NBA 2010-2011 Thread

[a6m5]

I am heading to the US early march and just bought tickets to a Lakers vs Magic game (at the Staple center LA). I am quite excited as I have always been a NBA fan but everytime I have been in the US before it was off season so this is my first.

Wow, first game at the Staples Center. Nice going, Jay. You caught Phil Jackson just in time!

As a Blazer fan, and part-time Spurs fan, it's pretty much a taboo, but I'm a huge fan of Kobe, also Phil Jackson. I hope Kobe put on a show against the Magic. 👍

 

[Jay]

Wow, first game at the Staples Center. Nice going, Jay. You caught Phil Jackson just in time!

As a Blazer fan, and part-time Spurs fan, it's pretty much a taboo, but I'm a huge fan of Kobe, also Phil Jackson. I hope Kobe put on a show against the Magic. 👍

Thanks, yep very much looking forward to it and I am very happy I get to see Phil Jackson (was a big bulls fan in the 90's like almost everyone), this year my nephew is coming with me to the US and he is a big NBA and Lakers fan who is also very much looking forward to it. Going to be great.

 

[Paulie]

That's sweet Jay, you ought to enjoy the atmosphere of the NBA that's for sure. If I was going I'd pick a Toronto vs Milwaukee game, since I'm a Raptors and Bogut fan. I'm quite jealous of you though.

 

[FishforRent]

Man! Spurs walk into a buzz saw in New Orleans tonight. Jeez. Started towards the end of the 2nd quarter when the Hornets go on something like a 18 to 5 run to go ahead at the break by 3. Then in the 3rd quarter the wheels come off the Spurs. We only score 10pts in the 3rd ! We couldn't hit anything, and played crap defense. Hornets get hot from the 3 point line and suddenly we go down by 25. Pop pulls the starters and pretty much throws in the towel. The whole 4th we only played the bench, deep down the bench at that. He'll do that to make a point sometimes. Some of the boys that almost never get extended minutes played the whole ending quarter. Wow. 'Back to life, back to reality' for us. Final 96-72 Hornets get over. Gads.

 

[JohnBM01]

Rockets got their butts handed to at home- a 118-104 pounding. We should have won last night's game at Memphis, but we end up failing again. Have I mentioned that we have NEVER gotten above .500 at all so far this season after 45 or so games?

If we need to send away some of our players just to give my boys ANY playoff chances, make them. This is a damned shame. I know there's no shame losing to the Magic, but when you lose this many games and if you're a fairly decent team, this is disappointing. Something needs to change NOW for the Rockets to properly make a season-saving turnaround. Piece of s:censored: performance by the 2010 Rockets. I'm both upset and disappointed. Something's got to f:censored:ing change... f:censored: NOW!!! Too much losing.

Up next, we host the Timberwolves on Monday night. We're going to lose this game too unless the Rockets decide to play basketball rather than be an NBA version of the Astros or the [2010] Texans.

 

[Paulie]

The Raptors got smashed as well, they got down to a 28pt deficit against the Heat by the 2nd quarter, managed to claw that back to a 10pt deficit, before Lebron took it home. Bargnani and Derozan had big nights despite the dismal start.

 

[Omnis]

The Heat game wasn't televised but when I saw the score I was like damn.

 

[Amped96]

Rockets lead by as many as 12, Memphis didn't give up, and the Rockets get disgraced 115-110 in Graceland. I guess the 2010 Rockets are okay with mediocrity losing to the Grizzlies. Maybe we are as bad as our record indicates. Damn shame. Hope the Rockets don't fail at home against the Magic (which is likely) tomorrow night. We just got beat- plain and simple. Maybe the worst deal was a phantom foul that ended up getting Chuck Hayes with five fouls.

Semi-rant over. You can't fall on your faces too much longer in too many more games if you want to have ANY hope of making the playoffs now do you, Rockets?

Grizz finally put an end to that 7 game streak you guys had on us! Then we beat the bucs Saturday night and are now 2 games below .500 at 21-23. We have a lull in the schedule coming up with some of the bottom east teams...we HAVE to get some wins!

 

[JohnBM01]

The Timberwolves went down to my Rockets at home to the tune of a 129-125(?) victory. That's after we made two clutch free throws followed by a meaningless three by the T-Wolves. This win over the Timberwolves ties us with the Oklahoma City Thunder for most wins against a certain conference opponent. Here's the saddest stat- this is only our fifth win of this month.

Up next, we're home to host the Clippers on Wednesday night. After that... at Dallas and at San Antonio in a back-to-back. This January Hell will mercifully come to an end. Hopefully, in wins. It would surely make me happy to see the Rockets knock down their three remaining opponents this month.



This Sunday will be the first of the ABC Sunday daytime games with a few big matches coming up.

 

[Paulie]

Rudy Gay nailed a shot with 1sec left in the game to take down the Raptors today. The slump is now to 8 games. Their offence is quite alright, but their defence is always crap, maybe it's the coach's fault.

 

[FishforRent]

Spurs get well against the Warriors last night, 113 - 102. Duncan left the game briefly with a knee injury, but came back later and finished with 16pts. Frenetic pace early on that finally slowed down. Decent ball movement and average defense (pathetic in the first period) by the Spurs. Spurs bench outscored the Warrior's 46-14. Next up we go to Utah tomorrow night then host John's Rockets on Saturday night.

Pop, after being named Coach of the Month for November and December, has been named the Western Conference Coach of the All Star game. I like that alot. Most of the players around the league do too. He's a class guy who doesn't BS anyone and doesn't have an ego; he's strict but fair and always shoots straight. I may even watch the All Star game now, since he's on the sidelines.

edit: Awesome Pop quote from last night: "I don't text, let alone Tweet," Popovich explained. "Somebody says, 'I texted you.' I say, 'That's your fault.' You texted me, and I'm supposed to know? Call me, write me a letter, yell at me." Apparently someone bought him an iphone.

 

[Amped96]

Rudy Gay nailed a shot with 1sec left in the game to take down the Raptors today. The slump is now to 8 games. Their offence is quite alright, but their defence is always crap, maybe it's the coach's fault.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S16TOQRnYi4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Rudy has been clutch this year. Its the same shot he hit over Lebron to win against the heat.

Hopefully we can go on a nice run here and get to or above .500. We are still a few games back of the 8th spot in the west.

 

[JohnBM01]

I saw on ESPNEWS in a "No He Didn't!" segment of Jerome Bettis tackling the Raptors' mascot just for fun. And unfortunately after reading Paulie's latest comment on the Raptors, the mascot wasn't the only one who got tackled. Sorry about the Raptors...

We failed twice against the Magic, but somehow by divine intervention... the Detroit Pistons [with former Rocket Tracy McGrady] somehow found a way to beat the Magic in their house.

Can you believe the Wizards STILL haven't won a road game? They're like, what... 0-21 this season on the road? Enjoy tonight's games!

 

[Paulie]

Raptors vs the 76'ers tomorrow, surely we can win that.
I can't help but wonder what this NBA season would look like if not a single player on any team was injured. Now that'd be entertainment.

 

[JohnBM01]

Rockets battle the Clippers tonight. We need to win this one to feel good about finally having a chance to end this brutal month strong. After this... at Dallas and at San Antonio. That's right- the NBA Texas Triangle ready to get busy this weekend! But first, we need to take care of the Clippers tonight.

I hate making this parallel, but the Cavaliers are kind of like the 2010 Houston Texans- a fairly good start... depressing onwards. The Cavaliers started 4-3. Now? They're 8-37. Their road ahead doesn't get much easier with some more powerful teams down the road. They host Denver on Friday. After that, they have a back-to-back with the NBA's two Florida teams: at Orlando this Sunday and at Miami Monday night. They don't face a team with a losing record until February 2, when they host the Indiana Pacers.

Enjoy tonight's games!

 

[a6m5]

Going to Boston @ Portland tomorrow. It's a pair of nosebleeds, but it's Boston..... I have to remember to take some 9V batteries for KG. j/k

 

[JohnBM01]

The Clippers got clipped by the Rockets 96-83. This month has been a trip through Hell, and this month in NBA Hell concludes at two in-state purgatories- at Dallas tomorrow night and at San Antonio this weekend. If the Rockets win both games, we'll be 24-25 on the year. At least that would be better than 24-27. Have to see if the Rockets can tighten up and keep playing consistent winning basketball. We're not going to finish the month with a winning record, but we have a chance to work for something towards February.

There was a more exciting finish in Minneapolis when the Thunder went up north. I think the Thunder won that game, but man... it was close! Both teams just played like the 8th and final playoff spot was on the line based on the highlights I saw.

 

[Paulie]

We lost to Philly, how the hell does that happen? 2011-12 can't come soon enough.

 

[FishforRent]

Spurs withstand the Jazz in a physical game , 112-105. We went up early in the game, outscoring Utah in each of the opening quarters. Third quarter saw SA go on a wicked run to stetch out to a 19pt lead, only to have Utah's bench reel it back in before the third quarter was over. After that the Spurs just held on through the fourth. 39-7 for the year is the best in franchise history and only 5 teams in NBA history have done better than that. Our offense is better this year than even our championship years but the defense is still not as good. Hopefully once the 'Rodeo-Road-Trip' starts we can tighten up that defense to what they've been known for. Right now I'm cool with victories (obviously), but as the year ends and the playoffs start, defense will be more important than offense. Rockets up next on Saturday night in SA. Should be good. 👍

 

[FishforRent]

Soooo, do the Heat actually run any plays? That Knick/Heat game was the most painful thing I've seen in awhile. Who's in charge of the team anyway? Certainly not the coach. The entire 4th quarter was one on one basketball from the Heat. The commentators were even growing tired of it. Knicks end up pulling it out at the end with a flurry of 3's. Bron-Bron was off, Wade shot decent with the cool shades. Just no rythme to their offense. I don't get to see them much, is that normal for them? Just asking.

 

[Omnis]

God damn Knicks. Yeah, Bosh is out so Wade and LeBron don't know what to do anymore.

 

[a6m5]

Heat - Knicks game was just wrapping up when I got to the Blazers game. Heat was up, Knicks got closer & closer. By the time we were at our seats, Knicks were up, fans watching on jumbotron cheering every Knick's made shots. Sorry Gian & Omnis.

 

[JohnBM01]

Sorry describes my Rockets as well. We trailed by as much as 25, made a huge rally, trailed by one late... then lost 111-106. Couldn't make a damned layup when it mattered most and when we had a chance to MAYBE win or force Overtime.

(Some other higher power) must hate Houston sports because we've been so terrible. There's either some plague or some divine power not allowing Houston's pro sports teams to really emerge. I hear this is part of a FOUR game road trip. Stop 2 on this 4-game set is at San Antonio. I know we beat the Celtics at the Celtics, but battling the Spurs is going to be an uphill battle. San Antonio is just too damn good. I wouldn't be surprised if we lost at San Antonio Saturday night. We need help right now. LOTS of it. Like- everybody we trail in the West screw up badly while we go on a significant hot streak help. Like- basketball version of the 2005 Houston Astros help.

The only positive to this is that we could have lost by 20+ points, but we lost by five on a great rally.

 

[Paulie]

I loved watching the Portland Celtics game, very entertaining and of course I love to see Mills playing. A shame they lost though. The blood lust in the NBA this week has been very high, players are playing physically and violently every game I've watched all week, with a number trying to start fights. Raptors just lost a thrilling game in overtime against the Bucks, and it finally seems like some of their players are feeling a little better coming off their injury. It was good to see Weems back in action and starting to find his feet again. Alexis Ajinca was just acquired from Dallas and he gave good minutes providing an excellent boost off the bench in the 2nd quarter. It was what the Raptors needed after foolishly trading Jarret Jack and David Andersen, a big guy to come off the bench who provides a defensive presence in the key.

 

[JohnBM01]

RUMBLE!!! Punches were exchanged when the Knicks played at the Hawks earlier tonight. The punches towards the end of this game didn't mean anything because the Hawks already knocked out the Knicks long ago.

Other winners...
* Heat win late at home 87-86 as the Pistons missed an alley oop dunk
* Bulls win at home vs. Magic 99-90.
* Kings beat the Lakers 100-95 in Los Angeles.
* Pacers burn the Nets 124-92 in Indianapolis.
* 88-71 was the final as the Suns took down the Celtics. Remember Sunday afternoon- Celtics at Lakers once again!
* The Wizards took the Thunder into Double Overtime in Oklahoma City... but lose 124-117 to the Thunder. The Wizards are STILL winless on the road up to this point. Some fans probably wish the Wizards would play the remainder of their schedule at home.

Saturday night... the Rockets, on a wing and a prayer, will take on the Spurs. And unless the Spurs just sleepwalk and don't show up, I'm expecting our losing streak to continue.


[UPDATE] The Hawks won 111-102 in that game against the Knicks. This fight with the Knicks wasn't nearly as bad as when the Knicks and Nuggets fought a few years ago at Madison Square Garden.

 

[JohnBM01]

Didn't hear or see the game since I was at the Houston Auto Show. I told you I wasn't surprised if the Rockets lost at the Spurs tonight- and we did. We lost 108-95 as I saw an exhausted Rockets squad head for the exits. There are teams in much worse shape than us, but we are really starting to seem like one of those teams that just can't seem to win ANY games right now.

If this is a critical road trip, we're not helping our cause at all by failing so much. Boys need to get it together unless they willingly want to enjoy vacation early.

 

[Paulie]

RUMBLE!!! Punches were exchanged when the Knicks played at the Hawks earlier tonight. The punches towards the end of this game didn't mean anything because the Hawks already knocked out the Knicks long ago.

And I quote.

The blood lust in the NBA this week has been very high, players are playing physically and violently every game I've watched all week, with a number trying to start fights.

 

[FishforRent]

Didn't hear or see the game since I was at the Houston Auto Show. I told you I wasn't surprised if the Rockets lost at the Spurs tonight- and we did. We lost 108-95 as I saw an exhausted Rockets squad head for the exits. There are teams in much worse shape than us, but we are really starting to seem like one of those teams that just can't seem to win ANY games right now.

If this is a critical road trip, we're not helping our cause at all by failing so much. Boys need to get it together unless they willingly want to enjoy vacation early.

I watched the first half and had to listen to the second half on the radio. First half was pretty even. Both teams were playing a little sloppy, but shots were still falling for each. The second half was a different story. Spurs defense woke up and Houston's shots stopped falling. Several steals by SA and Houston seemed to run out of steam by midway through the 4th. I was glad that SA won because that's the last home game we'll have until the end of February. The annual Rodeo Road Trip starts Tuesday and will extend for the next 9 games.

We even have a string of 4 games in 5 nights. during this run. This is where the true worth of SA will show itself. Pop is constently saying that just because SA has the best record in the league, that doesn't mean they're the best team in the league. I believe they're not even as good as they can be. It they put their hot shooting from the beginning of the season together with the strong defense they were playing in December they'd be better than they are right now. Hope that happens, because to a player that's what they're saying aswell. We'll see.

 

[JohnBM01]

Tonight, the Rockets have a very easy back-to-back. That is... if you consider at Lakers and at Jazz to be easy. We will thankfully back in H-Town after the at Jazz game tomorrow night. I've come to a point where I've given up on the 2010 Rockets until they can finally win and keep winning. Many people still think we need a solid big man and maybe move around a few more pieces to really make the Rockets at least an 8th Seed contender.

Tuesday is NBA Fan Night, so I'd wonder what game will be on NBA TV if you get NBA TV. Enjoy another night of NBA action!

 

[JohnBM01]

Lakers fans just need to shut the hell up about their team struggling, like they've come the Wizards of Cavaliers or something. Same old song and dance- Rockets lose again. 114-106 in Overtime. And guess what? My Rockets will be the cure to the Jazz's losing woes too unless Red Rising actually plays like they give a s:censored: about playing in the playoffs. We actually came from behind to force Overtime. Our Overtime record this season now: 0-5. Rick Adelman even said something along the lines of "we need to start winning games." Well, we're not doing that if the Rockets keep blowing these chances and playing worse than they actually are. You can't do that, damn it!

We'll fail to the Jazz, be further behind in the Western Conference standings, miss the Postseason, and I'll already just move on to Astros' season. To Hell with Cleveland sports- Houston sports is just as woeful. Another fail job by the Rockets. 🤬