Official Game 3: 05/08 Los Angeles @ Houston Rockets 8:30PM CST ESPN

[iwearjordan4life]

is time for the rockets to get a little bit dirty now.

 

[(*Fin)]

Lakers taking game 3. Rockets just don't have enough fire power when it comes down to it. If the Lakers come out ready to go and get off to a fast start, Idon't see how the Rockets can get back in it unless the Lakers let them by getting complacent when they get a big lead. The Rockets are built to play oneway only, and the Lakers are talented enough to beat the Rockets at their own game, you can't say the same for the Rockets. I can't wait. Good luckRocket fans.

 

[jamergrady]

LET"S
GO
ROCKETS

 

[krey1231]

Sasha is going to go off.

 

[swyftdahoe]

My thoughts going in: Lakers in 5 or 6.
My thoughts after 2 games: The team that can execute their kinda game better will win. Lakers aren't that much better (if not at all) than the Rockets. Ilike the Rockets' chances in game 3 as long as they can control the pace. Don't get too pumped up and make it an up-and-down game (which would benefitLA more).

 

[nicedudewithnicedreams]

Originally Posted by yAyToNyO

Lakers taking game 3. Rockets just don't have enough fire power when it comes down to it. If the Lakers come out ready to go and get off to a fast start, I don't see how the Rockets can get back in it unless the Lakers let them by getting complacent when they get a big lead. The Rockets are built to play one way only, and the Lakers are talented enough to beat the Rockets at their own game, you can't say the same for the Rockets. I can't wait. Good luck Rocket fans.

I feel you, but why would Rockets fans need luck? Let's hope for a good game with no BS fouls or ejections. That's what everyone is hopingfor.

Go Tmac!

 

[blackxme]

Originally Posted by Fro B Giant

Originally Posted by blackxme

Originally Posted by Fro B Giant

Originally Posted by blackxme

Now that after all that transpired in game 2, I expect the Rockets to come out and set the tone in game 3. And there's no doubt that our crowd will be energized and our guys should feed off that. Coming home I'm proud of what my team has accomplished by splitting the first two games in L.A. You can't ask for much more than what they did. Also I'm encouraged because we didn't play our best basketball in either of the two games and had a chance to take both. A few things that must improve for us to win game 3:
- Continue to get great energy and scoring off the bench.
- I hope Von works things out with Rick. We need his scoring punch.
- Yao must get the ball more, he can't be rendered useless, we'll have no chance in this series if continues to score less than 20 ppg. He only had 4 shots, 4 shots!! That's not going to cut it
- Keep your turnovers down, we had 19 turnovers last, 19. And all our turnovers do is fuel the Lakers' fast break. NO LAYUPS
-Ron needs to keep shooting the way he is shooting. He didn't take as many questionable shots as I thought he would in L.A.( Maybe because his was making so many shots). But he needs to keep taking it to the basket, there's no way Ariza can stop him.
-Let Kobe dominate the ball and make him take as many shots as possible. No ones going to shut him down but you can sure as hell make him inefficient. Sooner or later Kobe will become tired, B.Roy commented on how tired he felt after that series with the Rockets. Make him work.

And yeah I beat you Laker fans to the punch

The Rockets played the best they could play in game 1 IMO. They score 98 points a game as a team on the season while allowing only 94 so I would say they played right up there with how they normally do.

I disagree. In game1 not only were we out-rebounded but we turned the ball over 16 times. Our bench wasn't that great and the starters were the ones who really played well.
So no we haven't played our best game yet.

So do you mean best as in perfect? That might not happen you know.

No sir, I understand that would be ridiculous. But a game where we shoot well from three, execute our offense, play d, have single digitturnovers, and out rebound the Lakers.
That's the best possible game we can have.

 

[freddypee]

forget all the talk....lets get this Lakers...Im sure Ron Artest will come out on some crazy stuff.....hopefully he doesnt try to hurt anyone....that idiot

 

[nasty mane23]

lET'S gO rOCKETS It's something about the Lakers that I just don't like I don't know

 

[davis]

Originally Posted by Kal Ripped Ken

ariza and LO NEED to get double digits. The bench has got to outscore houston's for once

. We can't rely on kobe going off every game

QFT. ariza and LO need to get going.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Originally Posted by CP1708

Ariza needs to guard Battier and Kobe needs to defend Artest at some point in this game. Certainly not the whole game, but maybe in the 4th.

And please, for the love of God, Phil, can you get Bynum some touches? Can you get that kid goin a little bit?
This almost reminds me of what Sloan has done to AK47. That dude was a star and then got in Sloan's doghouse and has been unable to get it back. Bynum seems not to be in the doghouse, but affected by his minutes and what not from Phil. Fix that sh*^.

I expect a real good game. And the atmosphere to be crazy indeed.

Let's get it.

So Kobe on Artest the whole game? Nah.

Ariza is your best perimeter defender, you might as well leave him on Artest while Kobe can rest on D guarding Shane.

 

[nasty mane23]

Kobe Gets Away with things That Elbow was so not needed come on Kobe your better then that

 

[youngswag24]

Spoke to kobe & he told me hes a bit tired & i said what does that mean he said "nothing just felt like saying that , Game 3 is ours to win though" lol hes such a down to earth guy hes so funnny with things and hes so calm about everything

 

[CP1708]

Originally Posted by Osh Kosh Bosh

Originally Posted by CP1708

Ariza needs to guard Battier and Kobe needs to defend Artest at some point in this game. Certainly not the whole game, but maybe in the 4th.

And please, for the love of God, Phil, can you get Bynum some touches? Can you get that kid goin a little bit?
This almost reminds me of what Sloan has done to AK47. That dude was a star and then got in Sloan's doghouse and has been unable to get it back. Bynum seems not to be in the doghouse, but affected by his minutes and what not from Phil. Fix that sh*^.

I expect a real good game. And the atmosphere to be crazy indeed.

Let's get it.

So Kobe on Artest the whole game? Nah.

Ariza is your best perimeter defender, you might as well leave him on Artest while Kobe can rest on D guarding Shane.

Coulda, swore, I said.........huh?

Come on man, too early in the morning to be hurtin my head like this.


And I don't care if Ariza is the best perimeter defender we have, quit lookin at your stat sheets and see that Ariza is clearly not strong enough to bedown low with Artest. He doesn't have that strength. If Artest stays out behind the 3 all game, then yeah, Ariza will be fine, but if Artest is smart andgoes on the block, Ariza gon get mauled. That is why Kobe will have to spend some time guarding Ron in the game. Odom could handle Artest too, but then Arizawould be on Scola, or Landry, or whoever is in with Ron, and that doesn't help either.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

My bad missed that.

The rocket point guards are REALLY REALLY poor post entry passers, they struggle like hell getting the ball to Yao even when he isn't being fronted. Thesame thing goes for Artest and Ariza does a pretty good job pushing him out and denying him the ball, let Brooks and Lowrey make bad passes. Kobe needs toconserve his energy.

Kobe also can't guard Artest in the post either. So why bother?

EDIT: Also the couple times Odom was on Artest was on Odom he didn't do too well either, you are going to get mauled either way and Ariza has been doing agood job, why take him off now.

 

[CP1708]

^
Pretty good job? Ron averagin like 25 a game in the first two.

As weird as this might sound, we're almost in better shape to have Yao on the floor so that Artest will stay out behind the 3. Phil showed that he willgo ahead and front Yao, let Odom, Gasol, and Bynum deal with that, I'd rather have that and keep Artest far out where at some point he's got to startmissin some of these 3's he's been making. I hope.

Then I won't worry about Ariza. But when Yao sits, first think Adelman should do is send Artest to the block. And Kobe/Odom handle themselves much betterin that spot then Ariza. Not saying they will cuff Ron or anything, but they'll make him work more then Trevor can. He's just too slight.

 

[westcoastsfinest]

how about we start bynum, pau, odom together and put trevor back on the bench

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Originally Posted by CP1708


^
Pretty good job? Ron averagin like 25 a game in the first two.

As weird as this might sound, we're almost in better shape to have Yao on the floor so that Artest will stay out behind the 3. Phil showed that he will go ahead and front Yao, let Odom, Gasol, and Bynum deal with that, I'd rather have that and keep Artest far out where at some point he's got to start missin some of these 3's he's been making. I hope.

Then I won't worry about Ariza. But when Yao sits, first think Adelman should do is send Artest to the block. And Kobe/Odom handle themselves much better in that spot then Ariza. Not saying they will cuff Ron or anything, but they'll make him work more then Trevor can. He's just too slight

Exactly.

He is making tough shots, and Ariza isn't giving up too many easy baskets. It's not like he is just cruising by Ariza.

Do you think Battier isn't doing a good job on Kobe? Of course he is when your as good as Kobe or Artest you just got to make them take tough shots.

 

[CP1708]

Originally Posted by westcoastsfinest

how about we start bynum, pau, odom together and put trevor back on the bench

While I would love to see this lineup at least for a couple minutes to see what it can do, it would not work well to start, there would be zero spacing for the3 of them, it would put LO out near 3 point line (no good) and Kobe and for this game, Farmar would be the only shooters and spacing would get tight. Besides,Bynum is not moving as he should be anyways. Maybe, MAYBE if he were mid season form we could give it a look and see, but not right now.

Besides, Ariza has done just fine in the starting lineup, no need to play with that now. I'm talking more along the lines of a few minutes, or a quarteror half, not an entire game. Ariza on Artest in the post in the 1st quarter is one thing, Ariza on Artest in the paint in the 4th is another.

 

[CP1708]

Originally Posted by Osh Kosh Bosh

Originally Posted by CP1708


^
Pretty good job? Ron averagin like 25 a game in the first two.

As weird as this might sound, we're almost in better shape to have Yao on the floor so that Artest will stay out behind the 3. Phil showed that he will go ahead and front Yao, let Odom, Gasol, and Bynum deal with that, I'd rather have that and keep Artest far out where at some point he's got to start missin some of these 3's he's been making. I hope.

Then I won't worry about Ariza. But when Yao sits, first think Adelman should do is send Artest to the block. And Kobe/Odom handle themselves much better in that spot then Ariza. Not saying they will cuff Ron or anything, but they'll make him work more then Trevor can. He's just too slight

Exactly.

He is making tough shots, and Ariza isn't giving up too many easy baskets. It's not like he is just cruising by Ariza.

Do you think Battier isn't doing a good job on Kobe? Of course he is when your as good as Kobe or Artest you just got to make them take tough shots.

Yeah, I gotcha there, but Ariza not givin up too many easy buckets is more on Ron not goin down low on him, then Ariza doin somethin.

It's a little bit like Rasheed being WAY better then any of our 4's back in the day, but he would throw up 20 footers instead, playing right into ourhands. If Ron's long shots start to fail, he may be smart enough to stop and go down low. That would be bad for Ariza.

I need one of those 4 - 18 games from Ron I always love watching.

 

[shuges]

Originally Posted by Osh Kosh Bosh

The rocket point guards are REALLY REALLY poor post entry passers, they struggle like hell getting the ball to Yao even when he isn't being fronted.

This %%%@ pisses me off to no end. As much as I disliked Skip, he at least used to get the rock to Yao.

Anyhow, despite the Rockets being at home now, I honestly don't see them blowing LA out in this one like some ppl are predicting.

I just want to see a good game.

 

[franchise3]

SHUGES, I see you my dude.

All bias aside, I think the Rockets take at least one in Houston. Could be two.

Just win tonight and worry about game 4 later. As opposed to losing tonight, and then having Rockets fans on pins and needles until Sunday, and Lakers fanscalling the series done in 5 SMH

Brooks needs to step it up for real. Yao too. We'll see if Ron can keep up his hot shooting, but he can post up Ariza at will. Kobe on the other hand,doesn't attempt to post, doesn't attempt to drive it to the rack, really. I don't see him dropping 40 in HTown.

Let's get it.

 

[westcoastsfinest]

if the Lakers dont win tonight...then were done simple as that

 

[CP1708]

Originally Posted by westcoastsfinest

if the Lakers dont win tonight...then were done simple as that

?


Even though winning game 4 would accomplish the exact same thing, getting back HC?

 

[franchise3]

Hey CP. Let dude let his predicition become a self-fulfilling prophecy.