Re: Rockets can't catch T-Wolves on the road http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports...kn/4384646.html<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>MINNEAPOLIS - Then, things got tough.When Golden State surrendered a night before, the Rockets showed that all those years running layup lines paid off. But then on Wednesday, the Minnesota Timberwolves swarmed. Kevin Garnett contested Yao Ming's shots. Everybody trapped Tracy McGrady. And the Rockets' offense, at its best a night before, was at its worst.With the Rockets starting a stretch of eight of their next nine games on the road, Yao, McGrady and the rest of the Rockets' offense crumbled in a 90-84 defeat to Minnesota at the Target Center.With that, an offense that ran so well during Tuesday's 118-90 win over the Warriors had been derailed."Good offenses in this league," Rockets forward Shane Battier said, "get shots where they want them."The Rockets, coming off their finest offensive game of the season, had one of their worst, hitting a season-low 34.8 percent of their shots. They got little going inside, with Yao overwhelmed down low and McGrady rarely venturing in that direction.Yao made just 5 of 19 shots, finishing with more turnovers, seven, than field goals. McGrady made 5 of 21 shots with 10 rebounds and seven assists but added five more turnovers. They each had 14 points a night after combining for 58.No way insideMcGrady and Yao combined to hit 1 of 12 shots for three points in the fourth quarter. "They protected the paint very well," Yao said. "It was hard for us to get a ball into the paint on a post-up or by penetrating. They pushed us out to the perimeter and contested the long 3-point shots."Those shots I missed. There are a lot of reasons. What I can say is I will make them the next time."The biggest reason for the missed shots was the Rockets' inability to get Yao the ball deep, forcing him to drive toward the hoop before looking for his shot and the phenomenal ability of Garnett to be wherever he needed to be."They're long," McGrady said. "Especially when you try to come off a pick-and-roll, and you got a seven-foot guy that's really mobile and really athletic. It's tough."That's why it was so tough on Yao. Kevin was down there helping out Mark Blount. You got two seven-footers down there. They're both very long and very athletic."McGrady was limited to five perimeter jumpers in the fourth quarter. His only fourth-quarter assist was in the last minute.Yao, meanwhile, was shut down inside. On one fourth-quarter possession, Garnett blocked consecutive Yao follows at the rim. On the next two possessions, Yao turned it over and missed a tough lefthanded drive as the Timberwolves led 87-80 with 1:35 left.Garnett had games highs of 24 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots."All night he is around," Yao said of Garnett. "He is jumping around from the high post to the low post even when he is not guarding me. When Blount is guarding me, he is always somewhere ready to help."Lead short-livedStill, the Rockets had a last-minute chance. They had begun to fall apart in the first half. After making 9 of 13 shots to start the game, they made just 6 of 27 to end the first half. But they had a brief revival early in the fourth quarter. Yao finished a baseline drive with a slam and a shout that drew his first technical foul of the season. Rafer Alston scored on a spin move of his own. Luther Head and Battier sank 3s, and the Rockets led by four points.It took nearly five minutes for the Rockets to score again, with Battier putting in another 3 to pull the Rockets to within 85-80. But at the same time, the Timberwolves went cold, missing 9 of 11 shots. So when Alston put in a 3-pointer with 50.6 seconds left, the Rockets were within 87-84.Last chance goes awryMinnesota's Marko Jaric missed a 3, giving the Rockets a chance to tie the game. But in keeping with most of the night, they could not get a good look, with Alston launching an unlikely 3 that missed. Garnett, who was immediately fouled, sank both free throws to ice it. "They did play good defense, but our offense didn't click all night," Battier said. "We didn't get the shots where we want them usually. Yao's post-ups were a foot out further than they usually are. With pick-and-rolls, they were pushed out a little further."We didn't have a very good offensive night (Wednesday)."</div>Eeeek. :no1:
Re: Rockets can't catch T-Wolves on the road I watched last nights game, and I noticed that in the second game of a back to back they are much less explosive and play more passively. Fourtunally in the playoffs there are no back to back games
