AT http://www.nba.com/games/20071231/GSWHOU/p...=scoreboardhome <span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"> Rockets vs Warriors Preview</span> New coach Rick Adelman hoped to make the Houston Rockets less dependent on Tracy McGrady this season. Luckily for the Rockets, Adelman's plan has worked well over the last week. After winning back-to-back games without their leading scorer, the Rockets go for their first three-game win streak in more than a month when they host the Golden State Warriors on Monday. The Rockets have leaned heavily on McGrady since he joined the club before the 2004-05 season. After another early playoff exit last spring, however, they hired Adelman to implement an offense that would help get more players involved. With McGrady sidelined the last two games because of tendinitis in his left knee, Adelman's approach has paid dividends. After a four-day layoff surrounding Christmas, Houston (15-15) has shown its depth in wins over Memphis and Toronto. The Rockets had five players score at least 10 points in a 91-79 victory over the Raptors on Saturday - their fifth straight game with at least that many players in double figures. "We have been preaching balance," forward Shane Battier told the Rockets' official Web site. "When we have balance, we are a much more difficult team to beat. When we have lopsidedness, we are not so good and so it's good to see different guys touching the ball." The Rockets had lost their first three games without McGrady this season, and hadn't won back-to-back games without him since March 29-31, 2006. Since 2004-05, they're 13-42 when the two-time NBA scoring champion doesn't play. Now, though, they're looking for their first three-game win streak since Nov. 24-28. McGrady's status for Monday's game is still uncertain. The presence of Yao Ming in the middle has helped Houston overcome McGrady's absence. Yao scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half Saturday despite playing through flu-like symptoms. "I had some problems breathing," he said. "I felt like I had a lot of fluid in my lungs and in my nose. But I know in the fourth quarter you can't make mistakes. I had seven turnovers and I didn't want to get any more. I just wanted to put the ball in the hoop and get the lead and go home and sleep." Yao was held to a season-low 10 points in the Rockets' first meeting with the Warriors (18-13) on Nov. 29. Golden State's Baron Davis had 27 points, eight assists, five rebounds and five steals to lead the Warriors to a 113-94 home win in that game - their third straight victory over the Rockets. Davis had 28 points and eight assists Sunday as Golden State beat Denver 105-95 on the road to salvage a split of a home-and-home series. The game was played at a much slower pace than Friday night's matchup, which the Warriors lost 124-120. "We just played better defense," Davis said. "We scored fewer points, but we gave up less as well. I'd say that if you do that and it comes with a win, it's more important." The Warriors have been doing plenty of winning lately, going 18-7 since an 0-6 start. They've also gone 10-6 this month to clinch their first winning December since 1992-93, during current coach Don Nelson's first stint with the team.
wow this game has been awesome for me. Alston has been playing so great penetrating and dishing it out giving the team easy shots although not all of his teammates made his shots but they made some. Don Nelson has also gotten ejected from the game, frustration i'm guessing. Neither way The Rockets look great. Yao hasn't even played that much but the Rockets are playing like a team. Steve Novak has also been playing.
the rockets played ugly in the 4th quarter. The Warriors just kept hitting the 3. Adelman decided not to let alston sit on the bench and let him keep playing. He tried taking over in the 4th but the warriors were just too much. Yao was in foul trouble throughout the game as well. Final Score GSW- 112 Hou- 95
I didn't get a chance to see the game but the Box Score sums up what I need to know. - The Rockets got out rebounded 47-34 and gave up 15 offensive rebounds. - While the Warriors only shot roughly 3% better from the field from the Rockets they shot an additional 10 shots. - The BIG kickers for the Rockets was three point shooting. The Warriors shot 14-36 for 40% from beyond the three-point arc while the Rockets were 5 of 21 for 28%. I can't think of many teams in the NBA that will win games if the other team makes 14 three-pointers. Especially when one of their star players is out.
I heard what Fred Carter said about the rockets after discussing about the lost. Fred said they should've installed a zone defense so Yao doesn't have to guard a 3 point shooter like a Matt Barnes. YAo could've just stayed around the basket so he can defend the paint and then when he's on offense he can make the warriors pay. But Adelman decided to sit Yao and go small which was obviously not a good idea.
Zone defenses force the opposing team to shoot threes. The way that the Warriors were shooting them last night, it won't have been wise to play a zone. Fred Carter is also IMO the most annoying on NBA TV.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Locke @ Jan 1 2008, 10:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Zone defenses force the opposing team to shoot threes. The way that the Warriors were shooting them last night, it won't have been wise to play a zone. Fred Carter is also IMO the most annoying on NBA TV.</div> that's only if you use the 2-3 zone but that is used for covering the paint area there is a 3-2 zone that is designed to cover the 3 point area.
