[Editor's Note: DT missed all but three minutes of game 5 due to a scheduling conflict, but Tiller's only licensed well witcher James Hovacious was gracious enough to file another report from a secure location within the Department of Agriculture.]
Is it possible that Brandon Roy has the swine flu? Has the pandemic struck home? If so last nights game was a prime example of phase four. Roy hits a shot early, Aldridge knocks down a barrage of mid range jumpers, Outlaw drives the lane, even the Priz catches the bug throwing down a two hand jam early in the third. The play was contagious last night, it was pretty, it was fast and the Rockets could not keep up. As expected (see last memo) the Blazers were able to run the Rockets early and often. Snapping the ball down court after every miss and make in the first half. They even managed to get the speedy and too often reckless Rodriquez some quality minutes early in the first half. He responded with a steal, a basket, and a great dish to a slashing Aldridge that fired up the Rose Garden. It was easily the best game the Blazers have played thus far in the playoffs and may just give us the edge in game six.
The best part about game five was Mcmillan’s decision to put Rudy in early and spread the floor. It was like a dream I once had (see previous memo) the blazers went small at the guard positions knowing that the Rockets could not take advantage of Battier’s size advantage. With Fernandez on the court at the two spot and the Blazers pushing the ball they looked pretty unstoppable. Battier could not help off of Fernandez which opened things up for Aldridge and Roy. (Although Roy was on an IV before the game and looked like he might fall over until the fourth.) Aldridge was unbelievable, he drove to the hoop, made a great pass to the Priz and knocked down one clutch jump shot after another. Then finally with the Rockets stumbling against the ropes, Roy delivered the knock out punch. A fifteen point fourth quarter consisting of contested threes, a floater over Yao and flurry of jump shots and free throws. I could talk about last night’s game all day, it was exactly what we knew the Blazers were capable of. I’m every bit as excited now as I was before game 1. The question is can we keep this thing rolling. The way I see it five things must happen for us to get this thing back to Portland .
From least to most important:
5. The Blazer bench must continue to make an impact. Outlaw, Fernandez, Oden, and even Rodriquez must contribute. Outlaw has been great in the last two games, Oden played almost the entire fourth qtr last night and Fernandez has been the key to getting good shots for Aldridge and Roy.
4. Brandon Roy has to continue being well Brandon Roy. The guy looked like he was dead last night for three qtrs. I have serious concerns that he may have contracted the swine flu. He had 7 points through 40 minutes and then an epic finish that sealed the win for Portland . Does he have to score 40, nope, all he has to do is make the big shots when we need them and keep Houston honest.
3. We must control the defensive glass, last night was the first game in the series that we won the rebounding battle. We kept the Rockets from getting easy second chance baskets and gave ourselves a few extra shots at the other end. Everybody rebounded, Outlaw was crazy on the glass, so was Blake and of course Oden and the Priz. For us to have any chance we have to limit the Rockets to one shot consistently.
2. The tempo in the first half was amazing. The Blazers played at a frantic pace and kept the Rockets off balance. Yao looked like he might regurgitate his live shrimp onto the Rose Garden floor. He was wasted and it won’t get any easier for him on one nights rest.
1. The one thing that gave us the edge throughout last night’s game was our big men staying on the court. They finally let us body Yao without immediately blowing the whistle. Oden stayed on the court for a three minute stretch without picking up any fouls, and both big men had only two going into the fourth. If the officials let us play defense the way we did last night. (And they should, meeting someone at the top of the key does not constitute a foul.) The Blazers will have an excellent chance of finally getting it done in Houston and returning home for game 7.
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