So we're going to go on the road against the Blazers in the first round. It's amazing how one game can change things. Had we won we'll be going up against Dallas at 2nd in the West right now. Regardless, I'm confident in the Rockets' chances against Portland. Although they match up well against Yao, we've shown this season we're the better team against them. The playoffs will be a different picture though. We definitely can't have Artest taking 20 shots and making 3 of them, and the bench will have to come through to match the energy Portland has off theirs. Winning on the road might be tough, but if things go well we should at least take one of those games. LET'S GO ROCKETS!!!
Man, just ONE game. We couldve had the division title for the first time in 15 years, a 2nd seed, and Dallas in the first round. But im not mad, we'll take Portland in 5 games. Their lack of playoff experience will cost them. GO ROCKETS!
Winning on the road will be tough, especially since we've been especially poor this season in that regard. Going down 0-2 in the first two games will definitely need to be avoided. The Rockets need to go to Yao and keep doing it. Once Przybilla and Oden get into foul trouble like the last game, we'll be fine.
Gonna be a great series. Two of the hottest teams at this point going at it. Frankly, I was hoping Portland would end up with SA or NO instead, but you take what you get. I have a lot of respect for this Houston team, so I think it'll be a tough one. I think it ends up coming down to HCA making the difference. Regardless, best of luck. Should certainly be fun. Please feel free to join us in the Portland forum, I know I'll be checking this forum a lot until the series is over.
Roy hit the best game winner this season against the Rockets. Should be a good series. Props to Fernandez for hitting the most 3 pointers in the regular season for a rookie.
Both teams won on their home courts in the regular season. I expect more of that in this series...both teams are fantastic home teams and mediocre road teams. As a Blazers fan, enjoy the series and good luck to both teams.
I don't think Oden will guard Yao often if Yao doesn't put Pryzbilla in foul trouble. Artest and Roy should be fun to watch. Scola will have some trouble with Aldridge, so Hayes will get some minutes to help on defense.
Yao vs Pryzbilla/Oden Scola/Landry vs Aldridge Battier/Artest vs Outlaw/Batum Artest/Wafer vs Brandon Roy/Fernandez Brooks/Lowry vs Blake
They've also got Frye and Rodriguez to go 10 deep. Lots of weapons at all positions, it'll be a tough cover on defense.
That's true, we don't have the playoff experience of losing in the first round. Should be a great series! I'll be at all the Blazers home games! Hopefully all the way to the finals! I wouldn't be surprise if we did lose one at home. Usually you need to win at least one on the road in a series. HCA just means you don't have to win two. I could just imagine though if it goes 7! That'll be one heck of a game to be at!! GO BLAZERS!!
This is the best series of the first round. It sucks that the Rockets couldn't secure home court advantage, because this is the best home court Rockets team in a long while. And Portland is really good at home. If we had home court advantage, I'd have picked Rockets in 6. As is, I'll have to predict Blazers in 7. X-factors this series will be Aaron Brooks, Ron Artest, and Von Wafer. At least two of those three need to be very good this series for us to win, IMO. Also, I'll just say that experience doesn't mean crap in this series. Under pressure, the Blazers have shown more poise than the Rockets this season, and that's what counts.
aaron brooks will eat blake alive. artest is a pain in roys ass too. if Aldridge goes off all series blazers should win in six, but im guessing 7 games. but im scared of aaron brooks.
Brooks will give you 3-12 nights from the field at least once this series, at least twice if the series goes to 7 games. In fact, I won't be surprised if he did that for every game. Same goes for Artest, except he'd miss twice as many shots and take twice as many bad ones. Efficiency for the Rockets needs to be key, in a slow-paced series like this we can't afford to make any stupid choices on offense.
Let's just hope it gets decided on the court - no injuries or suspect officiating! If that's the case, it should be a great series, even though I am predicting the Rockets will steal one in Portland and win in 6.
Wow, I predicted a win, but not a blowout. Great game. The way we started is what won us the game tonight. Yao Ming had a great 1st quarter and Aaron Brooks did his thing. At some points of the game, Brooks/Artest were taking stupid shots. They were jacking up 3's when we were up by like 21 points. I mean in a playoff game, if we play teams like Lakers, that should never happen. Great game anyways
