MVN - Most Valuable Network

Game six as it happens………… Rockets lose another round one

It’s 10:24 and I’m watching what could be the end of the season for the Houston Rockets.  After falling down 0-2 in the first games of the series at home, it was quite clear they just didn’t have what it takes to beat the Jazz in a long series without your All-Star center and a gimpy point gaurd.  The Jazz were bigger inside, tougher and meaner, the absolute BEST floppers the NBA has ever seen.  Houston can’t hit their free throws or play consistent offensively.  McGrady has played just awesome - enough to keep his detractors at bay - but the pundits will continue to harp on his inability to get past the first round and he doesn’t deserve that kind of criticism.

38-23 Jazz

Second-chance points are killing em’.  It’s like the bucket is magnetized for Utah as the ball just goes in easy whereas Houston’s shots rim out, bounce out like an evil force is working in Salt Lake.  Luis Scola continues to impress me,  making tough shots look easy.  He’s so composed and plays like an animal.  I still think Durant and he made it the closest Rookie of the Year contest.  Kudo’s to Durant for winning it, but I don’t think the NBA would have been second-guessed if they have given it to Scola.

Another bad TMAC pass.  There were plenty of those all series long.  Bad passes, missed free throws, yet he was still - there’s another easy bucket on an interception (dammit!) - the best player for the team in the series.  A couple games he flirted with a triple double.  Damn, these guys can’t miss.  I hate Utah with such a freakin’ passion.   

46-27 Jazz now. 

It’s just about over.  I’ve never seen so much successful penetration since the stag film at my bachelor party.  How they play inside and just rip through Houston’s defense - now Okur just forearmed Deke Mutumbo (2 early fouls, thanks refs) - is impressive.  TMAC has 17 now and surely on pace for 30+.  He just can’t do it himself.  His numbers are going to be indicative of a Rocket win, but Utah has slammed the door shut on the rest of the team, it seems. 

50-34 with five minutes left in the half. 

Not insurmountable.  I suppose even Britney Spears could also reliven her singing career with similar odds.  Whoa..     TMAC just went off.   He just hit a series of shots, trying to take the game over and now Houston is down…

50-40.  

He will need to score 50+ tonight at this pace, I think, but he seems insistent on doing just that.  He’s not looking at his teammates to end the first half.  He’s on a mission.  I can bet the though of listening to every interviewer asking him what Round 2 team he thinks is going to make it to the Western Conference finals..    He scored 22 ppg during the season and he’s hitting an average of 28 points per game in the playoffs.  Three minutes left and down by 10.

A scoring machine.  We have a brand new game in Salt Lake, Ladies and Gentlemen..     55-50 as TMAC is taking over!

55-54, are you kidding me ??????????    that’s a 18-pt turnaround, folks…  in the 2nd quarter.  McGrady is on the bench to finish the half with 29 points already.  Damn.. Darren Williams get a 3 pointer to end the half..    

There’s a fight going on in Salt Lake…………….      more to come after the half.. 

The news out of the locker room isn’t good, as Rafer Alston is now out of the game with a sprained ankle.  So, keeping score for you, no Yao, no Alston and TMAC with a knee that is kept numb with injections because of the pain.  The Jazz?  Only their feelings are hurt.  Injuries are a part of the game, unless you’re a Rocket opponent. 

63-56 Utah, after some early scoring.    65, after Okur (looks like a ferret) hits his 2 free throws.

Jackson misses a jumper and Battier missed a 3, but Mutumbo got both rebounds and passed off to a teammate for two points.  He’s going to be huge if the Rockets are going to have a chance.  Got to stay out of foul trouble.   Jackson misses again and the Jazz hit a 3..     sigh..

71-59.  here we go again..      I dare not hope for another Houston hot streak.   

Dikembe Mutombo is just ruling the boards.  TMAC draws another foul.  A miss.  Boozer misses.  Jackson and TMAC both miss their 3’s - argh this is getting so frustrating.  Then, as expected, Utah hits a trey by Williams.  It’s just maddening.

74-59

Another close miss and Okur rebound.  Williams hits another - en fuego.  If they don’t man up on him, he’s going to win this for Utah himself.  Amazing kid.  Houston rookie Aaron Brooks is now the Rockets hope at the point.  That just perfectly illustrates their season for them this year..   

Man, how does Boston allow Atlanta to make them go back for a Game 7????

Utah now back up by 18 points..  this has to be it.  Here’s where winning teams put the proverbial foot on the neck of their prey.     78-59 and well on their way to going to Los Angeles.   Three minutes left in the fourth quarter with a 19 point lead..      Here’s where Houston succumbs after a season mixed with excitment and frustration.    I just hope that the Lakers take Utah out quickly.

80-63    

Shots are again spinning out for the Rockets..  they can’t buy a bucket.  TMAC gets his 10th board, his double double.  Landry finally ends the scoring drought.  Foul…..  Utah shoots..   Ball bounces six times before it goes in..  of course.  Second shot drops and it’s..

82-65

Utah is doing a good job keeping the ball out of TMAC’s hands.. the wrong guys are shooting for Houston, hence the lack of scoring.  It’s going to take a rehashing of the second quarter to even get close.  TMAC will have to get 15-20 just on his own.  Now it’s a 20-point game..   the fat lady is warming up…   End of the 3rd quarter and Utah has its biggest lead..       I hate this team.

Rockets were outscored 27-11 in that last quarter and TMAC held to nothing.  They are just locked up on him and wearing him out.  Missed his free throw…………….. again.

89-65   10:47 left in the season….

Novak hits a 3 as he’s now in for Houston in what might indicate a new offensive scheme for coach Adelman.  Just give it to the tall white guy and see if he can shoot you back into the game from downtown. 

McGrady hits for his 34th point.  He’s done what he’s supposed to do..    I can hear the echoing sound of sportswriters from all over furiously working over their keyboards to get their story out about his continued failure to get out of the first round.  The post-game player interviews are going to be horrible tonight.    

95-74  -  the Utah players are already celebrating on the bench.   Only 8:00 left…

TMAC has 37 points:  half of his team’s points.  Scola is the only other Rocket that has more than two FG’s on the team.  That, Ladies and Gentlemen… is the story behind the story.  This is a team sport.

99-82

Yup.. miss another free throw guys.. why not.  We can’t get enough of those.  Okur draws the foul inside and he’ll shoot.  I got ten bucks before he shoots that he doesn’t miss.  Boom.  Easy money.

Under five minutes and we’re still missing layups.  McGrady’s shots are hitting the front of the rim..  He’s tired. 

106-85

In and out for Houston.  3:00 left..     Boozer hits.  It’s been a decade since Houston has gotten out of the first round and they will start the next decade still trying.  Kobe, here cometh the Jazz.  I don’t like you much either, but you’re the lesser of two evils.

OK, so you Jazz fans..   you got this one..  again..   yes, you have beaten us in more series than we have beaten you, but……………………..   you’ve never gone on to win any titles..  Both times we beat you, we hoisted up the Larry O’Brien trophy.  Sit on that for awhile..     come back and talk to me when you have banners up in the rafters.

Williams is just playing with them with that three point shot.  The bench now comes out and the starters come off the floor, high fiving their way to Los Angeles.  The last two minutes is just mop-up time.

Well, that’s it..     definitely not a satisfying year, despite the long 22-game streak.  Fun while it lasted, but it was still accomplished without the team intact and the early playoff exit once again attributed to the inability to stay healthy. 

113-88

Final minute….    TMAC finished with 40 points and nothing to show for it. 

As I sign off, I remember how the season begun.. with Utah - and a win..   I told about how I couldn’t stand this team and now this final stake in the heart just makes that much more so.   113-91 is the final score and now.. let the bashing begin..  

Go Lakers.. 

-kn

Curtains for the Rockets?

Sure looks that way.

Well, they say be careful what you ask for.  You just might get it.  I asked for the Jazz in round one of the playoffs…………. and well……………   I got it…..and in spades.

In what could quite possibly be the worst case scenario for Houston, they are up against the Jazz, down 0-2 after losing both home games, and having to win in Utah twice to have even a chance to get into round two.  Utah is virtually indestructible at home, but did lose to Houston at the beginning of the season behind T-MAC’s 47 pts that night.  Unfortunately, unlike the first game of the season, Houston is down both their starting center and point guard in Yao and Alston.  When 40% of your team can’t suit up, you are most certainly at a disadvantage.  Still, both games were winnable, despite the poor shooting from the Rockets.  When you miss 20 layups and 10+ free throws and lose by only 11 pts in Game one, then lose by only six in Game two, you were at least still in it - despite being outmanned and outsized.  Just poor execution and a permissive interior defense killed the Rockets - both times.  TMAC was stellar for 3 quarters in both games, but could not nary but a single point on 0-4 shooting in the fourth quarter of Game 1 and not much better in Game 2’s final period.   The Utah strategy of limiting his ability to move, duck and shoot throughout the game was enough to make sure he was too tired at closing time.  It worked.  The physical game got to the Rockets, and they even knew it was coming.  I honestly don’t see any chance of taking one in Utah, so the Rockets will probably have just played their last game in the Toyota Center before it’s time to reload, rebuild, and remember how much first-round exits can hurt.  They have just GOT to find a way to keep their talent on the floor and not on the trainers table.  I said it time and time and time again all year that injuries would be the key - and we see it again this year with Yao going out for the season.   It’s going to be another year of this team not making it past the first round and T-MAC will unjustly be shouldering the blame for it, yet again.  His numbers speak for themselves.  He’s done his part from a stats standpoint.  He’s just not got the surrounding staff to pick up the load when he gets double and triple teamed.  Each of the players in Scola, Battier, Hayes, Mutumbo and a slew of pickups have certainly had their shining moments and gave-saving heroics.  That 22-game streak certainly showed what this team is capable of.  But, at the end of the day, it’s the playoffs that matter.  The Rockets just couldn’t hold serve at home when they needed to most.

Now, it’s going to take something more impressive than the 22-game streak to make a date with the Lakers a reality.  I have to give Utah credit.  There’s just something about playing the Rockets that just elevates their play a few notches.  It’s been that way for years.  I’m sure I will have many more to suffer through.  That being said?  I am hoping for another first round matchup with the Jazz again next year. 

All you can do is dust yourself off and get back into the mix.

Rockets end season with win; Fifth seed in Wild West

Season ending record = x-1

Well, I was close.  With tonight’s Rockets win over the LA Clip 93-75 in the home and season ender, Houston finishes the ‘08 campaign at 55-27, third best in franchise history, and just one win fewer than my preseason prognostication.   More important than ANYTHING else, Houston will face up with the hated..   HATED.  (did I say hated?) Utah Jazz.  I’ve been commenting on this all year - that I wanted this matchup, and now it appears my prayers have been answered.  Better yet?  Utah will have to win on the road, where they are a freakin’ train wreck compared to how they play at home.  At the time of this writing, the Spurs were kicking them up and down the court and it appears Utah is raising the white flag early.  Poetic justice would be this series going 7, and Houston, this time, actually winning that final home game and avenging last year’s huge disappointment.  TMAC needs this to get that first round and out monkey off his back.  Houston needs it to feel like they’ve finally turned it around after over a decade of futility.  I NEED it because I’ve been stressed out like a mother quitting my job and joining another company over the last two weeks and not getting much time to write. 

I’m ready.   I hear Saturday night is the first game for this series.

Bring on the Jazz!

Rockets secure playoff spot, sink Sonics

Well, well..  my preseason prediction of 56 wins is looking pretty good about now, isn’t it?  

Currently, now that Houston put the Sonics out tonight pretty handily 103-80 with TMAC sitting out and resting his shoulder, the Rockets sit in the standings at 53-25, just two games out behind New Orleans for the Western Conference lead.  Currently seeded 5th behind Utah at 4, the dream matchup between these two teams have me Pavlovian dogging it for the first round.  There’s five teams at 52 and 53 wins right now, so that can, and will, change quite a bit hour to hour.  Four more games remain on the schedule, including a matchup with the Jazz in Utah on 4/14.  But before that game can happen, Houston must take on the Suns at home, then travel to Denver for a scramble against the Nuggets before hitting Utah on the 2nd night of a back-to-back.    The Rockets will then end the season at home against the Clippers.   So all you haters out there that said the Rockets won’t make the playoffs???    I’m awaiting your profound apologies.  You’re now just going to have to admit that they are another pretty good team in an awesome conference race.

Interestingly enough, Houston had lost 12 of their last 13 when both big time All Stars were both off the floor at the same time (Yao and TMAC).  Tonight was an exception to that rule.  Rafer Alston scored 18 and Luis Scola joined in with 13 points and 12 boards to offset the absences in the lineup and easily took care of Seattle/(OKC?) in the Toyota Center.  Luther Head had 16 and Steve Novak had 17 points to round out the even scoring around the bench.  Houston shot 53 percent to Seattle’s 36 on their way to winning their 20th of the last 22 games in the Bayou City.   For those of you still looking at the streak, that’s 33 of the last 39 games.  Not too shabby.

To make 56 wins, Houston will have to beat the Clippers, then take two games from the three other teams - Phoenix, Denver, Utah - in order to nail my prediction.  That’s going to be at least one road win, Utah being the most difficult to hope for. 

MY COLORS FROM STARDOCK

Hey, quick product plug here.  I just downloaded and applied my new Rockets desktop theme on my laptop using MY COLORS from Stardock.  Quick and easy download, it personalized my desktop with a Houston Rockets logo on a court; my icons were changed to basketball themes (Basketball START button, net for the Recycle Bin, the Rockets logo on all folders - just some really cool stuff!).  You get a weather gadget and media player completely personalized with your team colors and graphics.  Great product - I really like it.   The whole NBA is represented, so go check out their NBA site  and get yours today.  You can look at screenshots of what your desktop would look like. 

***Kudos out to the MVN web-admin guys - love the new format.