ROCKETS.... NOT SO FAST

Most basketball experts could tell you that close out games are often the most difficult to win, especially on the road. The Rockets game 5 loss in Portland exemplified that. After taking a commanding 3-1 lead in Houston last Friday, the Rockets headed back to the west coast with plans to put away the youngest, most athletic team in the Western Conference. They came up short when the Blazers came up big losing 88-77 in what was a close game throughout.

A win Tuesday night would have matched up the Rockets with the defending Western Conference Champion Los Angeles Lakers for the Conference Semifinals. Now they will have the pressure of yet another close out game, this time in the Toyota Center.

The Rockets started off with good execution on the offensive end, feeding the ball into Yao Ming and working with the opportunities that his presence gives them. However, their turnovers early in the game allowed Portland to control the tempo. They played well defensively when they were allowed to play aggressively but the foul differential between the two teams (Houston 24, Portland 12) came back to haunt the Rockets in the end.

Blazers stud LaMarcus Aldridge played his best game of the series. Not only did he explode offensively with 25 points on 11-20 shooting, he got the better of the power forward matchup with Luis Scola who was hardly effective when it mattered most. Scola had 15 points in the first quarter and shot an impressive 77 percent from the field in the game recording a team high 21 points. He, along with Ron Artest, also had a team high of four turnovers in the game, each one being critical in a playoff atmosphere.

The better point guard in the game was an unlikely hero. With the Blazers best player Brandon Roy struggling early on, veteran Steve Blake outplayed Rockets point guard Aaron Brooks in a duel that was completely lopsided. Blake drained both of his three point field goal attempts while Brooks went 1-8 from deep, shooting 30 percent for the game. The Rockets as a team shot 20 percent from three point range.

If the Rockets have any intention on advancing in the playoffs, they should focus on sticking with what got them here and not stray away from their identity. Unfortunately, the reputation they have made for themselves is one of impatience and lack of discipline when the games get tough. Yes they were on the road playing against a dangerous team with their backs against the wall. But the Rockets, who didn’t play their best game, had the close out victory within their grasp.

In the third quarter, Brooks connected on his lone three point field goal to cap a 15-4 run that tied the game 60-60. The Rockets managed to regain the lead in the fourth quarter. Then the aforementioned foul discrepancy came into effect. They were in the bonus with 7:46 remaining in regulation, putting the Blazers on the free-throw line with every foul called for the remainder of the game. Brandon Roy suddenly caught fire. He made 14 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, ruling out any chances the Rockets may have had at ending the series at least until tonight.


In Game 6, the Rockets will be faced with a pressure situation that they aren’t quite used to. They will not only be expected to advance to the 2nd round of the playoffs, but they will have to do it in front of their home fans. If they don’t, then they will be faced with a burden all too familiar. Coach Rick Adelman has emphasized the need to execute down the stretch.

“We have to have more control and more patience than we showed tonight,” said Adelman. “Give them credit. They came out like they should. They came out very aggressive with a lot of energy and took it at us. But offensively we have got to be more patient.”

Rockets being Rockets...

Questions of playoff readiness were silenced after Game 1 this past weekend when the Houston Rockets derailed the young and talented Portland Trail Blazers in an overwhelming double-digit victory. But the criticism is showing up again and rightfully so.

The Rockets fell to the Blazers 107-103 in game 2 on Tuesday, exactly the way they knew they could. The game plan was no secret, it was no surprise. Double team the biggest player on the floor, and live with the smaller players beating you.

Yao Ming dominated in game 1, while going 9-9 for 24 points in the first half alone. His services weren’t even needed in the second half, where point-guard Aaron Brooks and the rest of the Rocket squad sealed the deal.

Game 2 was a totally different story. The Blazers exploited the Rockets’ evident weaknesses, which ironically resembled their own. Neither team has a lot of playoff experience, not to mention the lack of success. Most of the Blazers key players are making their debut in postseason play. But the inexperience showed more in the Rockets on Tuesday night.

“We put ourselves in a bad position,” Coach Rick Adelman told reporters. “We have to get into our offense quicker and then we have to have patience. We didn’t have patience all night long.”

Blazers guard Brandon Roy was unstoppable scoring 42 points in 42 minutes. But he didn’t really beat the Rockets. As good as he was, his performance never dominated the game, even though it was fun to watch. Power forward LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 27 points on 11-19 shooting which is similar to the performance he was expected to give in Game 1, but failed. As good as he was, he didn’t beat the Rockets either. He missed a few 18-foot jump shots down the stretch but the Rockets could not capitalize.

Credit the Blazers for answering the challenge of defending the best offensive post player in the league. They held Yao to 11 points on 3-6 shooting. It was a decent defensive effort, but the Rockets can blame themselves for not winning this game. Statistically, they did well but anyone who watched the game could see they were shaky towards the end. Yao isn’t just their best player, but everything that they do offensively begins with him. So when he was taken out of the game midway through the 3^rd quarter with his fourth foul, those Rockets who had been so good suddenly had no clue how to execute.

They shot 50% from the field overall and were only slightly outrebounded which may have been the difference. They didn’t play that well and still had the win within their grasp. The Blazers had six offensive boards to the Rockets’ four. I’ll remind you that this was only a two-possession game. Game 3 will be Friday at the Toyota Center.