Game Six
Houston lead the series 3-2 and are looking to end the series tonight — which they should do
Von Wafer reportedly was not going to play, but it looks like he’ll be suiting up.
Tuning into the Rockets-Blazers game late because of the triple overtime Bulls-Celtics game. We are four minutes into the third quarter, with Houston leading 58-43.
Third Quarter
Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge have 32 of Portland’s 44 points. Make that 34 of their 46 points as Roy makes two FTs at the line.
Ron Artest has 21 points for Houston. A balanced scoring effort by his lead.
Artest drives baseline, gets a step on his man easily, to the rim, layup.
- Aaron Brooks finds a wide open Yao Ming underneath the rim, slam dunk.
- LaMarcus Aldridge backs down Luis Scola, Scola takes a dive, refs don’t buy it, Aldridge turns and dunks in his face. Nice angry play from Aldridge.
Scola hits a jumper on the right wing — the only Rockets player to hit double figures in every game this series.
The commentators — great hustle from the Rockets inspired Houston to a 21-8 run in the second quarter which allowed them to build up a major lead.
Houston leads 66-49 with under six minutes to play
Portland’s 11 points outside of Roy/Aldridge has come on 4-20 shooting from the field. Roy and Aldridge have hit 16-29 shots.
- Greg Oden yanks down the rebound off of Yao’s missed fallaway.
- Yao Ming boxes out Oden on Portland’s glass, and taps home Houston’s missed jump shot. Nice work by Yao.
- Travis Outlaw drains a triple out of the right corner … but Brooks gets a wide open 3 on the other end and cancels out Outlaw’s make
Portland have gone small with Outlaw at power forward, and he’s causing Scola a lot of problems off the dribble. The lineup does give Houston a massive advantage on the boards though. In comes Landry to replace Scola, he’ll do a better job on Outlaw and keep their rebounding advantage.
It’s 71-52 with 2:30 to play
- Oden mishandles the ball underneath the rim, turnover. Houston have gotten very little to work offensively on the last two possessions.
Fastbreak Portland, slam dunk Oden after running the floor, misses the dunk …. fastbreak Houston, Brooks stops and pops from three, misses, rebound Portland. The Blazers miss a shot on the other end … lot of misses here.
- Ron Artest ends the two minute scoring drought with a pull up J from 18 feet at the top of the key
- Pick and pop between Roy and Aldridge, Aldridge takes a bounce, step back J, hits it
Fourth Quarter
Houston leads 74-56
First points of the quarter — Oden makes one of two FTs off an offensive rebound — it’s 74-57 Rockets with under 10 minutes to play
- Scola misses a 20 footer, as Houston once again fail to get anything going offensively
- Aldridge goes off the dribble, picks it up, hesitates, takes the 9 foot leaner, friendly roll around the rim, and it falls.
Blake with a nice pass to the cutting Aldridge, touch pass to Oden, layup
It’s 74-61 Houston after a 5-0 Portland run
- Von Wafer ends the run with a long two pointer from teh top of the key off the dribble
- Aldridge makes two FTs after drawing a foul on Scola
- Oden blocks a shot (Artest) inside but it falls right to Yao Ming, lay in.
- Brooks steals it away …. and hits a 3 after some nice ball movement from Houston. Timeout
81-63 Rockets with 6:20 to play
- Brandon Roy to the rim, off a high screen and roll, and he finishes off glass over Yao Ming
- Ron Artest curls around a Yao Ming screen on the post off the ball, nice pass by Battier to Artest, layup
- Battier cleans up the defensive board off Aldridge’s miss.
Portland lineup — Aldridge, Outlaw, Roy, Rudy, Blake — lot of offense and shooting ability
Houston’s lineup — the starting lineup
- Scola gets a mismatch on the break, posts up Roy, gets doubled as he tries to back down Roy, has the ball stolen from him and gives away a foul in frustration.
- Artest strips Roy, as Roy was jab stepping on the face up from the right wing, Brooks runs the break, decides to pull it back out after turning down a risky shot
Yao draws the double, finds an open Brooks, 3 from the top of the key? misses, offensive rebound Battier, putback good
85-67 Rockets with 3 minutes to play
This game is over. Congratulations to the Houston Rockets! Yao Ming advances to the second round for the first time in his career!
Posted on April 30, 2009 by Dave