Expectations for Game 2 between the Rockets and Blazers

by grungedave on Apr 21, 2009 3:49 PM CDT in Game Previews Comment 22 comments

Game 1 was a long time ago. Since I've never been to Portland, it might as well have been in a galaxy far, far away. Game 2 is tonight. I hope the Force remains strong with the Rockets and that the ~~Empire~~ Blazers do not strike back.

And for that matter... no one on the Rockets better lose a f--king hand. (I'm looking at you, Yao!) Or get injured in any way. Keith Jones doesn't have healing powers that work as quickly as the rebel droids apparently do.

All that said... yeah, I have some thoughts going into Game 2.

First, no matter what the result is tonight... win or lose... the Rockets have already accomplished what they needed to do when they landed in Portland a few days ago. They stole a game on the road. Yes, it was in convincing (read: awesome!) fashion, but that's beside the point... the Rockets merely needed one win in Portland. Just one.

So, just in case the Blazers win by 10 (or more) tonight... there will be no whining or "the sky is falling" reaction from me tonight. Certainly not about the referees. Unless Yao loses the aforementioned hand. Or if the Rockets truly do look like @$$ in the game. [Hey, I'm a lawyer, I gotta leave myself a few loopholes.]

Enough of a preface... here are some things to look for:

Yao will not be perfect tonight. Yeah, he's human. I think.

LMA will not be rendered impotent on the offensive end again. As good as Scola is, he's not going to keep Aldridge from having a bigger impact tonight. Look for Portland to run more pick-and-rolls with Roy and LaMarcus tonight. This way they get Yao or Scola out of position trying to double... which leads to potential foul trouble (and foul trouble is truly the only reason the Rockets should ever lose in this series... a byproduct of their aggressive defense).

The Blazers will make more than one three-point shot tonight. This may seem trivial, but if Portland goes on a long-range bombing run, their fans are going to go ape-s--t crazy and this will increase the Blazers' energy on the court exponentially.

The Blazers will make a "big" run at some point. That means the Rockets won't have the lead the entire game this time around. This is okay. At some point the Rockets will have to fight back from a double-digit deficit to win the series (and future series). It's as good an opportunity as any to see how they will respond to adversity. Time to build the heart of a champion.

Kyle Lowry will make up the difference when ABZ falls slightly back to Earth.

I will have at least one reason to call Adelman "Sleepy".

Ron Artest will probably revert to being "bad Ron" if the Rockets face a deficit and the offense slows down. Artest was very conscious about not taking bad shots in Game 1. I'm not so sure how disciplined he is to maintain this attitude for two games in a row. Let's just say I'm hoping... but not expecting.

Someone [*cough*Przybilla*cough*] will flop and draw a cheap foul on Yao. Maybe two. By now I see this as standard operating procedure for our opponents. It doesn't make me any less annoyed when the referees take the bait. Even when I expect it, I have a hard time accepting it.

Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes will be the difference makers tonight. Unless Von Wafer comes in and starts 5-5 from the field. If that happens, someone on the Blazers' bench will be heard to say "I have a bad feeling about this." Then I'll be very, very happy.

The Rockets starters dominated Game 1. Tonight I think our bench plays a bigger role in the outcome (good or bad).

I guess this is all leading up to my prediction for the game...

I think the Blazers win a close one. Something like 95-90. I also think that the teams will protect their homecourt from here on out, which is consistent with my "Rockets in 6" prediction way back on Friday. Which means that the Rockets will come back to town angry... and will hopefully take it out on ~~Darth Vader~~ Brandon Roy and his minions this Friday.

(of course, if the Rockets win tonight... forget everything I said in the previous paragraph.)

I will probably be at the Toyota Center tonight for the viewing party. I'll be the tall guy in a Luis Scola #4 jersey.

No, the other tall guy in a Scola jersey.

GO ROCKETS!

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AGREED

GO ROCKETS.

by mutombo4life on Apr 21, 2009 3:59 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS....Blazers win by 10

http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/3/26/811452/blazers-as-star-wars-chara

"The brownies,'' Fernandez said after the game. "The brownies are good for me to make three-points.''

by Sabonis4Ever on Apr 21, 2009 4:06 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Go Rockets

I’m hoping that Ron Ron only takes less than 6 bad shots tonight. =)

PS. If we ever get into a tight game, you know who is going to chuck up contested fadeaways lke crazy.

by True_Warrior on Apr 21, 2009 4:07 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm sure

We can win tonight… It may be ugly but I’m sure we can win… But like you said… We already got a win IN Portland… Which is very important… So I won’t feel AS bad if we lose…

by MyFriendFromArgentina on Apr 21, 2009 4:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Nice predictions

I think it’s going to obviously be a much closer game tonight, we’re playing a great team in their own arena. I also understand that we’re 1-1 at the Rose Garden this season and could be 2-0 there, the first game we lost by the infamous Miracle Shot by Roy. We match up beautifully with Portland as we’ve all seen. We know they’ll make adjustments and as I read in an article a few minutes ago, we’ll have to “adjust to their adjustments” If we do that the Rockets win by 3, lets say 99-96. If not, Portland wins by 5, 100-95

by UHoustonFan on Apr 21, 2009 4:22 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Flopping

“Someone coughPrzybilla*cough*] will flop and draw a cheap foul on Yao. Maybe two. By now I see this as standard operating procedure for our opponents. It doesn’t make me any less annoyed when the referees take the bait. Even when I expect it, I have a hard time accepting it.”
-————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
I think it’s funny that houston fans bitch about flopping when they flop just as much as any team in the league. Yeah Joel has flopped in the past but it is just to make up for the lack of calls for him and his teamates on the other end when yao and artest are beating the living hell out of anyone that is guarding them.

by lrh86 on Apr 21, 2009 4:37 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Not flopping in general, just the Yao flop.

We do not complain about standard flopping. Its the standard strategy by nearly every team to pull the Yao flop. Utah is an expert at this, but other teams practice it as well. Roy managed quite a few by managing to run around and stop right where Yao was heading. Why did he run in front of Yao? Why stop there when the big guy isn’t even looking in that direction? Was he trying to post up Yao? ORRRRRRRRRR get a foul.

Also, if two similar sized guys collide, is it almost always a no-call foul?

by texasag on Apr 21, 2009 5:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

theres a thing

called “selling the call”, and then theres downright flopping. Selling a call is when the defender predicts a hard bump, and adds a bit o’ flair to take the offensive foul. Just flopping is when there is little or very little contact, and the defender basically throws himself on the floor. Przybilla usually does the latter.

by hardgay on Apr 21, 2009 5:49 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have never seen Przybilla throw himself to the floor with no contact and I watch every Blazer game. I have seen him “sell the call” occasionaly though. I have seen yao cry like a freaking baby every time he gets a foul regardless if he deserved it or not.

by lrh86 on Apr 21, 2009 5:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

no, he does the former.

and so does yao.

by appel82 on Apr 21, 2009 5:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

the point your making is inaccurate

at the very least because we both know that neither team involved in this series flops as much as utah.
as dave noted, and with quite a bit of composure about him i must say, we understand the flopping that is done, that NEEDS to be done against yao.
if we lose by 27, we may complain about it more, but for now, i’d say this was a pretty level-headed review/preview.

by canlah on Apr 21, 2009 5:18 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

(in reference to Irh86's "Flopping")

by canlah on Apr 21, 2009 5:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

comparison

I have yet to see the Rockets “flop” off the ball… our defense would break down if Battier or Artest were to attempt to run into the opposing team’s center and just “fall down” hoping to draw a foul. It might work 1-in-four times, but it’s not worth it to us.

On the flip side, because teams cannot guard Yao, nearly every game the opposition will attempt 3-4 times to “run into” Yao away from the ball and just fall down. Invariably referees (namely VIolet Palmer) will fall for this trick and it’s infuriating.

man up and play the game.

Of course, everyone says Battier and Scola flop. In actuality, they are in position with their feet set, but they do of course fall backwards to the floor because charges do not get called if you don’t fall down. It’s an unfortunate result of the way the rules are interpreted and enforced.

by grungedave on Apr 21, 2009 5:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Homer

“I have yet to see the Rockets "flop" off the ball”

Try actually watching a game then.

by lrh86 on Apr 21, 2009 5:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

okay

name one time.

OFF the ball… away from the actual play.

by grungedave on Apr 21, 2009 6:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't remember any off the top of my head.

But i will be sure to come back tomorrow to enlighten you ;-)

by lrh86 on Apr 21, 2009 6:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Point proven

"I'm just looking forward to something great happening in the city of Houston" - Tracy McGrady

Still waiting...

by DreKeem on Apr 21, 2009 7:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Homer?

I thought Dave was Cartman.

Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....

by pookeyguru on Apr 21, 2009 8:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs