Houston, We Had A Dynasty - Officially Retired

[Lamrock]

Should've just picked the winners yourself. Game's usually wrong anyway.

[Axel The Great]

K-Mart MVP? Ariza can play better.

Unfortunately from my Awards post no. Damn that Kobe Bryant!! Ariza better play better because if he doesn't, I will dump that long contract on an unlucky team.

Should've just picked the winners yourself. Game's usually wrong anyway.

I'll go ahead and do so later, when I've viewed some of the contenders for each award.

[Axel The Great]

2010 Playoffs Preview



These are the matchups for the playoffs. Let's focus on a particular series: New Orleans vs. Houston Rockets.


The Starters

C Emeka Okafor | PF David West | SF Peja Stojakovic | SG Darren Collison | PG Chris Paul

The Bench

Sean Marks | Marcus Thornton | Julian Wright | James Posey | Ike Diougu | Morris Peterson | Eric Snow

IR

Aaron Gray | Darius Songaila | Mark Madsen


The Starters

C Yao Ming | PF Luis Scola | SF Trevor Ariza | SG Kevin Martin | PG Aaron Brooks

The Bench

Jared Jeffries | Jordan Hill | Chase Budinger | Kyle Lowry | Donte Greene | Shane Battier | Chuck Hayes

IR

David Andersen | Jermaine Taylor

The Keys to the Series:
Houston Rockets:
The main key for the Rockets is to maintain Chris Paul to a minimal level of play. That's 100 times easier said than done. If Chris Paul isn't scoring or dishing, the Hornets aren't flying or stinging. So, to contain him, you need a player with strength and speed. Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry don't have strength, but they have speed. Not enough. There are two players on the Rockets who have what it takes to chase Chris Paul: Shane Battier and Kevin Martin. Shane Battier, the best on-ball defender in the NBA is known for harassing superstars, and with his strength, he can maybe contain CP3. K-Mart on the other hand isn't considered a strong player, but he does have the strength advantage over CP3, making him a formidable matchup for him.

What happens to Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry you ask? Well Darren Collison is actually a PG, but the Hornets start him at SG, so AB and Lowry will have to matchup against him. Note: Jared Jeffries will be activated for this series so he can battle Okafor and West on the boards.

New Orleans Hornets:
You take the engine out of a Rocket and it doesn't work. The Hornets will have to look to do that in this series. What's confusing is who is the engine of the Rockets. Well, they'll have to speed the game up to Up Tempo to make Yao Ming run, and force him out on the perimeter, where he can't score with as much consistency. Since the Hornets' starting guards are undersized, they'll have to look to bring Peja to guard K-Mart maybe even David West. But to defend the Screen and Roll, they can't switch, or K-Mart will have his way through the whole series. They'll probably need to bring Posey, maybe Julian Wright, to guard K-Mart.

This series has a lot of what if's, but if the Rockets keep playing like they did in the regular season, they'll be fine. I'll be doing 2-game recaps for the entire playoffs. Next recap will hopefully be up by Tuesday.

[Andrew]

I don't think I've posted these photos anywhere else other than on here. Where did you see them?

I'm pretty sure you posted them earlier in this thread. They just seem familiar, especially the video of Duncan at the free throw line. In any case, good to see them again.

No surprises with Kobe picking up the MVP award. Still, if all goes well that won't mean much come the end of the season. Good luck against the Hornets!

[brett35]

you stop chris paul you stop the whole team because everything starts with him, and PG's always seem to score the most in the game lol

[cavs4872]

Their bench doesn't look like they'll pose much of a threat, and by the look of things, this should be an automatic sweep for you. K-Mart's got a seven-inch height advantage on Collison, so be sure to take advantage of that mismatch.

[lefisto]

When I'm against Hornets, Okafor is always a threat hehe... but I think you can handle this one good luck...

P.S. Eric Snow is back lol...

[Lamrock]

Paul's a huge threat, but your team is too much. Kevin Martin should take a dump on Collison, and you win in 4.

[Clutch]

nice work finishing out the season man i'll give the Hornets 1 game only due to CP3; other than that you should wipe the floor with them. Yao, eyes on the prize big guy...

[Axel The Great]

I don't think I've posted these photos anywhere else other than on here. Where did you see them?

I'm pretty sure you posted them earlier in this thread. They just seem familiar, especially the video of Duncan at the free throw line. In any case, good to see them again.

No surprises with Kobe picking up the MVP award. Still, if all goes well that won't mean much come the end of the season. Good luck against the Hornets!

I think you might be getting confused with the Chuck Hayes Free Throws that Thierry posted a while back. This is actually the first time I've posted the Tim Duncan video on the internet in general.

Kobe may have won MVP, but if K-Mart and Kobe meet up in the Conf. Finals, you can bet K-Mart will give it his all.

you stop chris paul you stop the whole team because everything starts with him, and PG's always seem to score the most in the game lol

If I can stop CP3, the series is an automatic sweep.

Their bench doesn't look like they'll pose much of a threat, and by the look of things, this should be an automatic sweep for you. K-Mart's got a seven-inch height advantage on Collison, so be sure to take advantage of that mismatch.

My bench is sure to come up big this series, especially since all they have is starters. I'll be sure to play Battier and K-Mart together so they can both match up against CP3 and Collison. Thanks for the advice.

When I'm against Hornets, Okafor is always a threat hehe... but I think you can handle this one good luck...

P.S. Eric Snow is back lol...

I hate playing against Okafor. He always has 15+ rebounds when I play the Hornets. Too bad he isn't a scoring threat.

Eric Snow probably won't get much playing time this series.

Paul's a huge threat, but your team is too much. Kevin Martin should take a dump on Collison, and you win in 4.

Hyperize also suggested I match K-Mart with Collison. I hope it's a sweep, this Hornets team beat me once in the regular season.

nice work finishing out the season man i'll give the Hornets 1 game only due to CP3; other than that you should wipe the floor with them. Yao, eyes on the prize big guy...

Give them 1 game because they beat me once in the regular season. Yao had better karate chop Okafor for those rebounds.

[Axel The Great]

2-game Recap

Houston Rockets 117-99 New Orleans Hornets


Yao is really focused on winning a championship.

The Rockets kicked off the playoffs in a stinging way. From the start, their strategy was foul trouble, as they attempted 12 free throws in the 1st quarter. Chris Paul could not be contained by either Shane Battier or Kevin Martin. Due to Emeka Okafor's foul trouble (he only pulled 6 rebounds), Yao Ming excelled on the boards and pulled down 18 of them. Really not much can be said about this game, but the Rockets have lifted off on the right foot in the playoffs.

SPOTG-

Yao Ming
16 points | 18 reb | 3 ast | 1 blk

Top Scorers-
Rockets: Kevin Martin- 24
Hornets: Chris Paul- 27

Board Crashers-
Rockets: Yao Ming- 18
Hornets: Sean Marks- 7

Assists-
Rockets: Aaron Brooks- 7
Hornets: Chris Paul- 11

Box Scores-
30 28 32 27 117
25 21 29 24 99


Easy baskets like this were given to the Rockets throughout the whole game.

Houston Rockets 106-90 New Orleans Hornets


If you thought Yao dominated last game, he totally controlled this game.

This game featured more dominance from the Rockets. The Hornets had improved defense, but foul trouble still haunted them. Chris Paul still remains unstopable, but Yao is just dominant. He passed 20-20, scoring 22 and pulling 21 rebounds. The Hornets had their first lead of the series early on, but the Rockets went on a 10-0 run. In the 2nd half, the Hornets came within 10, but the Rockets pulled away due to bench scoring (ie Bud scored 16 off the bench, Donte Greene scored 9 going 4/4), tough defense and bad shot selection from the Hornets. The series now shifts to New Orleans, where the Rockets lost once this season. Can they forget about that loss and continue to dominate?

SPOTG-

Yao Ming
22 points | 21 reb | 2 ast | 3 blk

Top Scorers-
Rockets: Kevin Martin- 28
Hornets: Chris Paul- 28

Board Crashers-
Rockets: Yao Ming- 21
Hornets: Emeka Okafor- 14

Assists-
Rockets: Aaron Brooks- 7
Hornets: Chris Paul- 13

Box Scores-
36 30 22 18 106
25 27 23 16 90


Not even Shane Battier can stop CP3.


Even though David West barely just came from an injury, his presence has been felt this series.

Playoffs Watch: Every series in the playoffs in the East is tied at 1, except for the Bulls-Pistons series. Detroit leads 2-0. (Not a typo Andrew.)

In the West every higher seeded team is up 2-0.

[Clutch]

way too much Rocket fuel all i can do is join the crowd chant,

"YAO MIIING! YAOMINGYAOMINGYAO MIIIIIING!!
YAO MIIIING! YAO MIIIIIIING!!!!"

[kibaxx7]

Sorry I missed the last couple of updates man. Superb wins. Nice to see Madsen and Snow back on the court

[Andrew]

I think you might be getting confused with the Chuck Hayes Free Throws that Thierry posted a while back. This is actually the first time I've posted the Tim Duncan video on the internet in general.

I guess so. They just seemed really familiar but I guess it was Thierry's photos and video I was remembering, or possibly someone else. Anyway, thanks for posting them.

Yao's in top form at the right time of the year. Looks like you're bound for the second round with a sweep.

[Axel The Great]

way too much Rocket fuel all i can do is join the crowd chant,

"YAO MIIING! YAOMINGYAOMINGYAO MIIIIIING!!
YAO MIIIING! YAO MIIIIIIING!!!!"

That's the first time I've ever pulled down 20+ rebounds with a single player. I hope this Rocket fuel keeps going throughout the playoffs.

Sorry I missed the last couple of updates man. Superb wins. Nice to see Madsen and Snow back on the court

Eric Snow actually got some play time at the end of both games. I think all he had was an assist in Game 1.

I think you might be getting confused with the Chuck Hayes Free Throws that Thierry posted a while back. This is actually the first time I've posted the Tim Duncan video on the internet in general.

I guess so. They just seemed really familiar but I guess it was Thierry's photos and video I was remembering, or possibly someone else. Anyway, thanks for posting them.

Yao's in top form at the right time of the year. Looks like you're bound for the second round with a sweep.

Weird how the mind works huh? I sometimes think something is familiar, but then I find out I've never seen it before.

I hope it's the Blazers I face in the second round. I swept the season series with them, Spurs are just difficult. Next recap will hopefully be up by Wednesday.

[lefisto]

Okafor isn't much a threat after all. Nice wins, Yao is totally dominating. Paul can't handle your guys, he better leave Hornets then

[Axel The Great]

Foul trouble left Okafor being not much of a threat. CP3 is the only one who's actually trying on the Hornets, and David West too. It's just that my players are trying harder.

[Wyze]

Yao Ming

Superb wins, hopefully you can carry this momentum through the playoffs.

[Keef]

Weird how the mind works huh? I sometimes think something is familiar, but then I find out I've never seen it before.

Deja Vu?

[Axel The Great]

Yao Ming

Superb wins, hopefully you can carry this momentum through the playoffs.

Momentum is crucial in the playoffs. If Yao Ming can pick up another 20+ boards more often, we are on our way to a championship.

Weird how the mind works huh? I sometimes think something is familiar, but then I find out I've never seen it before.

Deja Vu?

Ehh... Sort of. Deja Vu is when you see something you've actually seen before though.

[Andrew]

Not quite. Deja vu is (to quote dictionary.com) "the illusion of having previously experienced something actually being encountered for the first time", though it's often used to describe the feeling of doing something over and over again. Keef's use of the term is actually correct for the phenomenon you described. In my case however, I knew the context and circumstances of what I remembered - or thought I remembered - so in my case it's more a case of a false memory or perhaps mistaken identity, since others have posted similar photos and videos from times they've been to NBA games.

[Axel The Great]

OK, I understand now, and since I understand, let's keep the topic on basketball. Anyways, the next recaps will hopefully be up in a few hours.

[cavs4872]

way too much Rocket fuel all i can do is join the crowd chant,

"YAO MIIING! YAOMINGYAOMINGYAO MIIIIIING!!
YAO MIIIING! YAO MIIIIIIING!!!!"

Same here man, same here.

phpBB [video]

[Axel The Great]

2-game Recap

Houston Rockets 95-90 New Orleans Hornets


Defense has helped the Rockets succeed so far this season.

Though the Hornets got blown out in the first two games, they came out ready to play this game. The first half was atrocious for the Hornets however. Bad turnovers and bricked field goals had the Hornets down by double-digits. In the 2nd half, the Hornets battled back, and after trailing by 15, brought the margin down to 3. However, the Rockets were able to close out the game with free throws, and find themselves with a comfortable 3-0 lead.

SPOTG-

Yao Ming
21 points | 11 reb | 3 ast | 2 stl

Top Scorers-
Rockets: Kevin Martin- 32
Hornets: Chris Paul- 24

Board Crashers-
Rockets: Yao Ming- 11
Hornets: Emeka Okafor- 9

Assists-
Rockets: Aaron Brooks- 5
Hornets: Chris Paul- 5

Box Scores-
27 22 22 24 95
18 18 23 31 90


Emeka Okafor became a scoring threat, and finished with 22 points.

Houston Rockets 103-89 New Orleans Hornets


The Rockets closed out the series with defense.

With every bucket, with every three, with every point scored by the Rockets, the New Orleans Hornets' season was dying. The Hornets showed strong willpower throughout the whole game, but the Rockets' willpower was just stronger. Good offense and tough defense were the keys to closing out the series. The 1st quarter was a struggle offensively for both teams. With every quarter gone, the Rockets pulled away.

With two minutes left to go in the game, the Hornets looked their strongest on offense, and if the Rockets couldn't convert offensively, they would be put in a tough spot. Aaron Brooks said no to that. He scored 10 of his 18 points in the 4th quarter, becoming the Sprite Performer of the Game. The Big 3 came up big this game to complete the sweep. Aaron Brooks scored 18 and dished out 10, Kevin Martin 21 and dished out 9, Yao Ming scored 12 and grabbed 13, ending the season for CP3 and his crew.

"I am very proud of how far this and how much this team has done. We've come from a disappointing second round exit, to being a favorite to win the championship. Now we need to just keep our heads high, and play solied defense to chase that championship. Overall, if we win 12 more games, we win a championship," were Rick Adelman's words after the game.

SPOTG-

Aaron Brooks
18 points | 10 ast | 2 reb | 3 stl

Top Scorers-
Rockets: Kevin Martin- 21
Hornets: Darren Collison- 25

Board Crashers-
Rockets: Yao Ming- 13
Hornets: Sean Marks- 11

Assists-
Rockets: Aaron Brooks- 10
Hornets: Chris Paul- 9

Box Scores-
22 27 28 26 103
21 19 24 25 89


Aaron Brooks' late surge helped the Rockets to victory.


The future of the Hornets and CP3 is a foggy one.

Series wrap-up: The Hornets were prepared to defend the perimeter this series, as perimeter shooting helped the Rockets to a 66-16 season. However, little did they know that the Rockets were coming into the playoffs with a new mentality: attack the basket as if you've been doing it all season. This surprised the Hornets: BAM! you have a sweep.

West Results:
(1)HOU 4:0 NOH(8)
(4)POR 4:0 SAS(5)
(3)PHX 4:1 DAL(6)
(2)LAL 4:0 DEN(7)

East Results:
(1)CLE 4:3 MIA(8)
(5)NYK 4:1 ORL(4)
(3)BOS 4:1 ATL(6)
(2)CHI 4:3 DET(7) (article on this series later)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alright, I'm taking a 2-day break. Maybe I deserve it, maybe I don't, but I need to get everything ready for the second round post. I will be facing the TrailBlazers, who had 11 less wins than the Spurs in the regular season, but still swept them in this first round. Let's hope the Rockets have a different future than the Spurs.

[Axel The Great]

RedNation News Article

The Chicago Bulls have made history greater than MJ!

The Chicago Bulls are better known for being the franchise in which all-time great Michael Jordan played in. Now, the Bulls have something else to be known for. They have become the first team to win a play-off series, trailing 3-0. What does this mean? The Detroit Pistons (the Bulls' playoff opponents), were up 3-0 against the Bulls, seeking an upset. However, the Bulls came back and won in 7 games, thanks to huge performances by Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.

Now you might be asking, what do the Rockets' media want to do with this? The Rockets media was one of the first people to get the inside scoop on the story, it's nice to write an article about something historic as this. Derrick Rose was careful in his words to the media from another team, but he said "It's a huge accomplishment. I don't think my career will be half as good as MJ's, but at least I know that I've accomplished something he didn't. The team kept fighting with willpower, and heart. While the Pistons thought they had the series won, and thought they could just relax." The Bulls will now be facing the Celtics in the second round, looking to seek revenge from the classic playoff series from last season.

Though this is a huge accomplishment, the Rockets better hope they don't face the Bulls in the finals, as this is a franchise who has done all, and seen all. More coverage from us at RedNation will be coming throughout the playoffs.