<div align="center"> <span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%">@</span> February 15, 2007 - 8:00 pm ET<span style="color:#FF0000">Game on TNT</span></div><span style="color:#000099">Dallas Mavericks</span> <span style="color:#3333FF">(43-9)</span><span style="color:#3333FF">PG</span> <span style="color:#000099">Jason Terry</span> <span style="color:#3333FF">SG</span> <span style="color:#000099">Devean George</span> <span style="color:#3333FF">SF</span> <span style="color:#000099">Josh Howard</span> <span style="color:#3333FF">PF</span> <span style="color:#000099">Dirk Nowitzki</span> <span style="color:#3333FF">C</span> <span style="color:#000099">Erick Dampier</span><span style="color:#3333FF">Key Bench Players:</span> <span style="color:#000099">Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, Greg Buckner, DeSagana Diop, Anthony Johnson</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Houston Rockets</span> <span style="color:#000000">(33-18)</span><span style="color:#000000">PG</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Rafer Alston</span> <span style="color:#000000">SG</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Tracy McGrady</span> <span style="color:#000000">SF</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Shane Battier</span> <span style="color:#000000">PF</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Juwan Howard</span> <span style="color:#000000">C</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Dikembe Mutombo</span><span style="color:#000000">Key Bench Players:</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Luther Head, Chuck Hayes, Bonzi Wells, John Lucas III</span> Injury Report<span style="color:#000000">HOU:</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Yao Ming will not play (fractured right tibia)</span> Who To Watch Out For<span style="color:#000099">Dirk Nowitzki</span><span style="color:#3333FF">Season Stats: 25.2 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.3 apg</span><span style="color:#000099">Josh Howard</span><span style="color:#3333FF">Season Stats: 19.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.9 apg</span><span style="color:#000099">Jason Terry</span><span style="color:#3333FF">Season Stats: 15.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 5.4 apg</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Tracy McGrady</span><span style="color:#000000">Season Stats: 23.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 6.2 apg</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Shane Battier</span><span style="color:#000000">Season Stats: 10.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.3 apg</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Dikembe Mutombo</span><span style="color:#000000">Season Stats: 3.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.2 bpg</span><span style="color:#000000">As A Starter: 5.3 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 1.7 bpg</span> Rookie Watch <span style="color:#000000">HOU:</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Steve Novak</span><span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: Undrafted</span><span style="color:#000000">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">1.4 ppg, 0.7 rpg</span> <span style="color:#000000">HOU:</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Vassilis Spanoulis</span><span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: Undrafted</span><span style="color:#000000">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">2.4 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 1.0 apg</span><span style="color:#000099">Dallas's X-Factor</span><span style="color:#000099">Devean George</span><span style="color:#3333FF">Season Stats: 6.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg</span><span style="color:#3333FF">As A Starter: 7.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.3 apg</span><span style="color:#000099">George has done a very good job in Dallas this year. He's a very good role player and he has stepped up and done everything they have asked him to. Tonight, I just think it will be key for George to step out to play solid defense on guys like T-Mac and Battier (don't sleep on Battier, if you leave him open he'll rain 3's all night long).</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Houston's X-Factor</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Rafer Alston</span><span style="color:#000000">Season Stats: 13.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 5.3 apg, 1.7 spg</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Skip is so inconsistent. However, he has put together a string of a few good games recently, so let's hope he can stay on that path.</span> <div align="center">Key Matchup vs. <span style="color:#000099">Josh Howard</span> <span style="color:#000000">vs.</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Tracy McGrady</span></div><span style="color:#000000">Two Western Conference All-Stars going at it for the W. Both are very athletic. T-Mac is obviously the better player, but Josh Howard has had an outstanding season as well and he makes a giant impact on the game. He's a pretty good defender as well, it'll be interesting to see how he does on T-Mac tonight.</span> CelticBalla's Extra Thoughts/Notes- Dallas is on an 8 game winning streak and they have the best record in the league.- Houston has won 8 of their last 10. CelticBalla's PredictionI'm going with Dallas tonight. I think it will be a very good game with two of West's most competitive teams going head to head, trying to make the trip to Vegas on a good note, but I think Dallas will take it on the road.
George isnt playing because he got injured in the game against the Bucks on Tuesday. He sprained his knee. Not a very great injury for us to have.
Great game by Rockets so far. T-Mac hasn't played well, his shot doesn't look right and forcing it up. But Bonzi, Battier, Head, Howard and Alston are all playing very well. If T-mac can catch fire, this game is for the Rockets to win.
Damn, Dallas finished that 3rd quarter off STRONG. Houston fell apart in the last couple minutes and Stack caught fire. Wow!
I was really amazed at how much the refs were letting both teams get away with. I'm so used to every touch being called a foul...but they've gone far and above letting them play tonight.
Pretty good game, I thought Dallas would blow them out, but Houston has the lead by 3, with 9 minutes left.EDIT-1 Point game..
AWESOME game so far. Rockets up 3 right now. T-Mac and Dirk are coming up big.T-Mac is playing lockdown defense right now on Dirk. Reminscing over the 05 playoffs when he did the same thing to Dirk.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Nitro1118 @ Feb 16 2007, 03:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>T-Mac is playing lockdown defense right now on Dirk. Reminscing over the 05 playoffs when he did the same thing to Dirk.</div>Only T-Mac is allowed to put 2 hands on Dirk's back.
Rockets are fu*king horrible. What horrible set plays in last 30 seconds of game, and use of timeouts. F*ck luther Head, JVG and Rafer Alston!
Dallas got lucky tonight. Great win on the road despite looking like crap. Props to Houston though for giving a great effort and almost taking down Dallas.
Houston didn't execute in the closing seconds of the game. In fact, they failed miserably. Head took a stupid shot when he had plenty of time to work it around to T-Mac. However, it did look like Head might have gotten fouled on that last shot. Anyone else think so?
He played one good defensive series against Dirk and it's "lockdown" defense.In '05 Tmac played a great series, on the defensive end guarding Dirk...but Dirk has pretty much moved passed the mark of anyone being able to guard him consistently at all.As for the game...once again, the Mavs find a way to pull out the win.Just so we're all keeping track...the Mavs are 30-2 in their last 32 games. Oh and just a measly 44-5 since starting 0-4, lol.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticBalla32 @ Feb 15 2007, 10:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Houston didn't execute in the closing seconds of the game. In fact, they failed miserably. Head took a stupid shot when he had plenty of time to work it around to T-Mac. However, it did look like Head might have gotten fouled on that last shot. Anyone else think so?</div>He didn't deserve the foul even if he did get hit. For taking some okf the STUPID shjots he took he should be benched for the next month with no PT at all.Oh well, at least T-Mac came alive in 4th and showed signs of playing great defense. I would love to see these 2 teams play each other in the playoffs (only next time with the best center in the NBA).
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticBalla32 @ Feb 15 2007, 09:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Houston didn't execute in the closing seconds of the game. In fact, they failed miserably. Head took a stupid shot when he had plenty of time to work it around to T-Mac. However, it did look like Head might have gotten fouled on that last shot. Anyone else think so?</div>Probably, but as I posted before in this thread, the Refs were letting the players play tonight...I saw lots of no calls.It was different than normal.
Chalk up another one for Dallas. It's starting to become a trend where Dallas can't lose despite some poor efforts. Other than the 3rd quarter really, and some play in the 4th, they weren't very good. And I don't consider it luck mavsfan when it starts happening over and over. I really enjoyed this game, had physicality in it and both star players showed up when it counted. It was a little annoying for TNT to continue that running tally they had though.
Rockets fans: how do you put up with Skip's poor shot selection night in and night out? It's atrocious. I can't stand it. If he were a Celtic, I'd never stop bitching about it. Every single time I watch Houston play, Alston takes about 7 stupid shots.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticBalla32 @ Feb 15 2007, 11:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Rockets fans: how do you put up with Skip's poor shot selection night in and night out? It's atrocious. I can't stand it. If he were a Celtic, I'd never stop bitching about it. Every single time I watch Houston play, Alston takes about 7 stupid shots.</div>We do bi*ch about it, but he is our best spot up 3pt shooter and occasionally catches fire and plays really well.Luther head pisses me off more, tonight he took some of the most ridiculous shots I have ever seen him take...all in last few minutes of the game.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticBalla32 @ Feb 15 2007, 10:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Rockets fans: how do you put up with Skip's poor shot selection night in and night out? It's atrocious. I can't stand it. If he were a Celtic, I'd never stop bitching about it. Every single time I watch Houston play, Alston takes about 7 stupid shots.</div>I got tired of bitching about it..
sh*t that game suckd! it was close but not exactly great 2 watch. the shootin in the last bit by the rockets was just lame.
