ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Timberwolves 12/3/2018

Yeah, I saw your post, and my first thought was "defenses will trap us as one method, but last night?" Then I rewatched the second half to verify that I didn't see traps. Thibs didn't trap the ballhandler on the perimeter in 2nd half last night. He sent help to clog the lane on drives, combined with "hats off" to Minny for high-level intensity.

But yeah, teams will trap the ballhandler on occassion. I also agree with you that sometimes they will trap Pistol/21.

I just don't think 2nd Half last night was an example of trapping defenses.

 

Hmm, okay. It's just that I saw Harden doubled at the top of the key off of 21 and it was looking like we were scrambling. You think it was just guys were missing open shots?

 

I didn't rewatch the 1st half, since we owned it. Maybe you are referring to a 1st half play.

Sure, but also, Minny generated a lot of 2nd half turnovers against penetration. Their intensity in the lane was very good. On our defensive side, the big run was sparked by 4-5 offensive rebound tip-ins/fouls, bookended by Minny getting hot from 3.

If we are to categorize it, remember last year when we'd say "I can't believe we won that game on poor shooting from 3." (I think we were like 9-6 on games shooting less than 30%.) Those wins were due to smothering defense saving us. Probably last year, we don't lose this game, even if every possession of ours was the same.

 

Yea...okay maybe I dont have it right, but I'll try to find the plays which I was referring, I'm prolly wrong about this, I'll try to show you which plays I was talking about(though I dont know where I would get highlights).

Yea, this second part makes a lot of sense...sigh I miss last year or rebounding in particular was so good. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.

 

Search NBA.com stats team boxscores. From the team stats page, there is a box score option. Find the game. You can click any player’s stats and highlight vid of each play will start. So, if you remember a turnover, then click Hardens turnover number from box score and all his turnovers will play. I think you can filter by quarters, as well.

Also,,,,VERY COOL, you can go to the Play by Play, and there is a vid for everything that happens.

Lastly, search for Nba replays. There are several sites where you can stream previous games, split into quarters.

I find the auto-Play highlights from boxscore, pin-point selection via PnP and full replays by quarter to all be easy and fast to locate specific plays, depending upon how much you remember. The full replay is best for assessing the flow and game plans, though.

 

Ahhhh cool, I will do that right now, that's really convenient haha.

 

btw: you can also do the entire team boxscore -- ie, click turnovers, assists, FGM (anything) at the team level, and NBA.com starts playing them one after another.

And if you are *really* bored, click Free Throws.

 

Yeaa, thats a really good shortcut for all this, really appreciate it man.

 

Chris Paul's shooting numbers have been terrible this year. Gordon and Chris Paul definitely need to be playing better. Capela has been the most consistent presence on both offense and defense. Harden is just carrying the team offensively this year.

 

Sounds like the Rockets got full of themselves, Wolves got pissed and out worked the Rockets. (Stay humble, stay hungry)


They’re laughing at us.

As Taj Gibson walked off the court at halftime after the Timberwolves gave up 38 points in the second quarter to a team that embarrassed them in the playoffs six months ago, one of the team’s proudest veterans had seen enough.

The Houston Rockets, the same team that hung 50 points on them in a single quarter the last time they were in the Wolves’ house, were flying again. James Harden, Clint Capela and Eric Gordon were getting whatever they wanted, playing that ISO-heavy, foul-hunting, drive-and-kick style that can be so maddening to watch and impossible to defend. And it was working.

The Rockets shot 55.6 percent from the field, hit eight 3-pointers, outscored Minnesota 14-2 in transition and led by as many as 19 points in a 62-point blitz.

“You get frustrated with how they play, how they were laughing during the game,” Gibson said. “That’s a talented team and it was just pissing us off.”

 

Blow it up