Rockets Miss 'Throws' but Win
The Houston Rockets topped the Detroit Pisotns 80 to 77 Wednesday night in front of 17,453 fans. The game was very bizarre. The Rockets (12 - 11) shot 6 for 22 from the free throw line. Yes, that's right 6 for 22! At one point, the Rockets missed 13 consecutive free throws.
Yao Ming (3 for 6) missed three free throws. Tracy McGrady (0 for 5) wasn't even close on most of his five attempts. Bonzi Wells shot an awful 2 for 9. Luther Head shot 1 for 2. Head made the Rockets' first free throw during the second quarter. Then, the team missed 13 straight foul shots.
"That was crazy but at some point those things even out. That was unbelievable.", said Chauncey Billups, Pistons starting point guard, about the Rockets' free throw shooting.
"It was amazing. I don't think I've seen anything like it. It was like they were helping us and were on our side.", said Pistons forward Antonio McDyess.
The Rockets' woeful free throw shooting kept the Pistons in the ball game because Detroit was having similar problems making shots from the field.
Detroit (15 - 7) shot 27.3% (12 for 44) in the first half.
Houston led 38 to 33 at halftime as both teams struggled to make shots from anywhere on the court.
McGrady got hot during the early minutes of the third quarter with eight quick points; and, the Rockets increased their lead to 14 (51 to 37) with 8:15 left in the period; however, then, the Rockets' offense went cold while Detroit's offense finally woke up from its first half slumber. Detroit shot 10 for 17 during the third quarter and finished the period with an 18 to 6 run to trim the Rockets' lead to 57 to 55 at the end of three.
Detroit continued the run during the fourth quarter to take a 63 to 61 lead with 8:12 left in the ball game; but, Bonzi Wells tied the game with two made free throws (out of four). Rafer Alston gave the Rockets a three point lead with a three-point basket. The Rockets outscored the Pistons 12 to 0 over a three minutes and 15 second stretch; but, Detroit would not go away.
Pistons' guard Richard Hamilton drained a three-pointer to cut the Rockets lead to seven (73 to 66) with 3:52 remaining.
The two teams traded baskets for the next two minutes; and, the Rockets led 79 to 71 with 1:58 left in the game. However, Pistons' center Rasheed Wallace swished a three-point shot; then, after a turnover by Yao Ming, Hamilton made his second three-point shot of the game to narrow the Rockets' lead to two points (79 to 77) with 68 seconds remaining. Hamilton's basket was the last basket of the game for the Pistons as the Pistons missed one shot to tie the game and two shots to go ahead 80 to 79.
After a missed three-point shot by Billups, Yao Ming grabbed the rebound and was fouled by Rasheed Wallace with 0.8 seconds on the game clock. Yao missed the first foul shot; but, he made the second.
Despite many people believing Yao should have missed the second attempt, Rockets' head coach Rick Adelman was glad Yao made the second free throw.
"I'm just glad the second one at the end went in."
The Pistons called a 20-second time-out to design a play and move the ball to the frontcourt.
However, Antonio McDyess badly missed a desperation three-point shot at the buzzer. McDyess was trying to draw a foul with the shot attempt; but, the referees weren't buying it.
"The first option was for Chauncey, but on the switch it was for Rip (Hamilton), but he was covered and I was the last option. I don't usually shoot three's."
"We did a poor job of shooting free throws," said McGrady after the game. "It's unexplainable, 5 of 21. Yao missed his first two and I was zero for five. It was pretty bad tonight, so for us to come out with this win tonight, it's just really unexplainable."
Yao Ming (3 for 6) missed three free throws. Tracy McGrady (0 for 5) wasn't even close on most of his five attempts. Bonzi Wells shot an awful 2 for 9. Luther Head shot 1 for 2. Head made the Rockets' first free throw during the second quarter. Then, the team missed 13 straight foul shots.
"That was crazy but at some point those things even out. That was unbelievable.", said Chauncey Billups, Pistons starting point guard, about the Rockets' free throw shooting.
"It was amazing. I don't think I've seen anything like it. It was like they were helping us and were on our side.", said Pistons forward Antonio McDyess.
The Rockets' woeful free throw shooting kept the Pistons in the ball game because Detroit was having similar problems making shots from the field.
Detroit (15 - 7) shot 27.3% (12 for 44) in the first half.
Houston led 38 to 33 at halftime as both teams struggled to make shots from anywhere on the court.
McGrady got hot during the early minutes of the third quarter with eight quick points; and, the Rockets increased their lead to 14 (51 to 37) with 8:15 left in the period; however, then, the Rockets' offense went cold while Detroit's offense finally woke up from its first half slumber. Detroit shot 10 for 17 during the third quarter and finished the period with an 18 to 6 run to trim the Rockets' lead to 57 to 55 at the end of three.
Detroit continued the run during the fourth quarter to take a 63 to 61 lead with 8:12 left in the ball game; but, Bonzi Wells tied the game with two made free throws (out of four). Rafer Alston gave the Rockets a three point lead with a three-point basket. The Rockets outscored the Pistons 12 to 0 over a three minutes and 15 second stretch; but, Detroit would not go away.
Pistons' guard Richard Hamilton drained a three-pointer to cut the Rockets lead to seven (73 to 66) with 3:52 remaining.
The two teams traded baskets for the next two minutes; and, the Rockets led 79 to 71 with 1:58 left in the game. However, Pistons' center Rasheed Wallace swished a three-point shot; then, after a turnover by Yao Ming, Hamilton made his second three-point shot of the game to narrow the Rockets' lead to two points (79 to 77) with 68 seconds remaining. Hamilton's basket was the last basket of the game for the Pistons as the Pistons missed one shot to tie the game and two shots to go ahead 80 to 79.
After a missed three-point shot by Billups, Yao Ming grabbed the rebound and was fouled by Rasheed Wallace with 0.8 seconds on the game clock. Yao missed the first foul shot; but, he made the second.
Despite many people believing Yao should have missed the second attempt, Rockets' head coach Rick Adelman was glad Yao made the second free throw.
"I'm just glad the second one at the end went in."
The Pistons called a 20-second time-out to design a play and move the ball to the frontcourt.
However, Antonio McDyess badly missed a desperation three-point shot at the buzzer. McDyess was trying to draw a foul with the shot attempt; but, the referees weren't buying it.
"The first option was for Chauncey, but on the switch it was for Rip (Hamilton), but he was covered and I was the last option. I don't usually shoot three's."
"We did a poor job of shooting free throws," said McGrady after the game. "It's unexplainable, 5 of 21. Yao missed his first two and I was zero for five. It was pretty bad tonight, so for us to come out with this win tonight, it's just really unexplainable."
posted by Kris Gardner @ 11:11 PM
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