| 27 April 2009
We finally saw Yao have a full game of success in the post. Granted, he left the game early in Game 1, as will happen when you have a 20+ point lead going into the 3rd, but he hasn't really been heard of since. This time it was different. The fronts on Yao by Oden and Przybilla didn't work and both got in foul trouble early. It looks like Yao has adjusted to the Blazers' style.
The Rockets controlled the tempo almost the entire first half, went into the locker room up 6, and yet you still had the feeling that they should have been up more. The Rockets played unselfishly, electing to make the extra pass continuously, for the first quarter and it looked like the rout might be on, but they let the Blazers back in for a bit during the 2nd, as Yao and the team made careless turnovers. To put it nicely, they were playing rec league ball for a while, me versus the world ball without fluidity.
You could feel the anxiety growing throughout the crowd at the Toyota Center as the Rockets let another 3rd quarter lead slip away, with Portland taking the lead and looking as if they were going to take back home court advantage. Then a funny thing happened. The number one rebounding team in the league let Houston get 10 offensive rebounds in the 4th. Maybe it's a young team just not focusing, or maybe the Blazers have finally run out of gas playing catch up to so many teams.
Travis Outlaw finally got out of his shooting slump, which had reportedly forced him to tighten up a bit. He looked great Sunday and was running so well that Nate McMillan chose him to take the shot to win the game, not Brandon Roy. Not that Roy didn't get his chance. He attacked the basket but Shane Battier and Chuck Hayes were hip to his game. Battier said after that game that everybody in the building knew Roy was getting the ball, and that the credit goes to Hayes.
Roy is going to be the MVP at some point in his career, I believe. The ease in which he was able to carve up the Rockets in the 3rd quarter was just sick. He continues to look unphased by the stage of the Playoffs, while the rest of his team stands around at times. He did get some help from LaMarcus Aldridge and Outlaw, and Blake hit a few key shots, but as Roy goes, so go the Blazers.
Von Wafer is fearless and the type of player the Rockets have needed for so long. Ever since he made the team, beating out Mr. Invisible aka Steve Francis, for the final spot, he has been more than ready to take big shots. Rudy Fernandez grilled him up a little after an early 2nd quarter foul, but Wafer wasn't phased by it.
The Rockets surrendered the lead in the third, but fought back. That is what makes this team different than past Rockets' squads. They don't get down on themselves and it seems as if there is always a player who will knock down a shot to get them back in it.
Why the Rockets Won
The Rockets won partially because Yao Ming played 4 quarters of basketball. Shane Battier said, "Yao is our foundation," after the game. Smart man, that Battier. Yao's inside presence forced defenders to double down, leaving Luis Scola, Von Wafer and Shane Battier wide open. They repeatedly knocked down shots and were able to overcome the Blazers' second half runs. The second chance baskets in the 4th were what killed Portland, as Houston played with a fire that we only usually see in the first half from them. As Joel Przybilla put it after the game, "They wanted it more." Kyle Lowry also filled in admirably for Houston as Aaron Brooks struggled on the night. The two-headed point guard continued their connection, both missing last second free throws and putting a scare into the home crowd.
Why the Blazers Lost
If you look at the stat sheet and see Portland's 9 blocks to Houston's 1, you might think that the Blazers were the more aggressive team. How wrong you would be. Aside from Brandon Roy, who was 13-13 from the free throw line, nobody on Portland attacked the Rockets' defense. Roy more or less willed his team to a near win, and when the whistle blew on his shot with less than 27 seconds to go, I could have sworn that Roy was going to the line again. Instead, Chuck Hayes was rewarded for great defensive play. The Blazers let Houston push the issue in the 4th, and settled for trying to stop Yao instead of guarding the perimeter. It killed them.
Heading into Game 5
The Blazers are in a do or die situation, but they're at home. That will be a huge boost. They can't continue to play poorly for two quarters and then go to the well in the second half, even if it's Houston's bread and butter to give up leads. The Rockets see the finish line and will be ready to end the series. They will need all the rest they can get as they are already looking at L.A. as their second round foe (The winner of L.A.-Utah really gives Houston match-up problems either way.) If the Blazers can get this one, it's a whole new ballgame. The Rockets can't allow that to happen and must continue to get Yao the ball. Yao must beat Pzybilla and Oden to his mark, something he has struggled to do at times. If he does that and gets the Blazers' bigs in trouble, this game could be over quickly. Okay no it won't. It's Houston we're taking about. My heart says the Rockets will close this series out now, but my head says that the Blazers have been in the last two games and will play like a wounded animal, clawing their way to live another day.
Prediction: Blazers in a Close One
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