[ClutchFans] Podcast: Game 1 loss a wake-up call or death knell for Rockets?

This headline is something you'd see on First Take...

 

After LMA's 3 pointer in OT. I was just saying this ain't our night

 

It was just one game. I have faith that we can step up and win this thing in 6 or 7, but we need a LOT better play from Harden and Dwight for 4 quarters and some better coaching with regards to drawing up plays after key time outs. Losing Bev will hurt but we can step it up

 

I really hope it was just first game jitters, but it seems like Harden plays a lot differently in the playoffs. He's a LOT more hesitant.

 

We are going to learn some things about Howard and Harden. This team only goes as far as Howard and Harden take them. They make more money than the rest of the team combined, they are the superstars, they are supposed to be the leaders. Lets see if these two guys step up and carry this team like they are supposed to.

 

the GOOD comparison to that Jazz series is that ROCKETS won the 1st game back then, even took a 2-0 series lead, and Jazz won the series in 7. We're down 0-1, but it could finish a completely different way.

It gives me hope for this series, because way too often a series feels over after that first game loss... and even if Bev is really hurt, there's still a lot that can happen to change the series. A good nights sleep (well, eventually) sure helped my perspective on this. Still bummed, but controllably so.

 

This is silly.....

Are the Clippers finished? The Bulls? The Pacers? The Raptors?

Half of the top seeds lost game 1.

If the Rockets are going to win in 6 or 7 games (anyone that expected a 4-5 game series is overly optimistic), that means the Blazers are going to win 2-3 games..... it just happened to be that the Blazers won game 1.

It took 46 points from Aldridge, and 100 points from Aldridge/Lillard/Matthews to beat the Rockets in overtime.

The Rockets lost because Harden, Howard and Beverley did not play well... the Rockets lose when that happens...

It is unlikely that the Blazers will get 100 points from 3 players, and that Harden and Howard will struggle like they did in game 1.

Concerning the defense, the Blazers are an elite offensive team.... just like the Rockets, there will be points put on the board.

The sky isn't falling after game 1...... it is a 7 game series.

 

Death nail.

We collapsed and have no Beverley.

 

Assuming we lost Beverley, that sucks for this series because we have only two usable point guards, not because he is magic.

I think we can still beat Portland if Howard and Harden show up, but it just became critical that Lin and Harden be staggered so we keep in a scoring punch when the bench is in. That is an approach the coaches have carefully not taken all season when Bev has been out injured, presumably because they did not find Lin sufficiently reliable.

If we're going to get anywhere, even out of this series, it's time for them to cross their fingers and hope he can perform. And Canaan, the guy we sent back to the D-League playoffs because he wasn't as good as Lin and Beverley, needs to make his minutes count.

Oh, and while all that is going on, it wouldn't hurt to find some way to defend LMA. Just sayin'.

 

Yeah the sensationalist headline is pretty silly, imo.

 

I'm officially reinvigorated. Rockets will take Game 2 and win in 7. Coaches gotta figure out an Aldridge strategy, but no way he plays like he did last night.

I believe.

 

This.

They won with LaMarcus Aldridge going for 46 and 18. The question is, can he do that 3 more times out of 6? At the same time, will James Harden shoot 28.6% from the field and shoot 21.4% from outside in 3out of 6 games? Can Lopez keep Dwight at 42.9% FG% for 3 more games out of 6? Also, despite an all-world performance from LMA they only won by 2.

IMHO the probability that LMA can play at such a high level for 3 more games, while at the same time, Lopez and Matthews keeps D12 and JH below their averages is low. Remember, those 3 things had to happen for them to only win by 2 in OT. Can those 3 things happen 3 more times in the same games?

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am mad about the loss and disappointed in our players and coaching staff. I’ll just hold off from freaking out until the end of game 3 at the earliest. hehehe

 

The Rockets had the worst road record of any WC playoff team. At 21-20, they were worse than the 9th seed Suns. Portland was 31-10 @ home.

The Rockets would have to win all 3 remaining in HOU and 1 of 3 in POR. IMHO, Las Vegas is favoring POR right now.

Charles Barkley and Shaq vigorously debated Howard at half-time. Put me with Charles on that one. Howard is going to struggle because he has no face the basket game and the Blazers won't have to double to help Lopez. Lopez will give ground until Dwight is within 5 feet and then force Howard to jump from a flat-footed postion.

The Rockets could counter by moving Howard up the lane and using some PnR's to make Lopez move his feet. But I'm not sure how well that worked during the regular season. And not sure if Lopez would still lag back since Howard has no range.

Wondering what those $Balls looked like for free-throws and shooting range?

 

I am not sure if it is a wake-up call or death knell but what I do know is MAJOR PROPS to Clutch and MK for doing this podcast at what, 2am in the morning? And great straight shooting analysis.

Thank you!

 

When you lose game 1 at home, it basically makes game 2 a must-win. That's all.

 

a wakeup call for sure. Harden had a bad game and Rox only lost by 2. They got 46pts from LMA. Everyone knows he would dominate, but 46pts is a bit unexpected. I don't see him getting 40 again for any game the rest of this series.

 

If they lose first round, people are going to call for Mchale's head... and dwights if he continues to struggle from the line and cost us games.

 

The Rockets have no defense. We are the Nash-Stoudemire-Marion Suns from the mid 2000's.

Great to watch, but extremely painful in the end.

 

Unlike the other Game 1 losers at home, the Rockets are not a better team than Portland. They are evenly matched. That makes Houston's home loss worse than say Indiana's or even the Clippers. (Toronto is in the same boat as Houston).

The Rockets can win the series if they slide Lin into the starting PG role AND give him the primary defensive assignment against Lillard. They also need to play Asik/D-Mo more and find ways to improve their defensive rebounding. They can't stop Aldridge but they can reduce his second shot opportunities by getting more loose balls.

If they play Parsons on Lillard the other players will be out of position and out of rhythm. I know it's an article of faith in Houston that Lin is a bad defensive player, but he is much improved and played quite well in Game 1. He can hold his own with that matchup.

 

They didn't always stagger Lin's and Harden's minutes last year either, so I'm not sure it's that they didn't think Lin was reliable this year. It's baffling. Other than Harden, can they really think there is a better attacking offensive guard on the team? If they were down on Lin they could have only played him when Harden was off the floor. I wonder how much of McHale's substitution patterns are simply clueless. Lin's job on this team is first and foremost Harden's backup. Everything else, including backing up Bev or being the third guard in a three-guard lineup, is secondary. Why haven't the coaches figured that out?