This is how they won over 50 games. Strong defense and role-playing knocking down shots off Yao's presence.
Even with our improved defense down the stretch, the Blazers still have shown themselves to struggle with quick point guards, then add in the most dominant low post scorer in the game and a defense that wears you down into little bits and I don't see any reason why they can't keep up their high shooting percentages -- the Blazers are exerting extraordinary amounts of energy just keep their heads above water. I still think the Blazers have a punchers chance to take this to seven games, but this is probably the most difficult matchup for us in the entire field of 8.
Brooks is shooting 65.5% from the field and 69.2% from three.... there's just no way that can keep up.
Probably not ... but then again sometimes the playoffs just ends up having one or two players that perform way above their mean for a whole series or two, I sure hope to god Brooks isn't that guy, but I need to see a bad game first.
Yeah, but 94% of Oregonians picked the Blazers. Only 85% of Texans picked the Rockets... oh wait, maybe Spurs and Mavs fans voted out of spite.
...and the majority of Nevadians picked the Blazers, as well. On the whole, they have increased knowledge of sports handicapping, therefore I trust their picks.
The improvements we made between games 1 and 2 were very encouraging, and I have to think we another two days of watching film and working on our sets to beat their defense, we'll look even better on Friday. I don't think it will be easy, but I definitely like our chances.
On a neutral site? I'd tend to agree. Playing in front of a hostile crowd? Not so much. I hope they prove my gut feeling wrong.
KIngSpeed, your points are well taken, but I still maintain that Travis - and I am not a Travis basher - needs to step up. He's been the top scorer off the bench but in the playoffs his shooting has been subpar. I appreciate the concerns, but, odd as it may seem, I'm glad Game 2 was close and not a 30 point blow out. I think so many blow outs down the stretch, then getting home court, made the team a bit too relaxed. They need to know, need to get it rammed into them, that teams don't give up in the playoffs. The Rockets are not going to lay down for them. Twice leads of 5 and 7 points vanished in seconds. These guys are nearly all making their playoff debuts. They are learning fast. Hopefully they learned you can't sit on a lead. We shall see...
The Blazers barely squeaked out a win on their homecourt when they HAD to get a game just to survive. And after they had been embarrassed in Game 1. They won't have the same level of motivation, or the home crowd behind them, in Game 3. It's going to be a very tough game, that's all there is to it.
I agree with the thread title, I feel the same way. However.... The score of game 2 was not as close as it appeared. If the game was closer, Brooks doesn't make most of those shots at the end. He made them because he had nothing to lose. It was a great Hoosiers-like effort, but it doesn't really affect my feelings that the Blazers won comfortably.
We can beat them. I believe we will improve each game we play during the playoffs. Game 3 might be tough since it's our first road game in the playoffs, but I expect them to play better in game 4. We just need to get a lead on them in their house and put pressure on them. I think they'll crack.
Game one was a fluke. The Rockets came out firing on all cylinders and we were caught off guard. By the time we recovered, it was too late. Game 2 is more along the lines of how things are going to be played in this series. I like our chances.
I agree. Game 3, in Houston, our first playoff game on the road, will be a formidable challenge. No doubt, Houston fans will be fired up and ready to make noise. For one, they smell blood and truly believe the Rockets have a legit chance of finally making it past round one. Second, the fans got a chip on their shoulder from game two (think they were jobbed by refs, Deke knocked out, Joel's alleged flopping, Yao's containment, etc.) How often during the regular season when the Blazers played on the road did they face hostile, energetic crowds that were hell bent on beating the Blazers? In Salt Lake City? Yes. In Denver? Maybe. At Staples? No, not energetic. In Oklahoma City? (/beer shoots out of poster's nostrils)
Artest had 8 points when Batum went out with foul problem's in the first and then scored 7 more on Outlaw in the 1st QTR.
Dikembe Mutumbo will be awarded the Citizenship Award tonight and since he's been forced into retirement by injury expect a HUGE (and deserved) ovation. The Rockets will enter the game riding a wave of emotion. The Blazers need to keep their heads and weather it since this type of adrenaline rush does not last (we've seen it often before). I think if the team keeps their heads in the game and does not lose composure they'll win, or at least have a damn good chance.
Portland has made their adjustments. They've figured out how to front Yao. Roy's figured out how to score on Artest and Battier. Aldridge has figured out that nobody on the Rockets can stop him. What adjustments can the Rockets really make for game 3? Can they make Chuck Hayes taller? Can they make Scola a 20 ppg offensive force? Are they planning on making Artest less susceptible to Roy's wicked crossover-step-back-jumper? Do they plan on running still more of their offense through Aaron Brooks and Von Wafer? The Rockets are what they are. The only real versatility they had was in how many minutes they played Mutombo, and that option is now out the door. Their best chance is that Wafer and Brooks keep putting up insane performances, which is a bit of a gamble for those kind of role players. If Portland plays as well as they did in game 2 for the rest of the series, they won't lose another game. If they can do that and finally get some decent offensive production out of Fernandez/Outlaw/Oden, it won't even be close. The big question is whether Portland can continue to play at this level on the road. It's Portland's series to lose, because the Rockets won't play any better or worse than they did in game 2.
I am not sure - they can try and run Yao through some screens and lob to him. He is not the most mobile guy in the world - but they have to try and do something to get him the ball.
The problem is who lobs it? Who is the good passer on that team who can deliver the ball over our seven footer in exactly the right spot (and softly--Yao doesn't really have great hands) where Yao has room to pivot and shoot? They really don't have any great passers on that team outside of Yao. That's why the game plan for them is to get the defense to overload on Yao, and then have other players just go one-on-one in the gaps that are created. Houston has had difficulty delivering the ball to Yao when he's fronted all season long. It's pretty tough for them to expect to solve that puzzle in the middle of a playoff series. If they had an answer for it, they would've been doing it 20 games ago.
They might adjust with some double teams on Roy and Aldridge and make our role players beat them. Blake, Batum, and Outlaw better be ready. Rudy's money though. If enough of them do the game's ours. Offensively I think they already have a strategy for fronting they just didn't carry it out to full effect. We'll probably see some better offensive execution. Don't forget we can make adjustments even after a win. I wouldn't be surprised if we pull out a few minor defensive strategy adjustments to deal with their quick guards. I'd be even less surprised to see the Blazers adjust to get a pound the ball inside game going when Yao is out. If we win this game it's Blazers in 5.
