Rockets say Game 1 was a 'fluke' – and they'll have to do other things well in Game 2

By Jason Vondersmith

The Portland Tribune, Apr 20, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

JAIME VALDEZ / THE PORTLAND TRIBUNE

Houston center Yao Ming connects on a hook shot after Joel Przybilla fell down and failed to get an offensive-foul call during Game 1. The Rockets say they expect the Blazers to give Przybilla more help in Game 2 Tuesday at the Rose Garden.

It went too easily in Game 1 for the Houston Rockets, a 108-81 win.

The young Portland Trail Blazers will make adjustments, bring energy to the Rose Garden, try to get the crowd behind them and play with desperation early in Game 2 on Tuesday, the Rockets say.

"We all know that," Houston's Shane Battier says. "We know we'll get their best shot.

"The crowd is going to be just as crazy and will try to take them to a higher level. If we want to win Game 2, we have to match their energy and play even better than we did in Game 1."

Battier says the Rockets are capable of another hot start – they started 15 of 18 from the field to take control of Game 1 early – especially with Yao Ming in the lineup, and are capable of beating the Blazers in every facet, a la Game 1. But he expects the rest of the games to be gut-it-out types.

"Neither of us are huge transition teams – we both play possession basketball, and control the tempo," Battier says.

"They'll be ready," Ron Artest says of the Blazers. "We just have to play hard. They're younger and jump higher and run faster with more energy. And they know how to put it together mentally, too. I'm sure they'll bring it.

"They'll want to knock shots down early, so they can be in it in the entire game."

Artest called Houston's win "a fluke."

He says: "You don't win by 30 points in the playoffs (usually). That was their first game. They have to get used to playing in the playoffs. They're going to play better."

Much of Portland's focus will be on Yao and second-year point guard Aaron Brooks. The Blazers opted not to front Yao defensively with big men Joel Przybilla or Greg Oden (who mostly played opposite Dikembe Mutombo). Brooks controlled the game and drove to the basket and hit five 3-pointers en route to 27 points in Game 1.

Houston coach Rick Adelman expects the Blazers to mix up their defenses on the 7-6 Yao and front the Rockets center at some point in an attempt to deny him the ball.

"Maybe they thought we'd be prepared for that," Adelman says. "We got up so quickly on them. In reality, the first half we rolled right through it, and there was not a time (for Portland) to figure it out and play a certain way.

"We played pretty good against the front in the last game against them. Maybe that had an influence."

Yao says the Rockets have to be ready for any defense on him, and with a front, they must move the ball more to get open shots.

1 | 2 Next Page >>

Facebook	Digg	Del.icio.us
Newsvine	Stumbleupon	Reddit