<div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"><font color="Red">Houston Rockets </font> (42-31) @ <font color="Purple">Los Angeles Lakers </font> (51-23) </div> <div align="center">Time: 7:30 p.m. PT Location: Staples Center TV: TNT</div> Season Series: Rockets 2, Lakers 1 12/25/03 Rockets 99 Lakers 87 2/11/04 Rockets 102 Lakers 87 3/3/04 Lakers 96, Rockets 93 Previous Games: Timberwolves @ Rockets 94-88 L Hornets @ Lakers 107-88 W Last 10 Games: Rockets 5-5 (Lost 1) Lakers 9-1 (Won 9) Head Coaches: Jeff Van Gundy/Phil Jackson Probable Starters: Steve Francis/Gary Payton Cuttino Mobley/Kobe Bryant Jim Jackson/Rick Fox Maurice Taylor/Karl Malone Yao Ming/Shaquille O'Neal Sixth Men Mark Jackson/Derek Fisher Injury Report Rockets Mike Wilks Kelvin Cato Lakers Kareem Rush Jamal Sampson Horace Grant <div align="center">Players To Watch </div> <div align="center">Yao Ming & Shaquille O'Neal</div> <div align="center">Ming: 17.7 pts, 9.80 rebs, 1.5 assists, .29 steals O'Neal: 22.0 pts, 11.60 rebs, 3.1 assists, .46 steals </div> Keys To The Game <u>Rockets</u> Get Yao the ball, and allow him to play Shaq one on one like he did in his last meeting, and use his variety of weapons to his advantage. The hook shot, the fadeaway, his turnaround jumper, and his decent outside shot. Control and maintain the glass, and try to get second shot opportunities. Since Cato is out for this one, it'll be very important for Maurice Taylor to do whatever he can to provide his team with extra second shot abilities to keep his team in the game. Better improvement from their backcourt. Francis and Mobley played exceptionally well in their game against Minnesota, but they'll have to shoot a higher number of shots and a much better field goal percentage if they want to end the Laker winning streak. A combined shot total of 29 won't cut it. <u>Lakers</u> Shaq would really want the ball going one on one with Yao, I think it'll be important for the Lakers to get the ball to Shaq early, allow him to dominate over Yao, and Shaq would want to send Yao a message that he's still the king of the Western Conference at the center position. Kobe must continue his hot streak of 30+ points. Kobe should take as many FG opportunities like Shaq, and it'll also be important for him to establish a shooting rhythm. If Kobe gets hot, the Rockets would be in serious trouble. But if he struggles, the Lakers will get into their typical shooting slumps and have trouble finding a basket. Rick Fox and Karl Malone need to also step it up on their field goal shooting. It's very clear that Fox has lost his touch, and really needs to get that accuracy back once again. Malone is teaming up with Shaq with his rebound contributions and decent defensive plays, but only taking five field goal attempts is an absolute joke and is not Malone's game at all. Defense. This is how the Lakers have destroyed their opponents, and if they want to make it ten, their suffocating defense will have to turn it up a notch tonight. Laker Fever's Prediction The Lakers know they're in an excellent position to overtake the Sacramento Kings for the #1 seed, and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs, and with the way the Lakers have performed in their last nine games (if you take out the Utah game) they're concentrating on every opponent like it's a playoff game. The Rockets will fight to the bitter end, but the Lakers will dominate for 48 minutes. Lakers by 16
Nice preview, Lakers have been playing GREAT ball lately, but 16 is too much, I think we take this by 8, Kobe has another great game...I got the next preview also, Sorry I couldnt go it again
right now, with the way the lakers are playing, i expect them to take this one. I also expect Kobe to have a monster game. But If the Rockets get rolling early, it will be really tough for thelakers to win this. I say lakers by 3/4.
good preview. lakers by 11(97-86) <font color="Red">yao ming's nipple flash </font> <- check it out...hahaha!
Ahhh the lovely rivalry between Shaq and Yao. I wonder who will get it this time. Back to business. The Lakers by 3
No chance of the Lakers blowing the Rockets out. I'd say the Rockets will at least go out with a fight. Lakers by 3.
Cuttino Mobley often plays well against kobe, so hopefully he can do it again tonight. With Kelvin Cato out that means Ming will have to play shaq Str8 up on the defensive end. Shaq is always talking about how Yao hardly guards him, so the match isnt fair. Well Yao going to have to tonight should be interesting. If Shaq gets out played this then that takes the crediblity out of his arguement. I will be rooting for the Rockets tonight because the t-wolves need home court if they ever meet the lakers in the playoffs. So they will need to finish with a better record then them. So Rockets by 4.
No chance of Kareem Rush coming off the bench, not with the injured foot and all. He's actually on the injured list right now. Fish might get extra minutes if GP gets tired of babysitting Francis all night. If Lakers stay active on defense, they'll win. The reserves need to step up and give the starters some time to rest. The Lakers are deep enough offensively that one bad night by any one of their four superstars won't hurt them as much as it would the other team.
Kobe's gonna dominate tonight- at least 35. Look for Yao to get the ball against Shaq (the Rockets better give him the ball if they wanna win). Lakers by 13
I say Lakers by 1. Houston isn't a bad team, but they struggled against Utah. They always let low seeds and teams not in the playoffs lightly. Plus Houston has been playing them well all year and I wanna see a good game as well.
I would say Lakers by five. Houston is not an easy team, I think Yao will have at least 30 and Kobe with 36.
I'll take us by 10 on this one. The Lakers are trying to make statements by beating all the best in the west, and Houston is definitely on that list with the way they've beaten us this year. I think Shaq and Karl will come out looking agressive, with Kobe slowly working himself into a dominant game and ending it big.
The Lakers will win this game by 12 points. Shaq has been outplayed by Yao this season, but the Big Fella has been a monster on both ends of the court as he gears up for the post-season. I expect him to be huge against Yao tonight and silence many of his critics for his earlier games against Yao this year. The person the Lakers need to shutdown is Jim Jackson. He's had his way with the Lakers as a King and now as a Rocket. If he gets going in this game, the Lakers will be hard pressed to match his offensive contributions. The Lakers might want to throw a small lineup so he's forced to guard Kobe instead of shadowing Rick Fox or George. This is a big game for both squads, but the Lakers are hot right now and I don't see the Rockets playing well enough to beat them at Staples tonight.
Currently the Lakers are getting it done. They've heated up after a terrible start and they're getting to the line. Plus, the Lakers have Yao up to 2 fouls currently. Initially, I was picking the Lakers, and, I'm still picking the Lakers. They realize that the #1 seed is well within reach, especially since the Kings got beat again tonight I believe, and they're on a mission to get that. Than, there is no team playing better than them currently either. So, I look for the Lakers to win by something near 10ish, even though this is a late prediction cause the game is almost at half, but, oh well.
It looks like Shaq is having the upper hand so far againist Yao...although inexplicably Shaq has only 1 rebound at halftime....same can be said for Yao too...strange how the two biggest guys on the floor aren't boarding very well tonite
Malone, Malone, Malone.. where would we be without this guy? Kobe has been great for us but Karl is just so valuable... plays hard D, passes and gets everyone involved, rebounds... man!!! Sacramento watch out, we've caught up to ya!
Shaq got pyshical with Yao early in the game pushing him out the paint. And Ming didnt wasnt into the game for the rest off the night. Ming decide to stay on the perimeter taking 15 footers all night. He reallly didnt try to go to the low block. Shaq offense game was kind of weak but he did take up alot of space on D. And Karl & Kobe carried them on the offensive end. Cuttino had a good game but he made alot of mistakes in the 4th quarter. The Rockets overall made alot of mistakes(turnovers, bad shots). When Ming isnt effective in the post the Rockets usually look horrible anyway. But when CSpoon is taking most of your shots down the stretch in the 4th, you really have a serious problem.
Now with a laker win and kings loss, they are tied for the west's top seed. If the lakers continue they're hot streakand win tonight's game against seattle then you ask yourself "will the lakers have a chance at the top seed in the league?" the lakers i think are just 3 games behind but i'll have to check.
