Rafer says FU Dream Shake for number 22!!!!

Rafer Alston just scored 31 on 8-11 shooting from the three point line (we'll pretend he didn't shoot from inside the line) and ran the offense very efficiently. I will personally take responsibility (Richard Justice style) for his domination of the Lakers as I feel he did it just to shut us up. In fact, just to keep it up and so I don't jinx him, you still suck Rafer (but I do like you, and that was a hell of a game).

The crazy thing is, I can't give Rafer the singular title of player of the game. I will give him co-player of the game though, as Shane Battier frustrated Kobe Bryant to no end. He held Kobe to 11-33 shooting and made him visibly upset on 5-6 occasions. Shane also only allowed Bryant to dish the ball off for 2 assists and made him turn it over 3 times. I love 2-3 Assists to TO ratios for the other teams star guard. He was in his grill like a dead bug on the front end of a Mack truck. I am openly campaigning for an injustice to be righted; every year Shane Battier does not make the NBA 1st team All Defensive team is a travesty of the utmost.

The game was so incredibly exciting that I can't even clearly remember all of the events. Tracy didn't score in the entire first half and it was so impressive of a game that it didn't even matter as the Rockets took a 15 point lead to half time. It happened so fast that I don't even remember exactly how it all transpired. I know there were a lot of Rafer Alston three pointers, some Bobby Jackson drives and some Shane Battier in your face defense but it's all a blur right now. Suffice to say, a lot of Laker tail was kicked in the second quarter.

The second half started with a huge Lakers run, driven mostly by poor Rockets defense and horrendous Rockets shooting. LA got within 2 in the third, but never took a lead after they lost it with 10:22 left in the 2nd quarter. That's a real testament to the Rockets defense; they bent after getting a big lead, but never broke. Kobe scored with 4:56 left in the game to get to 24 and cut the lead to 5. Then came sheriff Shane to lock him up, causing Bryant to miss 4 shots after that and turn it over once. It was all over after that shot, the Rockets got the difference up to 15 in the last few minutes and ultimately won by 12.

To anyone saying the Rockets haven't played anyone, Rafer's message to us is our message to you. Next up, the Rockets play the Boston Celtic at 8:30PM at Toyota Center? Could it be 23?