Preseason Game 3 Rockets (2-0) at Celtics (1-1) 10/11

[The4Time2Doctor0]

44-44 with about a minute left, big baby showing some nice little moves.

[albert]

Guess Doc's using this game as a test run for the season's rotations. Allen Pierce KG Rondo minutes at over 15 w/ a minute left in the 2nd. Artest looks pretty good out there with the Rockets second unit, the Rockets still hanging in there even though Cs starters have been mostly playing subs the 2nd.

[Scalablob990]

Rockets are doing ALL of the Mugging---and getting ALL the calls....Big Baby needs to grow a pair and elbow that PUNK Artest right in the face when he goes through the lane....no,REALLY!!

hey hey thats whats scals for, have him elbow that punk across the face, it's not like if he's ejected it'll kill our chances of winning 

[butterbeanlove]

You could see this coming.

Artest gets about 14 percent crazier ever year and will eventually end up as a guest of the state or living in a cardboard box under a highway overpass. However, in the NBA, David Stern considers him a model citizen.

[The4Time2Doctor0]

hey hey thats whats scals for, have him elbow that punk across the face, it's not like if he's ejected it'll kill our chances of winning 

i agree, i don't usually want to see anyone get hurt, but if the refs are going to let them play like that then we should give them a little taste of pain.

[WeMadeIt17]

How come no Darius yet... Getting me mad that Scal is playing and Darius is not!

[Krag]

Either the Rockets just came from a scrimmage with the Texans or they are trying to make this game into some kind of "toughness" statement. Either way it makes for a crappy game with these referees not having any kind of grip/feel on the happenings.

[albert]

How come no Darius yet... Getting me mad that Scal is playing and Darius is not!

As someone stated yesterday, Darius may be on his way out.. he's too tentative and is a step or two too slow on the rotations. You can't be that much of a liability and hope to make up for it by scoring especially with Doc's type of role for the SF/PF. Plus with Scal's contract dropping him is not an option.

Either the Rockets just came from a scrimmage with the Texans or they are trying to make this game into some kind of "toughness" statement. Either way it makes for a crappy game with these referees not having any kind of grip/feel on the happenings.

I doubt the Rockets get away with this during the season though. That would be a Brawl at the Palace part II waiting to happen..

[Scalablob990]

How come no Darius yet... Getting me mad that Scal is playing and Darius is not!

Yeah that's kind of odd that he's been dead silent half the game

[NoraG1]

Either the Rockets just came from a scrimmage with the Texans or they are trying to make this game into some kind of "toughness" statement. Either way it makes for a crappy game with these referees not having any kind of grip/feel on the happenings.

This is why I don worry about teams like that as C's competition for a championship. Playing basketball as a wrestling match is no way to win a championship. Heck, Rockets are always injured one would think they might get a clue and not put themselves into so much danger of getting injured in a meaningless pre season game. Can't stand Artest he is going to be a big detriment to that team not a help in the long run.

[albert]

Either the Rockets just came from a scrimmage with the Texans or they are trying to make this game into some kind of "toughness" statement. Either way it makes for a crappy game with these referees not having any kind of grip/feel on the happenings.

This is why I don worry about teams like that as C's competition for a championship. Playing basketball as a wrestling match is no way to win a championship. Heck, Rockets are always injured one would think they might get a clue and not put themselves into so much danger of getting injured in a meaningless pre season game. Can't stand Artest he is going to be a big detriment to that team not a help in the long run.

I don't know, Artest seems to have changed the offensive dynamic pretty significantly. TMac's penetration is way up, look at his FT #s, 9 shots at the stripe in 12 minutes. Houston seems to be just gauging the impact that Artest has on the 1st and 2nd units

[Who]

Either the Rockets just came from a scrimmage with the Texans or they are trying to make this game into some kind of "toughness" statement. Either way it makes for a crappy game with these referees not having any kind of grip/feel on the happenings.

The Celtics are the defending Champ ... every contender they face will try to show their mettle by beating them up with physical play, to show they're not afraid and won't back down. A lot more teams that the C's face will be the instigators this time round.

I'd get used to this. Houston won't be the last.

[NoraG1]

Either the Rockets just came from a scrimmage with the Texans or they are trying to make this game into some kind of "toughness" statement. Either way it makes for a crappy game with these referees not having any kind of grip/feel on the happenings.

This is why I don worry about teams like that as C's competition for a championship. Playing basketball as a wrestling match is no way to win a championship. Heck, Rockets are always injured one would think they might get a clue and not put themselves into so much danger of getting injured in a meaningless pre season game. Can't stand Artest he is going to be a big detriment to that team not a help in the long run.

I don't know, Artest seems to have changed the offensive dynamic pretty significantly. TMac's penetration is way up, look at his FT #s, 9 shots at the stripe in 12 minutes

We'll see what happens when the games count. Right now it is pre season.

[NoraG1]

Either the Rockets just came from a scrimmage with the Texans or they are trying to make this game into some kind of "toughness" statement. Either way it makes for a crappy game with these referees not having any kind of grip/feel on the happenings.

The Celtics are the defending Champ ... every contender they face will try to show their mettle by beating them up with physical play, to show they're not afraid and won't back down. A lot more teams that the C's face will be the instigators this time round.

I'd get used to this. Houston won't be the last.

This is still ridiculous. Refs better get better control of the games. I'd like the C's to have enough healthy players to play by the end of the season....

[Krag]

The Celtics are the defending Champ ... every contender they face will try to show their mettle by beating them up with physical play, to show they're not afraid and won't back down. A lot more teams that the C's face will be the instigators this time round.

I'd get used to this. Houston won't be the last.

I didn't mean to imply it's a big surprise, just that it's still only a pre-season game and that with these confused referees the Celtics can't turn around and benefit from Houston playing overly hard/aggressive. All it does now is turn it into a crappy game to watch with no real flow and few opportunities to actually judge our players.

The silver lining might be if the alien took a big hit - yeh, it's evil but it's starting to feel like the only hope I have of him not making the team.