RECAP: Warriors 114, Rockets 93 -- The Bruce Bowen Effect
Final Yahoo! Boxscore
After starting 0-6 and looking like a one-trick-pony that the "We Believe" haters had continually harped them to be, the Warriors have roared back to a respectable 8-7 record. The Warriors, beating the Houston Rockets 113-94 at the Roaracle, kept charging at the Rockets red jersey’s like bulls aggressive at red-cape slinging matadors (except they actually got some flesh).

A rare smile in the game, McGrady enjoys Tony.Psd's funny photo of him.
The Warriors confused, frustrated, and almost deflated what seemed like an overly sensitive team. After swarming defense like killer bees (but not Wu-Tang…) translating into easy buckets in transition, exploiting match-ups, and a few questionable calls by young referees, superstars McGrady and Yao … by the third quarter I might add … looked like they had just about given up. It was pretty much the Warriors vs. Mike James show at that point.
The game began to look like the Suns game of a few games back. I realized by the second half of this game that the Warriors are using the jedi-mind tricks of Bruce Bowen. Or is it the Bruce Bowen effect? I don’t necessarily mean that they play dirty like Bowen does. Plus they’re a much better-looking bunch by far. But you know his ability to frustrate the superstars of any team is what Warriors disorienting, disruptive defensive and offensive play is like. Technical fouls, passes sailing over-head and out of bounds, mopey and foul mouthed superstars translates into wins for the Warriors!

Yao holds his breath against the onslaught of 6'8 and under defenders
With another semi-commanding win over a Western conference contender, the question returns of whether Nelson is a coaching mastermind or perhaps getting a little crazy in his old age? But I guess we can’t deny that Nelson has been able to manufacture wins by any means necessary, especially in tight situations; in what would normally be losses (such as the trying wins against the Wizards and 76ers), Nelson has somehow found ways to exploit team defenses through his unapologetic changing arrangements of his lineup.

Former all-stars can't get no love in the Oracle
Jax versus Mike James, Baron Davis versus Rafer Alston or James, Harrington versus Yao were key matchups that the Warriors used to their advantage. Jax and Davis backing down the smaller two guards and Harrington got defenses "stretch like Yao Ming" (Cam’ron, "Hey Lady") with his 3pt shooting (4-5). Get it? Get it?? Even defensively, the much shorter Harrington was able to push Yao Ming out of his comfort zone and FAR from dunking range. Further the Warriors stifled McGrady defensively but somewhat emotionally. With the mid-sized Warriors collapsing all around him with excessive contact, McGrady grew grumpy and quiet.
The Warriors offense looked like a loose cannon or the movies where people are firing off shots at each other with reckless abandon. Lucky for us, the Warriors were making their shots. Though, the shots taken were never bad shots save for many forced drives by Jax. I love Jax’s aggressive, attack the basket mentality, but the dude dribbles with his head down and more likely than not, he’s going to the hole no matter who’s open. Granted, sitting from the position of my television that only sees the game from the baseline, I’m unable to read defenses that Jackson is probably seeing. But on several occasions, a running AZ, Pietrus, or Ellis was completely ignored as they looked wide open.

Needing more of this from Beans
And what about Matt Barnes? Good to have him back and playing within himself. Whereas during the beginning of the season, he seemed to be pressing but in the last few games, despite not scoring a whole bunch, is doing the things that has made him valuable to the Warriors in the last season. Grabbing and tipping rebounds, playing tough defense, diving for loose balls, hitting open jumpers when given the opportunity, pushing the ball on the break and distributing instead of trying to find his own shot is what makes him the Shane Battier of the Warriors (just better looking). The play that was exemplary of Barnes’ game was when he pushed the ball ahead, maneuvering his way between multiple defenders to throw up an underhanded alley-oop pass to Monta Ellis that looked like it was straight out of the school yard or a tandem dunk contest. It would have been 10s from the judges all around.
With the Warriors line-up seemingly set, but constantly reshuffled with different players getting the minutes based on production and seemingly running well together finally, can we say the Warriors are a deep team? If someone outside of Baron Davis is cold, can others step in, like AZ? And what Biedrins? With his minutes dwindling the last couple games due to matchups, what does that say when your big man -- someone potentially worth upwards to 12 - 13 million a year -- can only play 22 minutes a game when matched up against elite and offensively skilled centers (Yao Ming and Amare Stoudemire)? I’d actually love to see Biedrins get some more touches being that he’s been confident bringing the ball up the court and looking to attack the basket with some drop steps any chance he gets (but with not many successes quite yet). The game seemed to open up many interesting questions as the Warriors might hitting a turning point in the season. Figuring out ways to attack zone defenses and making their mini-lineup a catastrophe for superstar laden teams, the Warriors got us something to look forward to again.
To end, I think this sequence best exemplifies the night:
A hot and bothered Jim Barnett reacts to a Baron drive and dish to a backdoor cutting teammate: "That excited me!"

Barnett's basketball fetish: Baron Davis
Warrior Wonder:
Al Harrington. You could say Baron had a more statistically even night, but Harrington’s defense and shooting were instrumental to disrupting the flow of the Rocket’s defensive and offensive schemes!
Photos courtesy of Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images, AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez,
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11 comments
Comments
wows
by pingpong on Nov 30, 2007 11:39 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Tim K's Postgame Interviews
http://www.mercextra.com/blogs/kawakami/2007/11/30/stephen-jackson-budding-nba-defensive-player-of-t he-year/
by Atma Brother ONE on Nov 30, 2007 11:56 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Who knew...
by ThermoElectro on Nov 30, 2007 12:16 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
What is this? Hemingway?
I'd rather read djfuzzylogic ofver Hemingway's overrated ass any day. Plus, I'm guessing you weren't drunk when you wrote this . . .
Best win of the year IMO, because it was domination at both ends of the floor.
- They had an idea of exactly what they wanted to do and they did it.
- I also like the fact that T-Mac wasn't getting superstar calls. He and Jackson were both getting fouled, but neither were getting calls. The thing is, T-Mac would usually get those calls even if Jackson wasn't. Way to call (non-call) the game evenly.
- The Ws were able to turn it on whenever Houston looked like they were going to make a run. The first 19pt lead caused the Ws to start chucking up careless 3s until Houston cut he lead back down to 12 and then they turned it back on. You can't really expect them to have the intensity ratcheted up to 100% for 48 minutes.

by bloodsweatndonuts on Nov 30, 2007 12:21 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
asqwe
by davidR on Nov 30, 2007 12:33 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Does SJax make that much a diff?
Oh, I guess I've answered my own question :).
by callahan on Nov 30, 2007 12:54 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Last Night was Special
The start of the game was amazing, W's up 18-3, but sure enough, just like any other NBA game, the other team makes their run. Huge credit to the W's for sticking to it and putting the game away.
Only bad thing I saw was that play after a missed FT where MP did not block his guy out from the left side of the lane and Al lost the ball out of bounds. Al and Baron were all over MP. MP has got to be smarter; he hustles physically, if he wants to play big minutes he's got to hustle mentally also.
by philsmith75 on Nov 30, 2007 2:56 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
so good
I saw tony.psd there as well. As alawys, people were snapping pics with him and his famous signs. I was sitting in sec 229. relatively quiet section except for the girl I went with, loudest in our section haha...a STH.
Definitely more satisfying that they completely shut the rockets down and owned the game.
by disguy on Nov 30, 2007 4:15 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
kudos dj for
as for taking Baron out, I might be off here but it seems he likes staying out there - particularly at the home games where he's enjoying the love-fest
by hardcore on Nov 30, 2007 4:50 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
the dubs are back
by AJC3317 on Nov 30, 2007 6:40 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

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