HoopWatch

Houston Rockets superstar guard Tracy McGrady lost another play-off series, his sixth straight. I feel bad for the guy. He did his best, but his team lost focus at the end game. T-Mac was constantly double-teamed, forcing him to give up the ball, and as a result, his teammates failed to deliver, particularly Juwan Howard. Howard muffed two crucial jump shots from the side, open ones at that!

Houston has been a two-man team all season long. They won 52 games, behind the stellar scoring performances of their two stars – McGrady and Yao Ming. Both guys scored 29 points in this Game Seven. But they lost a close decision to the Jazz, 99-103.

Jazz center Mehmet Okur hit two big three-pointers in the final seconds (again!), and Utah was quicker to the ball. They secured three big offensive rebounds, and Carlos Boozer iced the game with two free throws with 19 seconds left.

Houston had a mental lapse. After McGrady made a lay-up with eight seconds left, and just down by two, they failed to foul right away, using up seven long seconds to send a Utah player to the foul line.

McGrady, before the series started, took responsibility for the outcome of the series. He tried his best. He was impressive, scoring 29 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, dishing out a team-high 13 assists, and went 12-of-25 from the floor. But in the end, he and Yao just needed help, especially in the dying seconds. His teammates just did not deliver during the crucial moments.

There’s a lot to ponder in the off-season. It still isn’t sure if Coach Jeff Van Gundy will re-sign, and we aren’t sure if the new GM will make significant roster changes. I just hope next year will be a better year for T-Mac, and that he may advance to that elusive second round.