#4 Portland Trailblazers vs #5 Houston Rockets

[blank964]

Man just like the Clippers game I fell asleep during the Spurs/Mavs and didn't wake up until the Blazers were getting blown out. I have awful sleep habits.

 

[glockcoma]

Ummmmm..... can I change my vote to Houston?

 

[pl4tinum]

I didn't get to vote, but I've been and still am more worried about Houston making it to the finals than anyone else. Houston's defense is just about as good as ours and home court might be the only thing that saves us against them. I don't think we match up well either, their front court is really good and ours isn't all that great. Battier can make Lebron's life hell, Artest can shut down just about anyone, and this Brooks kid is going off against just about everyone.

T-Mac getting injured for the year was the best thing that could have happened to them.

Portland just doesn't have what it takes to get past Houston in my opinion. I don't know that many teams do.

 

[layupdrill]

Todays game will tell you if Portland has made the adjustments needed to compete in this round. I think they win today, but lose the series.

 

[Wulfgar1224]

I think the Rockets have proven to be a difficult matchup for the young Blazers. I'd have to go with Houston in 6.

 

[bucksprime99]

Mutombo is done...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2009/news/story?id=4087774

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo said his lengthy career is finished after a knee injury knocked him out of the Rockets' playoff game Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.

"For me, basketball is over," he said.

Mutombo, an 18-year NBA veteran, appeared to get tangled with Portland center Greg Oden and came down hard on his left leg late in the first quarter of Game 2 and did not return.

He stayed prone on the court under the Blazers' basket for several moments before he was taken away by stretcher. A preliminary examination revealed a knee strain.

Afterward in Houston's locker room, the 7-foot-2 veteran was on crutches and fighting back tears.

"Nobody ever thought they'd be carrying the big guy out like a wounded soldier," he said.

Mutombo, the league's oldest player at 42, will be examined by doctors in Houston on Wednesday.

"Dikembe is one of the statesmen of this league," teammate Shane Battier said. "There's not a better guy. To see him in pain is tough to see. He cares so much about this game that he doesn't want to end his career like that. That's the tragedy of it, too."

Mutombo is an eight-time All-Star who won the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award four times and stands in second on the NBA's career blocks list with 3,289. He has played for Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York and Houston.

In 1,196 career games, Mutombo has averaged 9.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks.

Moreover, Mutombo is known for his humanitarian work. He founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997 to benefit the people of his homeland of Kinshasha in the Congo. In 2007, he opened the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center there, named after his mother.

The Rockets re-signed Mutombo in December after he played in 39 games with the team the previous season. He was a free agent and had considered retirement.

He played in nine regular-season games with the Rockets, averaging 1.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.22 blocks.

Mutombo played 18 minutes in Game 1 of the series and had nine rebounds. The Rockets won the opener, 108-81, before the Blazers evened the series with a 107-103 victory on Tuesday.

"I've had a wonderful 18 years of staying injury-free, so I just want to go out with my head up, no regrets," he said.

 

[Sock]

Are every fan wearing red or is it just me

 

[Trill Cosby]

I don't know about you guys but the Rockets are a team that I would NOT want to see in the Finals.


Go Blazers.

 

[Trill Cosby]

What a shot by Fernandez, WOW!!!

 

[Trill Cosby]

Yeah great decision on that rushed 3 pointer by Steve Blake with 8 seconds left on the clock, lol @ this cat looking real Gooden-esque with that bonehead play.


*throws remote*

 

[Sir Charles Barkley]

I wonder how much steve blake got payed to jack up that airball with 15 seconds left, only down 1...

 

[kookoo]

What a fail by Blake.

 

[Dr. Gymbo]

This series thus far is really disappointing me for two reasons. One, I really like Portland and more than just because they could take LA to a tough series but because they are an entertaining team to watch. And two, because I really do not want to have to cheer for LA against Houston. I honestly would rather face LA than Houston in the Finals.

Ughhhhhh...

 

[The Oi]

This series thus far is really disappointing me for two reasons. One, I really like Portland and more than just because they could take LA to a tough series but because they are an entertaining team to watch. And two, because I really do not want to have to cheer for LA against Houston. I honestly would rather face LA than Houston in the Finals.

As of right now, I think there's only two teams in the West that can beat the Lakers.

(1) The Nuggets might be able to beat the Lakers at their own game. The Nuggets, like the Lakers, can score points in a ton of different ways. That and their bigs are TOUGH. Nene, Martin and Andersen can all beat the shit out of Bynum and Gasol. I think they'd have a chance to outscore the Lakers in a 7 game series.

(2) The Rockets might be able to do it with some lockdown defense. As we saw during the regular season, these guys defend as well as anyone when they're in a tough battle.

Those two teams could do it, but it would be with two polar opposite strategies. As for who I'd most like to play out of those...the Nuggets. We've shown we can beat them up pretty good when we play solid defense on their team.

The Lakers are the team I'd least like to play but the Rockets scare me as well. That said...if anyone other than the Lakers comes out of the West and we make it into the finals, our guys are getting their first rings.

 

[Trill Cosby]

http://www.taghoops.com/2009/01/game5.html


Great link to game...not even sure who I'm rooting for honestly.