Determination

After playing 40+ minutes Yao and with the double overtime about to start, he was clearly exhausted. I'm sure Artest noticed this and said to coach, "Hey put me on the low post and I'll get us the win." Adelman agreed and the rest is a vivid memory in the minds of Rockets' fan all around the world. Determination goes a long way when tired legs and aching injuries remind you of your limitations as a human being. With the crowd chanting your name as you step up to the free throw line, Artest nailed each of his shots as if he's a 90% free throw shooter.

Honorable mention goes out to Yao for pushing himself past exhaustion to battle each of the guys Jerry Sloan threw at him last night and for Luther Head for bringing his offensive & defensive game while replacing McGrady in the starting line up.

He's Back

An often criticized player, Tracy McGrady joined the team last night after missing 7 games to rehab his knee. To show his detractors how much his play was missed, the guy flirted with a triple double. If only Alston and Yao would have made good on a solid pass from McGrady, he would have gotten the triple double. His teammates were aware that he needed only 1 more assist, but neither Yao nor Alston scored after McGrady dished it to them. Its sad that their lack of determination to score robbed McGrady of the triple double, but at least the team won the game. McGrady is no stranger to the feeling of his teammates letting him down, blocking him from achieving stats that Jason Kidd accomplishes with some regularity. I can't count how many times McGrady was 1 assist away from getting the trip, when a dish to Hayes ended up as a blown lay up.

McGrady, I feel your pain and I hope one day soon, your teammates will help you take your career to heights yet unachieved.

Enoough Already

The every other game I can play great show McGrady has shown this season is getting old. We appreciate his effort, but the goal this season is to be fresh when the playoffs come and compete hard for a championship. Well, with November ending, its clear Tracy just isn't physically capable of delivering All-Star quality play. How much longer will we see him hobbling up the court before Adelman and Rockets' management tell him to take a few weeks or days off and the team will pick up the load.


Rarely used Von Wafer and Head can use the playing time and I'm sure both can contribute enough offensively to improve on the output McGrady's made when he's not playing well and model the output he gave when he was played well. Bottom line is fans are doubting McGrady's contributions thus far is worth and would rather see get healthy so the team can be a cohesive unit in time for the playoff season.

A Much Needed Warrior

Against the Magic, the whole team stepped up its defense, but the best player tonight was Ron"Warrior"Artest. Artest hit 3 consecutive shots in the 4th to open the lead and did so much more while limping around with a sore ankle. He talked with the players on the court to remind them of the team's defensive practices and everyone responded well. Landry did a magnificent job on Lewis and even blocked a shot down the stretch. Yao blocked Jameer's shot down the stretch also and the look he had on his face after the block reminded me of the impact Artest's presence with the team.


Artest is a gritty player and its rubbing off on his teammates. His teammates appreciate his efforts and are mimicking the attitude Artest has on the defensive end. The guy never gives up on a play and its clear Rockets' fans are so happy we have a much needed warrior like him on the court!

Am I Wrong for Saying This?

There is no such thing as a perfect win in basketball, as it will always be room for better rebounding, making more free throws and more ball movement. However, ugly wins add character to the team and should not be viewed negatively simply because aesthetically it wasn't a pretty game.



Landry, Scola, Hayes and Brooks bring effort each and every night, so I don't think its fair to characterize last night's play as low on effort. A more accurate description is McGrady and Yao's intensity was questionable throughout much of the game and more times than not, those two don't show the intensity expected of them night in and night out. Yao and Tracy aren't very intense guys and its no surprise their play isn't. What is being overlooked is Tracy's desire to come in a save the day. This guy loves to put on the cape and save the day. Sure, he's not physically as agile as he was years ago, but his psyche still desires the opportunity to save the day. Did anyone notice how heartbroken he looked Weds. against Dallas when his 2nd 3-pt shot rimmed out? The 1st one brought hope that we could mount a comeback and beat the Mavs and just like that, his cape was blowing in the air. Then suddenly after a rimmed out attempt, the cape drooped and so did his face. I really thought he was going start crying right on the court. But thankfully, he knew he'd get another opportunity to adorn that cape! He & Yao's lackadaisical play will rear its ugly head again, and the 4th period will need a savior.



McCloser (Blinebury's term) shot lights out last night and even inspired Alston to hit a 3! Wow, a hero's work is never done.