The refs are calling this game tight, very different from game 1. Rockets off to a pretty good shooting start again, though.
Von Wafer makes two dumbass defensive mistakes to end the quarter. He loses Travis Outlaw on the baseline, not even paying attention. And on the last possession, he doesn't pick up Brandon Roy and forces Aaron Brooks to take him. The Rockets are in serious danger of this game getting out of control now. The only bench player that gave them anything so far was Mutombo, and it looks like he's done.
The Rockets are in deep trouble this series without another 7 footer on the roster. The Blazers are already one of the best rebounding teams in the league, and the Rockets just lost their best rebounder and will have to go small. Big break for Portland.
Looks like Lowry and Wafer have showed up this game, but Landry is still floating around doing nothing. Without Deke, he needs to wake up and start playing big.
I don't get the game here in Canada, but it's really bad news about Mutombo. We lose pretty much our only other shotblocker outside of Yao. Hayes and Landry will have to do a good job of filling in for Yao for us to have any chance of staying in games with Yao out. How's the coverage on Yao this game? Is the fronting really getting to him? It seems like Artest's hot shooting is the only thing keeping us in it.
Yes, Landry finally is getting into the action. Unfortunately, Aldridge is killing us with his outside jumpers now. I'm fine with him taking 15 foot contested fadeaways. Don't give him those wide open 18 footers, though.
They're doing a better job denying him post ups. But the offense hasn't stagnated ... the ball is moving and we're getting decent shots. BTW ... check your pm.
Thanks for the link! Friggin' dorm Internet connection though, it's really choppy. I'll stick with it anyways. Seems like Portland's really got the fans into it. Having them pumped up with a great crowd behind them and the adrenaline might be too hard to overcome. We need to shut them up quickly.
Deke has a strained knee, and he's done for the night. It will be interesting to see what kid of adjustments the Rockets make at halftime. Yao has struggled to get open for the ball, and at the end of the second quarter the ball stayed on one side way too long. Rockets may want to start doubling/fronting Aldridge as well. The difference, of course, is Aldridge is capable of catching it 18 feet out, facing up, and making a move off the dribble. Yao can't do that.
Has Hayes guarded Aldridge so far? Our forwards can guard him well on post-ups but on pick-and-pop situations our bigs always help out on the ballhandler and can't recover in time to affect Aldridge's shot.
8-1 run to start the third quarter for the Rockets. Portland's getting wide-open looks but just aren't hitting.
Very good start to the third quarter, except the 3 early team fouls. Yao is in foul trouble as well, picking up his third foul early. The Blazer should be looking to attack him every possession now.
Of course. To them the refs are still favoring Yao. The lack of a big guy back there now is really disrupting our defense.
Rockets got lucky on that last breakaway. Aaron Brooks gets the credit for keeping the score close, and we're tied to start the 4th quarter instead of possibly down double digits. Chuck Hayes made a nice defensive play near the end of that quarter as well, knocking the ball away from Aldridge and helping to force a turnover when Fernandez drove baseline. The key for the Rockets will be containing Roy, and rebounds. Adelman may want to keep Brooks in the game, because he's on a roll.
Both Przybilla and Oden have 5 fouls, time to take advantage and go to Yao. The Blazers commentators are adamant that Yao is immune from getting that 5th foul.
Lowry just gave Pryzbilla a taste of his own medicine with that flop. But another missed free throw. Last minutes of the game, score close. This is the real test for the Rockets. All year, they have struggled in these situation generally, while the Blazers have excelled.
The Blazer commentators don't realize that if Yao goes straight up with hands in the air, that is not a foul.
