Lakers @ Houston March 3

[DubOverdose]

Houston has won both previous meetings with the Lakers. Lakers were healthy both times (actually, Malone was out once). If the Rockets pull this off, the Mavs and Spurs standings in the West are much stronger, that is if the Spurs can beat Seattle tonight. This game will be on ESPN.

[mary]

Houston ahead by 10 at halftime. It looks like Shaq is getting outplayed by Yao again.

Shaq has 9 pts, 3 rbs and 3 fouls already.

Yao has 14 pts, 6 rbs and 2 fouls.

We could use some help tonight.

Go Rockets!

[mary]

Houston ahead by 15 now, Yao is 11 of 15, but has picked up his 4th foul with over seven minutes to go in the 3rd.

[Chiwas]

77-69, Houston winning, 9 minutes left in the 4th quarter.

[mavsfanforever]

Cannot believe that Yao is killing Shaq again.

Now Shaq is back.

[DubOverdose]

Lakers up by 1, Houston ball, 30s left

[MikeB]

Lakers shot the ball in the 4th.
12-18 and 5-6 on 3s...scoring 34
Rockets lose by 3
LA 96
Hou 93

[Shaq Attack2]

Yao looking great, but was timid down the stretch and Francis can't spell pass. Good win for the Lakers.

Rockets suck.

[NYCdog]

Francis can't spell pass.

I just dont understand this..........many people rag on Francis because they feel he doesnt pass enough. Even some Rocket fans. What the hell is up with this???

Do some of you even watch the game?

Francis on some occasions passes up his own shot, which is some cases is the better shot, to dish it to his teammates to get them involved. And hell, he set Yao up for a lot of his "Kareem-isk Sky Hooks" by rolling to the top of the key, and then dumping it down low. They run that play all the time. They did it in the All Star game, thus resulting in Yao scoring 18 points that night.

"Francis cant even spell pass"..............But he sure as hell can spell "ALLEY-OOP" for all the lobs to the basket he threw to Cato to hammer down, which seemed like almost on a regular basis. Last I checked, those were all passes.

Point is.........Steve in my mind, isnt as selfish as some of you seem to think he is. He got most of that bad rap due to the ISO ball offense former coach Rudy T used to implore that left Yao un-utilized. But now Van Gundy has a different offense being run through Yao. And when Yao calls for the ball, as he did last night, most of the times its Steve Francis getting him the ball. That's not selfish play at all.

You want selfish play.......see AI. He bruised his knee last night last night, but still proceeded to throw up every shot imaginable. He went 2-21...........that's selfish play.

[stevie_franchise3]

NYCdog,

That perception of Steve (and cuttino) is going to stick with them for awhile. For those people who dont watch the Rox on nightly basis dont understand what you are trying to say. Yes, steve isnt the smartest bball in the NBA and yes sometimes he tries to do too much but like you said his "selfish play" is way overrated. I think he has done a great job in trying to fit in the VanGundy system. That is why his numbers are down this year, that and for some reason he has lost his shot.

[kg_veteran]

I think a more accurate criticism of Francis would be that he really doesn't take very good care of the ball. The 6 assists per game he averages on the season is not very impressive for a point guard, but the part of his game that needs work is his assist-to-turnover ratio. He just gives the ball up to much (generally speaking), and this season he can't make shots on a regular basis.

As for last night's game, though, he did have 10 assists and a decent A/TO ratio, so saying he can't "spell pass" is probably a bit inaccurate. Perhaps you should say he averages almost as many passes to the other team as he does to his teammates. That would have been funnier. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[WayOutWest]

Francis is selfish, but so are most guards. Watching the Rockets is alot like watching the Lakers in regards to post play. Both teams have a dominant force in the middle yet in almost every single game the forget about him and get perimeter. Kobe does it all the time yet his assists are nothing to laugh at but he's still considered a ball hog.

I think much of the rep has to do with last year and thier stupid play in regards to Yao. Francis and Mobley would completely ignore Yao AND any form of offense and go one on one for perimeter shots. That same happened early this year and to a certain extent still happens BUT you can see Van Gundy's will being imposed on their game and it's starting to pay off. Yao is still not enough of a focal point of the offense IMO but you can see it's 100X better than last year.

[superheadcat]

i don't trust kobe taking that game winning tough shot.

30 secs left, one point down, kobe chose to dribble and dribble and then shot a 18 fter with 2 defenders waving their hands in his face, instead of passing to shaq or gp.

i believe he has higher chance missing that shot than shaq missing 2 ft.

i don't think lakers are really happy with that shot.

[WayOutWest]

I would put the ball in Kobe's hand aheads of any other player in the league today. Now if it's a set play then Reggie Miller would also get some consideration as well as Robert Horry. But just putting the ball in someones hands and saying "go for it", it's Kobe first, AI second and the rest third (T-Mac, NVE, TD and Bibby)

That shot over Yao was TERRIBLE, but it went in. I would never have drawn up that shot but I definately would run a play for Kobe.

[superheadcat]

it seemed pretty obvious that during that possession, kobe decided to take the ball and "go for it". but i highly doubt that is the play designed by pj.

the situation (time left, point differential, and laker's offense talents on court) definitely does not necessitate kobe's approach of running the play as he did, which obviously had increased the risk unnecessarily, and even if it succeeds, would not increase payoff to the team any more than other approaches would.

if the play had involved, say shaq, kobe still may have the chance to make that shot, but quite possibly with a much more open look. he could still be the hero.

kobe's play as he did sure increased payoff to himself more than other approaches could, though.

[WayOutWest]

Plain and simple, Shaq is the constant dominant force and Kobe is the closer. You may not agree with it, you may not like it but you can't argue the results.

[FreshJive]

Superhead cat, when the Lakers went to Shaq, he was fouled and then bricked both of his free throws. The dunk he came up with after the missed free throws was a freak turnover. I think its no coincidence that the Lakers lose a close game to Atlanta without Kobe, and then the next game they win a close one with Kobe.

[superheadcat]

freshjive, i am not trying to argue with the result. but i am trying to avoid evaluate a play purely from its outcome.

it is true (to me) that kobe took unnecessary risks that could potentially bury the winning chance for laker. last nite, he made that shot, but do u remember that kings game, when kobe missed the last shots and laker lost (and i could argue that kobe had more reason to take that 3-pter in at the end of kings game than he took the shot last nite)? at that time, even wow agreed that showed kobe's selfishness, so why is it different this time?

just because he missed the first one, he is selfish, and he made the second one, he is a hero, i disagree with that. he is what he is, a selfish player with incredible skills. and that doesn't make him a hero, not matter how much he believes it himself.

[WayOutWest]

Originally posted by: superheadcatjust because he missed the first one, he is selfish, and he made the second one, he is a hero, i disagree with that. he is what he is, a selfish player with incredible skills. and that doesn't make him a hero, not matter how much he believes it himself.

Then there are no hero's in basketball except Magic Johnson. Bird and MJ missed more game winners than they made and Magic had the most game winners.

[FreshJive]

SHC, I didn't mean to imply that Kobe was any sort of a hero or an unselfish player. He is just the Lakers best crunch time offensive option, and despite Shaq's dominance over most of the game he is a horrible option for the last few possesions of a game.