Lv06|ROCKETS-2| Officially Closed.

[Clutch]

HOUSTON ROCKETS: Current Statistical Breakdown (to-date)

[Skills]

Very detailed! I like it!
Those animated GIF's are slick!
I might use that idea, if it's ok with you?
How do you make them anyway?

[Chaser7]

Tough loss but this is great news that you are back Clutch! I thought you were never going to come back. Anyways why are you so much busy now (if I may ask)? anyways good luck and good job and hope this one finishes...

Quick question: Why does it say in the scouting report that it will hard to steal the ball off Rafer Alston if Alston isn't on either team's roster? I'm sure its probably just EA right?

[Jemesouviens]

So it's true!? He IS back.
Nice work Clutch!
You still haven't lost your touch after all this time off, and what a game for Yao Ming in a losing cause (party pooper Arenas!).
Glad you're back.

[Clutch]

skillmatic - thx man! yah the .GIFs are fun but take a bit more time; i'll be using them sparingly now; basically it's capturing key frames then stitching them together in a slideshow using Adobe ImageReady; that's how i made mine anyway; feel free to give it a try

chaser - never say never i guess basically workstuff and gf have kept me busy; i'm sure you're familiar w/how much of a fun but costly timesink making updates can be; also got sidetracked playing, "Knights of the Old Republic" hah; as far as Altson? he is on the WAS roster (click 'boxscore') but he had a DNP; weird... i know i had him and traded him but it's been so long i can't remember the details lol

jemesouviens - c'est bon! my team's GM is back! i'm glad if you're glad

[Clutch]

"13" Proves Unlucky For CP3, Hornets

HOUSTON, March 10 (AP) -- The Rockets snapped the Hornets 13-game win streak, in front of a frenzied home crowd and without Tracy McGrady, though it took their second overtime in two games to do so.

Led by a determined Yao Ming, Houston got off to a solid start controlling the game through much of the first half. However, the league's hottest team would claw their way back into it under by the savvy court leadership of floor General, Chris Paul.

With the score knotted nearing the close of regulation, the Rockets had the opportunity to win and delivered the ball to Ming for the final shot in the post but a strong double-team forced him to kick it out to guard, Mike James, on the perimeter. James had been hot from beyond the arc hitting 3-of-4 up to that point but his desperation buzzer-beater would fall short hitting the front rim.

Paul continued his onslaught in the extra period getting his teammates involved and compiling a smooth double-double with 18 points, 10 assists and 2 boards by night's end. David West would lead all scorers for New Orleans with 22 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

"We knew our streak had to end sometime," said West. "You gotta give it up to them tonight. Houston's no push over, even without T-Mac. They took care of business on their home floor; that's what good teams do."

Yao Ming, who proved once again unstoppable most the night, relied on his teammates to clinch the victory. In the final minutes of the game, Yao snatched an offensive rebound and found a cutting Joey Graham to put the Rockets ahead 103-98; after a quick Hornets' score, Yao again found Graham, this time for a wide-open jumper and 5 point cushion; free-throws would seal the home victory. Yao finished a terrific night with 32 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks while Graham finished a respectable 19 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

The Rockets next head for the Motor City to face one of the East's best in Chauncey Billups and the Detroit Pistons.

Notes: With less than two minutes remaining in OT, the Hornets' David West injured his leg in a knee-to-knee collison with Rockets' Dikembe Mutombo -- West left the game and did not return -- The victory moves the Rockets half a game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks, three games behind New Orleans and four games behind the Southwest division leading, San Antonio Spurs.

[homicide1550]

Nice idea on the boxscore! And welcome Back!

[Jemesouviens]

^Yep, I agree.
Clutch, you always have new tricks up your sleeves. That's why your dynasty is... the best

Nice win against the Hornets. Yao is playing so well, you can't even tell he is playing on a 'stress fractured' foot

Keep it up!

[Chaser7]

Hmm.. I liked your old format better, but if this saves time, then albeit go right ahead. I'd rather have some form of this dynasty continuing than none at all

[Clutch]

homi - thx man; look forward to see how CLE turns out for you;

jemesouviens - hahah fracture? what fracture?

chaser - can't please everybody i'll probably go template similar to the old format come playoffs (if i can make it) but for now yah, this definitely cuts time

[Clutch]

"Big Shot" Derails Rockets

MICHIGAN, March 12 (AP) -- Even with All-Star, Tracy McGrady, returning to Houston's starting lineup, the Detroit Pistons showed the visiting Rockets why they are currently the top-ranked team in the Eastern Conference relying on that which they take pride in most - good ol' fashion defense.

The Rockets only days earlier defeated the West's top-ranked team, the New Orleans Hornets, in a grueling home overtime bout yet showed little sign of fatigue on the road; in fact, they seemed energized by McGrady's return. T-Mac showed rust in the early goings by missing his first four shot attempts but soon found his shooting rhythm even though hounded by one of the NBA's premiere one-on-one defenders, Tayshaun Prince. McGrady finished the game with a solid 26 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.

Yao Ming also had a good game continuing a streak of offensive dominance but was severly out-rebounded 16-to-5 by the Piston's tandem of Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess. Yao finished the night with a team-high 28 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks but was limited to only 1 assist.

Unfortunately for the Rockets, the man of the night was Detroit's, Chauncey Billups, who stole the show in the waning minutes of the contest.

"Mister Big Shot's" biggest shot came with Detroit leading 96-95 with 38.1 seconds left in the game as he faked a drive then calmly pulled up to drain an 18-footer over the outstretched arm of McGrady giving the Pistons a 98-95 edge.

Houston would fail to score on it's next possession and Billups would gift-wrap the killing blow, penetrating the lane with just under ten seconds and dishing to a wide-open Rasheed Wallace on the wing for a dagger trey. With 5.7 seconds left, the Rockets would attempt a desperation three-pointer to no avail. Billups finished the game with a team-high 30 points, 2 assists and 2 steals while Wallace ended with 11 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks and an assist.

The Rockets will look to regroup tomorrow night, returning home to the Toyota Center to take on Zach Randolf and the Portland Trailblazers. Owners of the league's worst record at 13-49, the Blazers really have nothing to lose; the Rockets, however, have everything at stake considering the tight competition in the Southwest division and can't take Portland's overall record lightly having struggled this season to contain Randolf and the aggressive, super-physical Blazers.

Notes: The Rockets were held under 100 points for first time in six games -- the loss drops Houston half a game behind Dallas for 4th place in the Southwest division -- all five starters for Detroit scored in double-digits -- the victory gives the Pistons their 3rd win in a row, the third best record in the league at 40-20 and a half game advantage over the Cleveland Cavaliers for 1st place in the Central division.

[homicide1550]

Ouch! Detroit really had you with their balanced attack.. All five starters in double figures, that team is surely hard to beat.

And thanks man! I also based some of my ideas on your dynasty..

I really hope I can bring the Cavaliers to the promised land.

[Chaser7]

haha, no worries Clutch, I'm just saying you raised such high expectations of yourself with your previous template. Like say your older stuff was like 10, then this an 8, still very good. Of course, hopefully you'll have more free time around the playoffs, but either way this is still a very very good dynasty, and I'm very happy you continued it. Hope to see more updates in the future!

And WOAH! I just looked at the stats you posted at the top of the page! Brevin Knight is averaging nearly twice as much as Deron Williams! Unbelievable! I guess we can thank the "Tank" though huh?

[Clutch]

homi - thx for the props man and yeah, Detroit is truly the beast of the East right now;

chaser - i'll take '8' anyday! but thx man; yeah D-Will's season avg's got screwed when Tankosic punked him out of starting PG; that's why Deron was so disgruntled and happy to come to the Rockets speaking of which... Tank and the Jazz are coming up in schedule real soon - that'll be a hoot!

[Clutch]

Blazers Burned By D-Will

HOUSTON, March 13 (AP) - The Houston Rockets made fairly routine work of NBA's worst team, the Portland Trailblazers, in a closer than expected victory 89-86.

For the first time this season, Tracy McGrady, came off the bench while 2nd-year pro and former Blazer, Martell Webster, got the Small Forward start. McGrady wore a forearm length wrist brace during the game and when asked about it and his coming off the bench, he replied, "Nah, it's just a little stiff from last night; I'm good to go."

Post-game head coach, Phil Jackson, answered, "I wanted to limit Tracy's minutes tonight. He mentioned his wrist being a little sore after last night's game and we didn't want to take any chances of him re-aggravating it."

"Martell (Webster) also mentioned during practice the other day he wanted a lot of minutes against his former team," Jackson added with a slight smirk. Webster, who was acquired from Portland during the blockbuster "Big Friday" trade on February 1st, delivered a sub-par performance shooting a team-high 19 attempts but only connecting on 5 of them.

"I guess I was a little too geeked up," Webster said with a half smile after the match. He finished the game with 12 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 26 minutes while McGrady had 15 points off an efficient 7-for-10 shooting, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal in 17 minutes.

Zach Randolf provided the stage for the only drama of the night when he carried the Blazers in the 4th and gave them an 86-84 lead with 18.2 seconds on the clock. But Deron Williams would step up and deliver a quick but huge trey, giving Houston the 87-86 advantage leaving 14.2 in the game.

After a timeout the Blazers would go to Randolf again to attempt the go-ahead basket but his shot would miss horribly, the ball corralled by Williams, who was quickly fouled. Williams' two clutch free-throws pushed the lead to 3 points with 3.6 seconds left forcing the Blazers into a desperation attempt beyond the arc which fell far short.

Zach Randolf would lead all scorers with 29 points while collecting 5 rebounds and an assist; Deron Williams would have a smooth 16 points, 4 boards and 5 assists.

The Rockets have a few days off then head east to face Dwight Howard, Boris Diaw and the Orlando Magic.



AROUND THE LEAGUE - March 13, 2008

NY@GS 85-87 A. Harrington (GS) 15 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk
MIN@UTAH 88-123 A. Kirilenko (UTAH) 30 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk
SA@NOK 98-104 C. Paul (NOK) 32 pts, 8 reb, 12 ast, 3 stl / T. Parker (SA) 35 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast ,5 stl
PHI@BOS 91-102 P. Pierce (BOS) 31 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast,1 blk - A. Jefferson (BOS) 25 pts, 18 reb, 1 ast ,2 blk
SAC@ATL 99-91 B. Miller (SAC) 17 pts,11 reb, 4 ast,2 stl, 2 blk
CHI@SEA 122-86 K. Hinrich (CHI) 36 pts, 4 reb,11 ast, 3 stl
DET@TOR 104-94 T. Prince (DET) 31 pts, 11 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 3 blk / C. Bosh (TOR) 21 pts, 21 reb, 7 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk

[Chaser7]

Another nice win dude, what place are you in the standings?

[homicide1550]

Tmac is a beast, 15 points for just 15 minutes of play.. And Webster was trigger happy on this one.

And yeah, like Chaser7 I too want to know what place are you in the standings, since the playoffs is about a month away.

[Clutch]

Howard Erupts In 4th Qtr

ORLANDO March 16, 2008 (AP) - A 4th quarter rampage by Dwight Howard was not enough to deter the Houston Rockets from a 101-90 road victory at the TD Waterhouse Centre.

The Rockets had the match firmly in control leading by 14 points going into the final period, with Yao Ming doing a decent job containing Orlando's superstar Center up til that point. But as the Magic's leader, Howard refused to go quietly and erupted for 16 points, most of which came from earth-shaking dunks in the paint.

"He's a terrific young player, very powerful," said Yao of Howard's breathtaking performance. "Whenever we play against each other it's always a great challenge for me."

Though Howard would flirt with bringing the Magic back single-handedly, the steady scoring of Houston's stars, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, would prove too much to overcome. Howard led the Magic with 30 points, 6 rebounds while Yao and McGrady finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks and 21 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists respectively.

The Rockets next host Carlos Boozer, leading Rookie of the Year Candidate, Sergei Tankosic, and the Utah Jazz.


___

chase/homi - appreciate the comments; standings coming soon...

[Cartar]

very nice win, seems like you have a very good shot at the championship

waiting for the standings to see how 76ers are doing (also to see how youre rivals are doing)

Good luck against Jazz!

[Oskar]

Nice game, Howard is the best center around in my opinion. ;D

[Jemesouviens]

Nice wins!
Boo-zer is next huh...

[Skills]

Nice win! I like the boxscore template.
You should give May some more playing time..

[Lamrock]

Whoa; this is back?! Nice! Glad to see you finishing this! Still going strong. 20 games until the playoffs!

[Chaser7]

Damn Howard is a beast! Complete opposite of what happened in my Orlando game.. Good luck man, can't wait until the playoffs..

[homicide1550]

D12 really got you... I truly believe he is the second coming of Shaq... Good Luck on your next game.

[Clutch]

ratrac - thx man; championship? we'll see; it's all about staying healthy and my golden rule from day one was/is to honor any injury be it 3 days or 13 weeks; btw, i think you'll be pretty pleased with the standings

oskar - and that would be a very solid opinion my man!

jemesouviens - heheh Boo-zer AND Sergei 'TANK' Tankosic, the wonder kid #1 draft pick! hope our boys are ready, coach!

skillmatic- thx man; unfortunately i can't control the % of playing time (Live '06) i can move May up/down in the Roster which determines when he subs into games; but right now May is getting about what the team needs and playing huge for us, he was a great pick up;

lamrock - hey thx man and yah that home stretch is finally in sight; actually, i guess that's when the real season begins;

chaser - thx as well and yah, i'm getting pumped for the playoffs too; a preview of potential matchups just below;

homi - D12... shaq with shawn marion-ish athleticism brrrrrr...

really appreciate the comments all; as requested, a quick peak at standings thus far:

___

SEASON STANDINGS - (As of Sunday March 16, 2008)

[homicide1550]

Man if the playoffs were to start, you would face the uber tough Spurs.

[Clutch]

Man if the playoffs were to start, you would face the uber tough Spurs.

what's worse, if i drop i only have to face the two-time defending champion Suns!

[Clutch]

Utah's Tank Runs Empty

HOUSTON, March 18, 2008 (AP) -- The Utah Jazz not only lost the match versus the Houston Rockets 99-90 at the Toyota Center, they may have lost their shot at reaching the Playoffs.

In the final seconds of the game, a 9-point lead comfortably in Houston's control with 15.8 seconds remaining, the Jazz would lose their rookie-sensation Point Guard, Sergei Tankosic, to a hand injury as he tried to drive against Yao Ming who savagely turned him away with a volleyball-style rejection that sent the ball sailing into the third row. Tankosic, grasping his hand and wincing his face in obvious pain, headed for the locker room shortly before the final buzzer.

"I'm not sure what he was thinking, we had the game in control," said Ming post-game. "but I'm never trying to hurt anyone intentionally when I'm out there so I hope he's okay." Yao led the Rockets' victory with one of his more impressive lines to date, nearly completing a monstrous triple-double with 28 points, 12 rebounds and 8 blocked shots.

"It was tough to get anything by (Yao) tonight," said Andre Kirilenko following the match. "If you didn't take it strong and settled for a layup, Yao was there to take it away." Kirilenko led the Jazz with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

Tankosic was later diagnosed with a broken finger in his left hand which will take a minimum two weeks for recovery. The leading front-runner for this year's "Rookie of the Year," Tankosic has led the Jazz in scoring and assists averaging 21.7 points and 6.3 assists respectively, while also contributing 3.8 rebounds and 1.28 steals per game.

With the Utah Jazz trailing only one game behind the Los Angeles Lakers, who barely hold the 8th and final Playoff spot over Sacramento, Golden State and Utah out West, the loss of such an impact player and vital component as the rookie phenom, Tankosic, for any extended period could prove lethal to the Jazz's post-season chances. Tankosic finished tonight's game with 17 points, 7 assists and a rebound.

Not much was made of Rockets' guard, Deron Williams, facing his former team and the rookie who replaced him. "Coach told me if I got caught up in a one-on-one duel, he'd bench me." Williams did serve plenty of time on the bench but mainly due to foul trouble. He finished with 8 points in only 18 minutes but still led the Rockets with 5 assists.

The Rockets next host a welcoming for "the King", LeBron James, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Notes: Former Rocket, Gerald Green, did not play in tonight's match-up but was greeted warmly by Tracy McGrady during the pre-game. Green has been sidelined from Utah's lineup suffering from back spasms for the past two and a half weeks but is due to return to their active roster shortly.

[Chaser7]

Damn that sucks for the Tank! Hopefully you'll post the standings soon, so we can see exactly how the playoff race is going...

Also P.S. were't you really psyked when the Rockets actually acquired Green this trade deadline?

EDIT: Thanks ratrac.. damn the west playoff race is tight!!!

DOUBLE EDIT: Shit Clutch, maybe I jinxed it, Green got cut today! Damn reunion cut short...

http://www.nba.com/nba_news/rockets_mik ... 80308.html

[Cartar]

Chaser7, Look at previous post by him, there is already standings.

[Jemesouviens]

Yay! Rockets beating the Jazz is always good, even in virtual dynasty world
Nice win!

Change of topic: What is up with the Southeast division? Washington 3rd, 14.5 games behind Detroit (shouldn't they be 4th anyway?)
Oh yeah! old format nm

[Skills]

You're doing great bud!
Hopefully we'll see a repeat of 1994-1996

[homicide1550]

Nice win! Im excited to see how you’ll handle King James and the Cavaliers...

[Clutch]

chase - hahah! that's some funny sh!t about Green; i was both psyched but pissed when they got him because i had him in my dynasty but traded him; now that he's cut? all is right with the world again

JMS - yah the Wizards should be counting their blessings; but if you look at the Southeast division - Atlanta, Orlando, Charlotte and even Miami, all within striking range with a little less than a month and a half to go - craaaazy!

rat/skillz/homi - thx for support guys! Cavs up soon...

[Clutch]

LeBron Leads 20-Pt Comeback

HOUSTON March 20, 2008 (AP) -- Despite a 41-point explosion from Tracy McGrady, the Cleveland Cavaliers stormed from 20 points behind to force overtime and an eventual victory topping the Houston Rockets 106-103 at the Toyota Center.

McGrady attacked the Cavaliers defense from the opening tip with a variety of acrobatic layups, dunks, fade-away jumpshots and three-point bombs. Often with LeBron James guarding him, McGrady seemed determined to make, "The King" earn his namesake. By the 7:21 mark of the third, the Cavaliers found themselves facing a daunting 20-point deficit when LeBron finally decided he'd had enough.

James flipped a switch and rattled off 8 straight points of his own and dished several crowd-pleasing assists leading Cleveland on an 18-2 run. The Cavaliers defense seemed only to intensify as the clock ran down in the fourth quarter, the margin narrowed to single digits. After missing several easy layups and free-throws and squandering their advantage, the Rockets found themselves trailing 95-94 with 8.3 on the clock.

Yao Ming missed the opportunity to give the lead back to the Rockets after being fouled by Zydrunas Ilgauskas, hitting only one of two free-throws. In turn, with the scored locked at 95-95, Drew Gooden missed a final hook shot attempt for the Cavs in regulation, forcing the extra period.

The Rockets looked to be in good position at the start of OT as LeBron picked up his 6th foul reaching in against McGrady with 4:04 remaining. Furthermore, Houston strung together the next 6 points and seemed to be in the driver's seat; but even without their leader, King James' supporting cast showed their resiliency.

Spurring a run of their own, Cleveland took a 104-103 lead with less than 10 seconds on the OT clock and put the Rockets on their heels. In the ensuing critical possession, the Cav's unsung hero, Aleksander Pavlovic, deftly stripped Yao in the low post as he was about to attempt a shot and the ball was quickly recovered by 2nd-year forward, Rudolf Caswell who was fouled immediately with 4.6 on the clock. Though Caswell would be credited with the steal, Pavlovic's strip which initiated Yao's turnover proved to be the game breaker.

Caswell's clutch free-throws put the nail in Houston's coffin and a satisfied smile on the face of the King. LeBron finished the match with 24 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists while McGrady led Houston with 41 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 3 steals.

"Tough loss tonight," said McGrady following the contest. "but Yao's not to blame. As a team, we did a poor job maintaining our composure during their run; this never should've gone OT in the first place."

The Rockets won't have long to reflect on tonight's loss as they prepare to host Elton Brand and the Los Angeles Clippers tomorrow night featuring the return of former Rockets, Luke Ridnour and Rookie of the Year Candidate, Jafari Cotton, at the Toyota Center.



AROUND THE LEAGUE - March 20, 2008

DET@SA 107-81 R. Hamilton (DET) 30 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl / T. Duncan (SA) 17 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 3 blk
NY@CHA 96-95 M. Stafford (NY) 19 pts, 13 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk / C. Maggette (CHA) 28 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk
PHO@POR 127-104 A. Stoudemire (PHO) 24 pts, 14 reb, 6 ast, 1 stl / Z. Randolf (POR) 34 pts, 11 reb, 7 ast, 5 stl, 3 blk
GS@BOS 103-95 S. Jackson (GS) 29 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk / W. Szczerbiak (BOS) 28 pts, 1 reb, 3 ast
MIA@PHI 80-86 D. Wade (MIA) 29 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk / A. Miller (PHI) 18 pts, 6 reb, 9 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk

[Chaser7]

Damn solid recap as ever, too bad you lost the game though. Still can't believe that the Cavs could beat you without James though in OT... Also if possible could you get a screenshot of JC in his Clipper uniform, I kinda wanna see how he looks like compared to when he was with the rockets... anyways good luck

[homicide1550]

Man, the Cavs stole one from you.. Tough loss..

[Andrew]

That's a harsh loss, especially with LeBron fouling out. I love the presentation, though.

[Skills]

LeBron fouls out and you still lose?
Oh well, you win some you lose some.
You got the next game though.

[Clutch]

chaser - LBJ was definitely the real deal; will snap a pic of Jafari although he's not wearing #9 anymore; he's wearing #11 - Yao wannabe!

homi/andrew/skillz - a heartbreaker most def! appreciate the support guys;

I believe there might be a little mistake in your last recap

"[...] As a team, we didn't a poor job maintaining our composure... ".

I could be wrong, je suis francophone .

Anyway, amazing recap!
Wish I could have watched.

special 'merci' to JMS, my behind-the-scenes GM, inspiration, motivation and now... copy editor! where would these Rockets be without you, babe!?

[Clutch]

Yao Injured, 2nd Straight Loss

HOUSTON March 21, 2008 (AP) -- Yao Ming suffered a broken nose in a 102-96 defeat at the hands of the visiting Los Angeles Clippers.

The injury to the Rockets' star Center came at the 2:45 mark of the opening quarter as Clipper Center, Elton Brand, caught Ming with a hard but accidental elbow to the face while battling for an offensive rebound. Yao was immediately rushed to the locker room with blood streaming from both nostrils.

With Yao out of commission, Houston turned to Tracy McGrady for leadership and the All-Star swingman would respond not only as an offensive catalyst but as a defensive intimidator as well. Lesser recognized for his defense, McGrady aggressively attacked the bewildered Clippers, disrupting their offense and helping the Rockets build a 9 point lead by halftime.

Yao would return to start the second half with a large brace and bandage across the crest of his nose and cotton stuffed deep into both nostrils. He played tentatively, gasping for air and in pain by the obvious anguish on his face and the Clippers smelled blood.

Los Angeles roared out of the block during the third led by Rookie of the Year Candidate and former Rocket, Jafari Cotton, manhandling Ming and a suddenly-passive Rockets front court. Cotton dropped 8 points in the quarter, several coming from thunderous dunks and uncontested layups, while intimidating his former teammates with savage shot-blocking tenacity. Cotton finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks and helped hold Houston to just 16 points in the quarter to the Clippers' 33.

The Rockets found themselves trailing by 8 entering the final quarter and though Yao would regain his composure and mount an inspired comeback together with McGrady, the other former Rocket, Luke Ridnour, would control the game tempo, keep Houston at bay and cruise the Clippers to a road win.

"I didn't get to play long with these guys," said Ridnour, "but it was long enough to know some of their tendencies. Both Jafari and I knew which guys to double-team, where they liked to shoot, etc; that kinda helped us in the end." Ridnour finished with 8 points and 4 assists on the night.

The Rockets will try to snap their 2-game skid at the Toyota Center versus Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony and the Northwest Division leading, Denver Nuggets.

INJURY STATUS

MING, YAO (HOU) - Broken nose (day-to-day) - Injured 03/21; Recovery 0%; Duration 11 days; Tracking On Target

AROUND THE LEAGUE - March 21, 2008

SEA@DEN 102-100 R. Lewis (SEA) 24 pts, 10 rebs, 3 stl, 2 blk / C. Anthony (DEN) 39 points, 16 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl
UTA@WAS 102-110 A. Kirilenko (UTA) 25 pts, 11 rebs, 4 ast, 4 stl, 4 blk / C. Butler 21 pts, 15 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl
CHI@CHA 81-95 B. Wallace (CHI) 20 pts, 14 reb, 1 stl, 2 blk / C. Maggette (CHA) 24 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast, 4 stl
GS@POR 93-98 S. Jackson (GS) 27 pts, 12 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk / J. Jack (POR) 27 pts, 2 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl
MEM@ORL 115-104 D. Stoudemire (MEM) 28 pts, 2 reb, 11 ast, 1 stl / B. Diaw (ORL) 28 pts, 8 reb, 7 ast, 2 blk

[Andrew]

Another tough break (no pun intended), nice touch adding the blood to the screenshot. Somehow, I don't think we'll ever see that in the game by default.

[homicide1550]

I love the blood! But too bad it happened to Yao. Hopefully it wont affect his game that much.

I am excited to see how you do against the Nuggets.. They are my favorite team in the NBA right now aside from the Cavs.

[Chaser7]

Ouch JC the traitor! Must be tough on him, technically its his 3rd team haha. Also you jyned yourself now Yao's even injured in your virtual dynasty! Is his injury unplayable? Or will he able to play through all 11 days?

[Skills]

Yao's injury makes your dynasty much more realistic!
That blood photo made me jump! Tough loss.
You'll bounce back. Maybe 19 straight?

[Jemesouviens]

special 'merci' to JMS, my behind-the-scenes GM, inspiration, motivation and now... copy editor! where would these Rockets be without you, babe!?

Bloody Yao! Which reminds me, have you ever thought of starting a hockey dynasty?
Good luck against Denver.

[Clutch]

andrew - maybe in 5-10 yrs when the NBA joins Ultimate Fighting to form the UFBA... EA will be all over that

homi - thx man; i think denver's w/o Camby so at least the teams will be somewhat even in the paint;

chase - heheh yeah i could've swore i saw JC push Yao into Brand... and you're right, 3rd team: ATL to HOU to LAC; as far as Yao? see below;

skillz - thx man but the 'real life' Rockets are scorching hot... too much for even my 'virtual' Rockets!

JMS - i remember seeing somewhere old footage of a commentator calling a basketball game and he couldn't pronounce any of the names or they weren't printed on the backs of the players (something like that) so he gave up and started saying, "the big red-head fella passes to the guy with the green head band, now to the man with goggles and high socks, now back inside to big red, he turns, hooks... scores!"

i think since i've no clue about Hockey (players, rivalries, history etc) it'd be much the same! i won't rule it out though; maybe when i return to QC we can catch a game and you can teach me the finer points, aye?
___


Update: Yao's Injuries - Minor, Mutombo To Start

HOUSTON March 24, 2008 (AP) -- Rockets' trainer, Lee Workman, has given Center, Yao Ming, the green light to play in tonight's game albeit in limited minutes.

"We plan to start Dikembe (Mutombo), play Yao sparingly and just see how he feels," said Head Coach, Phil Jackson.

Yao Ming will wear a clear plastic mask, ala Rip Hamilton, to protect a broken nose he received from the stray elbow of Elton Brand during the Rockets last game versus the Clippers. "I asked for one in black," Yao told reporters jokingly with a wide bandage across the bridge of his nose. "So I could look like Batman; the Commissioner didn't approve."

The Rockets just might need the Caped Crusader to beat the Denver Nuggets who currently sit atop the Northwest division and are the second best team in the Western Conference.

The Nuggets will be without defensive stopper, Marcus Camby, who is still recovering from bone spurs in his right foot.

[homicide1550]

Cant wait to see Yao wear a mask! And nice story there with the Batman thing!

[Andrew]

Good idea bringing Yao off the bench and playing him sparingly. I'd personally leave him on the bench and not bring him on unless things really got desperate or you needed him for a final shot down low. That would be quite a story right there.