Small Guard Fills Big Shoes
Sometimes it is the size of your desire that matters most. Sunday the desire of a 6-foot, 160 pound guard helped fill a huge void left by an injury to a 7-foot-6, 310 pound center.
The setting was game 4 of the NBA playoff matchup between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Rockets entered the game behind 2-1 in this Western Conference semi-final series and under big time pressure to avoid falling into a 3-1 hole that few teams ever crawl out of.
In addition, the Rockets were playing their first game since losing their star center, the 7-foot-6 Yao Ming. The big man from China was lost for the season two nights earlier after suffering a hairline fracture on his left foot.
Young Aaron Brooks, a second year guard from Oregon, was the smallest player on the court at 6-foot, 160 pounds. Yet Brooks scored 34 points on 12-20 shooting to lead a 99-87 Rocket win that evened the series 2-2.
One play in particular symbolized how Brooks stepped up in the absence of the Rockets’ star center. It was the last play of the third quarter. Ron Artest was inbounding the ball for the Rockets.
Artest had to inbound from beyond half court with only seconds left in the quarter. Artest threw a long, allie-oop style pass to the right side of the basket.
Who was there to catch this allie-oop pass? It was Brooks. The small guard got behind the LA defense a was alone under the basket. Brooks jumped high enough to dunk but the timing was just off for a dunk.
Brooks still made good on the play, putting up a bank shot that went in as the buzzer sounded.
Shane Battier also was big for the Rockets. After scoring only 18 points total in the first three games of this series, Battier finished with 23 points, including five three pointers. He was also the lead defender on the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, who was held to 15 points.
The Rockets dominated this game for the first three quarters. They jumped ahead 9-0 and 17-4 in the early going. Battier had 12 points to help the Rockets end the first quarter ahead, 29-16 lead.
Houston added to their lead in the second quarter, going up by 18 at the half, 54-36. In the third quarter Houston built their lead to nearly 30, with Brooks scoring 17, including the shot at the the end of the third quarter that gave the Rockets an 83-54 lead.
The Lakers almost got back in the game in the fourth quarter. LA went on a 23-7 run to start the quarter and got within 11. But the Rockets, led by Brooks, did a good job of using up the 24-second clock on their possessions and making free throws in the last two minutes.
Game five will be Tuesday in Los Angeles with game six back in Houston on Thursday. If a game seven is necessary, it will be Sunday in LA.
