One Rebound Shy of a Chance

One. Rebound. Shy.

You can't question the effort. You can't question the tactics. Just one rebound would have given the Rockets a chance. A win would have given all of Houston that air of destiny; that winning the series was meant to be. Instead, Okur's offensive rebound and two clutch free throws shifts that destiny heavily in favor of Utah. Every little play they need to make, they seem to make.

As a fan, it wouldn't have been as excruciating had McGrady or Landry just grabbed the rebound and missed the game-tying shot. Giving up the rebound just tore your heart right out. You almost wish Williams had just made the second one.

Let's face it, the situation looks bleak. Down 3-1 and going to Houston, if the Rockets weren't supposed to win the series before, they certainly aren't supposed to win this series now. But nothing is finished before its done. They just need to win one game. We can worry about the rest after that.

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Yao Links: Jonathan Feigen has written a nice piece on Yao's rehab workouts. It's definitely worth a read. China Daily reports that China has drawn Spain and the U.S. in the FIBA Olympic draw. Needless to say, China has a tough road ahead. In fact, they'll play the U.S. in the opening round.

Originally posted at Yao Central on April 27, 2008 09:49 PM