed a wake up call. If we win this game, which I think we will, then we'll have command of this series.

 

If we can win this game, this series will end in 5 games. There is no way McGrady is going to let his chance slip. He'll end this as soon as possible. I hope our bench helps, and we play better as a team. We can't win 2 on 5.

 

I predicted the mormons would win one, so we're still in good shape....all I have to say is that we need to start shooting the ball better.....Luther looks scared, Juwan's knees left him about a month ago, Yao's getting handled by freakin Okur, and Tmac isn't driving enough....I think we'll get past Utah (and I predict a victory tonight), but we'll have to score points to beat some of the better teams in the NBA (*cough cough* the warriors/suns)

 

Why in the hell is Luther so friggin scared to drive to the hoop on a fast break. Say if its like a 1 on 1 fast break, the guy will friggin pull back and run a play. He is simply scared. Luther hasn't done anything in this series. I hope he starts hitting his threes again. We'll really need that punch off the bench.

 

^^^because he's a SG trapped in a PGs body.....Luther is strictly a jump shooter at this point in his career...it's funny to, because I see him use his quickness to get out on the break or get by his defender, but he just doesn't have the confidence to take it all the way in....

 

I think in a lot of our droughts, we need Novak in the game. We can kick it inside and dish it back out for the 3. Who cares if he can't play defense. We play team defense. Even if we do get burned at least its on the perimeter. Utah isnt a good jumpshooting team.

 

<div class="quote_poster">ownage Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I think in a lot of our droughts, we need Novak in the game. We can kick it inside and dish it back out for the 3. Who cares if he can't play defense. We play team defense. Even if we do get burned at least its on the perimeter. Utah isnt a good jumpshooting team.</div>

Novak isn't going to help. He doesnt have the confidence to perform like he does. If you notice, most of the games he looks a little lost and out of the place. His defense still needs work. It is his team defense that suffers, not his individual defense. Hes a bit slow on transition. Now...if he was developed and played this season, that might be a different story, but as of right now, hes not going to help.

 

<div class="quote_poster">foo82 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Novak isn't going to help. He doesnt have the confidence to perform like he does. If you notice, most of the games he looks a little lost and out of the place. His defense still needs work. It is his team defense that suffers, not his individual defense. Hes a bit slow on transition. Now...if he was developed and played this season, that might be a different story, but as of right now, hes not going to help.</div>


Head was getting killed by Harpring in GM 3, we would give up the 2pts anyways. If you notice, other coaches sometimes (in really bad situations) throw in some random bench players to try to get anything going. Im just saying that we'll get killed with the undersized head anyways, so why not put in a better shoot. Plus Novak can stay back, its not likely that Harpring will shoot those 3s or even 21/22 footers. Yes, Novak hasnt proven himself yet, but i think he can still bring more offensive production than some of our guys coming off the bench. We live and die on threes. If i recall, we lead the league in the amount of total points coming from threes. And trust me we dont shoot a good percent every night.

 

Scouts Inc. Preview:

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">
In the second half of Game 3, Utah's defense dismantled Houston, limiting them to just 25 points. Overall, the Rockets shot just 32 percent for the game.

Looking to exploit Tracy McGrady's size advantage over Derek Fisher, Houston successfully posted McGrady on its first two possessions. But Utah then used three different defenders on McGrady in the first seven minutes and set the tone early for a tough night for McGrady.

Utah wants to make this a very physical series and they were able to do so in Game 3. Yao is a rhythm player without great mobility or balance -- despite his 26 points, Utah did a good job on him as that he shot only 6-for-14 with eight turnovers. More importantly, it didn't take a whole team to defend him, meaning Houston power forward Chuck Hayes had a far smaller impact in this game.

Equally significant in upsetting what Houston is all about, the Jazz shut down McGrady on the pick-and-roll. Utah showed hard over screens, trapped, and ran different defenders at McGrady. They pressured the perimeter and forced Houston into several miscues and poor decisions.

With the momentum generated from this game, Utah's intensity doesn't figure to diminish and Houston's guards will have to settle down mentally. Houston does not play with a true point guard, but the onus here falls largely on Rafer Alston to play with a steadier hand in the face of Utah pressure, which means better decisions and execution -- even his post feeds were off last game.

Offensively, Utah did a great job isolating Carlos Boozer at the elbow, and spreading the floor, making it impossible to double-team him without running a defender out and exposing the defense elsewhere. This is the second consecutive game in which Boozer presented problems for the Rockets, and they have to consider an adjustment here.

Utah's bench was great last game -- outscoring their counterparts 33-0 (I don't think I've ever seen a bench go scoreless before). The Jazz' best shot at winning this series rests in their ability to play more aggressively and more physically than the Rockets for 48 minutes, and the bench must once again distinguish itself in Game 4. Paul Millsap, Gordan Giricek and even Jarron Collins (despite shooting just 0-for-1) were all significant contributors off the bench, and Harpring once again was a key in Utah being Utah.

It's easy to say that Houston shot 32 percent and that that won't happen again. Perhaps. But the Rockets were shooting contested perimeter shots all night long and they have shot a low percentage throughout the series, even in their wins.

If Houston is going to leave Utah with a win, they will have to match Utah's intensity for 48 minutes, which starts with offensive execution and ends with defensive transition. Houston committed 10 second-half turnovers, a considerable amount given the pace of this game. Once Utah started its run, Houston stopped running back and the floodgates opened. With Houston down late, Van Gundy was forced to sit Hayes the final 7:37 in favor of more offense, but with Hayes on the bench the already physical Jazz even further had their way with the Rockets.

The Jazz played as well as they can play in the second half, and given their ability to play physically on their home court, they may have the Rockets' number in Utah. But we at Scouts Inc. like the uphill climb, and we're betting that improved energy, focus and execution will put Houston in position to make a late-game McGrady run.

PREDICTION: Houston wins Game 4</div>

 

GUYS. If we lose game 4 and 5, I will pay yall 5 bucks each through paypal.. Im serious too, Thats how sure I am that we will win game 4 and 5

 

I want a close out game on Monday....

 

It's simple. Are we gonna settle for jumpers or drive? We've been a jumpshooting team all year.

 

<div class="quote_poster">tracymcgrady_01 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">GUYS. If we lose game 4 and 5, I will pay yall 5 bucks each through paypal.. Im serious too, Thats how sure I am that we will win game 4 and 5</div>

*opens up 5 more usernames at JBB with Mac and Yao avatars*

 

<div class="quote_poster">igotask8board Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">*opens up 5 more usernames at JBB with Mac and Yao avatars*</div>

 

<div class="quote_poster">tracymcgrady_01 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">GUYS. If we lose game 4 and 5, I will pay yall 5 bucks each through paypal.. Im serious too, Thats how sure I am that we will win game 4 and 5</div>

I hope you don't have to follow up on that bet.

 

Pretty good offensive game in the 1st (except we totally lost our threes attitude and rotation), but difensively we are doing nothing. No sign of significative reaction after game 3, not a good sign for the 2nd half.

 

I hate J-Ho.

I think if we had him against the Mavs in 05, we would have lost it in 5. All he does is choke in the playoffs. Our young guys look to him to show some poise, but all he does is choke when it matters most.

 

how come there is no fire in tmac...no reaction at all down so much...they look dead

 

is it me or we cant pass for @#$@#$