FoxPerez
03-24-2011, 03:53 PM
From The Daily Six Shooter (http://bit.ly/hgDnkY) at PlaymakerOnline.com (http://www.playmakeronline.com/):
Who’s going to step up with a headline-grabbing game next?
That seems to be the question everyone who follows the Houston Rockets is asking. After Kyle Lowry put up great numbers last week, including a triple-double, and was named the Western Conference Player of the Week, Chuck Hayes gave Houston their 2nd triple double in less than a week with 13 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Houston was able to wear down Golden State with steady play and contributions all around. Hayes’ triple-double overshadowed Kevin Martin’s 32 points and eerily similar games from Lowry and Hayes. Each had 13 points and combined for 23 assists. It’s not every day that a point guard and center put up those kinds of numbers in the same game, but it goes to show that the difference in a game where two teams played so well offensively was ball distribution. Houston had six players in double figures, taking a page from the San Antonio Spurs winning strategy this season.
The Rockets have now matched their season-high with a five game winning streak, but it’ll be put to the test on Sunday when they start a three-game road trip in Miami.
Sadly, Houston wasn’t able to gain any ground on the Memphis Grizzlies, who sit in the 8th and final playoff spot in the West and who won in Boston last night. Memphis looked really good at the Garden and played better than most teams have on the road against the Celtics. The Grizzlies’ next two games are against Chicago and San Antonio, but the schedule gets considerably easier after that. The Rockets may have more luck rooting for New Orleans to slip out of the playoff picture than Memphis because the Grizzlies are playing well and New Orleans is playing inconsistent at best. The Hornets sit in the 7th spot right now, but they’ve been steadily falling for over a month now and have games against the Lakers, Trailblazers, Rockets, Mavericks, and play the Grizzlies twice before the season is over.
While it seemed unlikely when I was talking to my friend Eliot last week, this dream playoff scenario just might happen:
#1 San Antonio vs #8 Houston
#2 LA Lakers vs #7 Memphis
#3 Dallas vs #6 Denver
#4 Oklahoma City vs #5 Portland
I’d want to watch every minute of the OKC-Portland matchup because LaMarcus Aldridge is having a breakout season and watching he and Kevin Durant (both Texas Longhorns) go back and forth for at least six games would be amazing. There’d be one game where they both would score 40 and it would be epic.
For more NBA coverage, check out PlaymakerOnline.com (http://www.playmakeronline.com/)
Playmaker Magazine: The Source for Sports in Texas
Who’s going to step up with a headline-grabbing game next?
That seems to be the question everyone who follows the Houston Rockets is asking. After Kyle Lowry put up great numbers last week, including a triple-double, and was named the Western Conference Player of the Week, Chuck Hayes gave Houston their 2nd triple double in less than a week with 13 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Houston was able to wear down Golden State with steady play and contributions all around. Hayes’ triple-double overshadowed Kevin Martin’s 32 points and eerily similar games from Lowry and Hayes. Each had 13 points and combined for 23 assists. It’s not every day that a point guard and center put up those kinds of numbers in the same game, but it goes to show that the difference in a game where two teams played so well offensively was ball distribution. Houston had six players in double figures, taking a page from the San Antonio Spurs winning strategy this season.
The Rockets have now matched their season-high with a five game winning streak, but it’ll be put to the test on Sunday when they start a three-game road trip in Miami.
Sadly, Houston wasn’t able to gain any ground on the Memphis Grizzlies, who sit in the 8th and final playoff spot in the West and who won in Boston last night. Memphis looked really good at the Garden and played better than most teams have on the road against the Celtics. The Grizzlies’ next two games are against Chicago and San Antonio, but the schedule gets considerably easier after that. The Rockets may have more luck rooting for New Orleans to slip out of the playoff picture than Memphis because the Grizzlies are playing well and New Orleans is playing inconsistent at best. The Hornets sit in the 7th spot right now, but they’ve been steadily falling for over a month now and have games against the Lakers, Trailblazers, Rockets, Mavericks, and play the Grizzlies twice before the season is over.
While it seemed unlikely when I was talking to my friend Eliot last week, this dream playoff scenario just might happen:
#1 San Antonio vs #8 Houston
#2 LA Lakers vs #7 Memphis
#3 Dallas vs #6 Denver
#4 Oklahoma City vs #5 Portland
I’d want to watch every minute of the OKC-Portland matchup because LaMarcus Aldridge is having a breakout season and watching he and Kevin Durant (both Texas Longhorns) go back and forth for at least six games would be amazing. There’d be one game where they both would score 40 and it would be epic.
For more NBA coverage, check out PlaymakerOnline.com (http://www.playmakeronline.com/)
Playmaker Magazine: The Source for Sports in Texas