Blast-off for the Rockets

Hawks 84 Rockets 92

Ever wonder how much kryptonite affects superman, just watch the start and the end to Hawks and Rockets game on Tuesday night. It was like the Rockets rendered the Hawks ability to play basketball useless and it turned out to be the difference maker in the game.

Going into the night, the Hawks had an unbelievable record in their recent attempts playing any three of the Texas teams away from Phillips Arena (seriously unbelievable in a bad way-- 0-13 unbelievable). So when the Hawks were down by 16 in the first quarter, naturally; I feared the worst for the outcome.

However the Hawks showed a tenacity and composure that was a sure mix to get them right back in the swing of things.

Steals and rebounds were turned into fast break opportunities and led by Mike Bibby, Atlanta roared to an eight point lead in the third quarter.

All seemed smooth and with 5:00 minute left in the fourth quarter, the Hawks led by two points. The game showed signs of one of those epic road battles, where the winning team might get a chance to steal one with a last minute shot.

In the end, the big comeback was all for not, because the Rockets turned into Lex Luther down the stretch. Atlanta hobbled their way to an 8 point loss.

Quick Notes
Thirteen the unluckiest of unlucky numbers reared its ugly head twice on Tuesday night. Anyone else believe in bad omens. Going into the game, the Hawks were 0-13 in their previous attempts in the state of Texas (San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston). When Houston scored thirteen unanswered points to start the game and go up 13-0, I should have known that dooms of defeat await.

If your thinking that’s just a bunch of “mumbo-jumbo” above; yeah, me to. Hawks showed good fight in the game and it is kind of unfortunate that the wheels came off at the end of the game.

Joe Johnson had a very quiet 22 point game and that’s a testament to the fine play of Ron Artest. I usually don’t go to in depth on players on the other team. In this case, I’ll make an exception, because Artest was really outstanding on defense and down the stretch in that last five minutes when Houston took over.

Tactically, the Hawks didn’t challenge the Rockets enough. Over the last few weeks, I’ve made a big deal about the Hawks establishing a passing game and slowing possessions down. However, tonight, they needed to break from this plan a little bit. Down low, Houston is a size nightmare. Yao, Scola, and Battier are matchup nightmares. However, Hawks could have used their athleticism down low to keep the Rockets on their toes.

In the end, it was an exciting game. Early on, it looked to be headed toward a blow out, but it was not. Perhaps the power of 13 or kryptonite did play more of a role in this game—a little joke.