1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

[ESPN] Rockets win 15th straight game after tightening up defense late against Boston

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Shaq2Yao, Mar 3, 2018.

  1. Shaq2Yao

    Shaq2Yao Member

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2006
    Messages:
    8,520
    Likes Received:
    16,942
    http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22639768/houston-rockets-use-late-burst-squeak-boston-celtics

    HOUSTON -- Ten years ago this month, the Boston Celtics came to Houston and, as part of the team's march to a 17th title, ended the Houston Rockets' 22-game winning streak. It was the only time in the Celtics' storied history that they had ever ended a team's winning streak of 14 or more games.

    And, despite Boston's best efforts on Saturday night, it remains the lone instance.

    In a game with a playoff-like intensity, Trevor Ariza hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 93 seconds to play, then came up with a steal/layup combo to push the Rockets ahead as the hosts extended their winning streak to 15 games with a 123-120 triumph over the visiting Celtics at the Toyota Center.

    Boston got a final gasp, but Marcus Smart's turnaround 3-pointer at the buzzer off a Hail Mary feed from Marcus Morris clanged off the rim.

    On this night, Houston's stars were forced to grind. James Harden scored 26 points but on 6-of-18 shooting. He added 10 assists and 7 rebounds over 38 minutes. Chris Paul battled foul trouble but finished with 15 points and 7 assists in 35 minutes.

    Morris scored a team-high 21 points for Boston off the bench, while Kyrie Irvingadded 18 on 6-of-17 shooting.

    The early part of the fourth quarter featured Morris and Eric Gordon (game-high 29 points) engaging in an unexpected shootout. Morris scored 11 points over 2:34, hitting a trio of 3-pointers and adding a dunk. The Celtics might have run away with the game if not for Gordon, who hit three treys of his own in little more than two minutes.

    The Celtics were clinging to a one-possession lead with under two minutes to play when Harden missed a 3-pointer. Rozier flew in for the rebound, but the Rockets rushed him from both sides and Tucker's tip allowed Paul to corral the ball and feed Ariza for the critical 3.

    In late January, while the Celtics were giving the Golden State Warriors all they could handle, Paul tweeted out kind words for Boston backup guard Terry Rozier. Paul wrote: "Really like watching Terry Rozier hoop... plays hard on both sides!"

    Rozier helped spark Boston's best bench effort of the season. The Celtics put up a season-high 67 bench points thanks in large part to Morris and Rozier, who scored a team-best 12 first-half points. Rozier had as many first-half makes as Irving and Harden combined over the first 24 minutes.

    The Celtics rallied from a 26-point deficit to stun the Rockets in December, but Houston was playing without Paul and Clint Capela that night. Capela finished with eight points and 17 rebounds Saturday night.

    This is now the longest winning streak of the season for the Rockets, who had a 14-game streak earlier this season.
     
    #1 Shaq2Yao, Mar 3, 2018
    roslolian, crose, D-rock and 7 others like this.
  2. macan

    macan Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2017
    Messages:
    6,878
    Likes Received:
    10,487
    media conspiracy
     
    #2 macan, Mar 3, 2018
    hakeem94, RiceRockets and Os Trigonum like this.
  3. CometsWin

    CometsWin Breaker Breaker One Nine

    Joined:
    May 15, 2000
    Messages:
    28,028
    Likes Received:
    13,046
    IMG_0016.GIF
     
    #3 CometsWin, Mar 3, 2018
    D-rock, BigMaloe, macho GRANDE and 4 others like this.
  4. Pizza_Da_Hut

    Pizza_Da_Hut I put on pants for this?

    Joined:
    Jul 16, 2003
    Messages:
    11,323
    Likes Received:
    4,118
    ISO Joe, he didn't look so good.
     
    #4 Pizza_Da_Hut, Mar 3, 2018
    hongxingli, Jake Tower, jevjnd and 7 others like this.
  5. riko

    riko Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2014
    Messages:
    9,634
    Likes Received:
    16,083
    I can’t believe it’s been 10 years. Miss the moutombo finger wave and the Battier hustle. I thought once Yao went down the streak would end but Deke was having some huge rebounding and defensively dominante games.
     
    #5 riko, Mar 3, 2018
    roslolian, TheRealAllpro, Jake Tower and 6 others like this.
  6. kjayp

    kjayp Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2006
    Messages:
    8,676
    Likes Received:
    7,434
    Strong team win - with great effort on both ends of the court!
     
    #6 kjayp, Mar 4, 2018
    D-rock likes this.
  7. tmoney1101

    tmoney1101 Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jul 3, 2009
    Messages:
    17,473
    Likes Received:
    21,823
    I was at the game when they snapped our 22 game win streak. Tonight felt good.
     
    #7 tmoney1101, Mar 4, 2018
    hakeem94, Jake Tower, RyanB and 5 others like this.
  8. Roscoe Arbuckle

    Roscoe Arbuckle Member

    Joined:
    Aug 15, 2014
    Messages:
    5,285
    Likes Received:
    2,951
    ESPN was moderate for a bit, but they are so East Coast biased these days you can smell the Noreaster. (In fact, much like the 94 series vs the Knicks, there was ton of good video showing Knicks good/Rockets bad.)

    Go watch that series and then look at the current highlights of tonight's game.
     
    #8 Roscoe Arbuckle, Mar 4, 2018
    BigShasta, chadyang, D-rock and 2 others like this.
  9. Corrosion

    Corrosion Member

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2011
    Messages:
    8,929
    Likes Received:
    11,378

    I don't care ... # Scoreboard.
     
    #9 Corrosion, Mar 4, 2018
    D-rock, macho GRANDE, don grahamleone and 1 other person like this.
  10. Will

    Will Clutch Crew
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 1999
    Messages:
    5,060
    Likes Received:
    9,012
    I love that our shooting in this game sucked, while the Celtics were hitting everything. Well, actually, I hated it, but I loved it because our guys, seeing that the ball wasn't going in for them, played extra hard on defense. They knew that was their only way to stay in the game. Everyone on this board, if we're honest, knows that if our shots were going in and our guys had a 15-point lead, we would have coasted accordingly. We all saw it when they had the fat lead in Boston.

    You take away our lead? You shoot the lights out? We can't hit one to save our lives? Then we'll beat you with defense. That option, as a decisive factor, hasn't really existed on this team for, what? 23 years?

    Here's a project for the rest of the season: Keep playing defense at this level of aggressiveness. Accept the foul calls, but keep showing the referees that you're going to play this way and that you believe it's within bounds. There were calls tonight against several guys -- I'm thinking of CP, Nene, Ariza, and Joe Johnson -- that were highly dubious. They were borderline calls on plays that could just as easily have been accepted by the refs as strong defense. Keep at it. We can survive the free throws for the other team in most of our remaining games. And over time, our persistence will affect the referees. By the time the playoffs roll around, when James Harden isn't getting calls on hacks as he goes to the basket, our guys will be ready to match that level of physicality, and the refs will be accustomed to it.
     
    #10 Will, Mar 4, 2018
    slothy420, FLASH21, luckyman76 and 13 others like this.
  11. cbs1507

    cbs1507 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2007
    Messages:
    484
    Likes Received:
    849
    I was at the game where we beat LA for 22
     
    #11 cbs1507, Mar 4, 2018
    tmoney1101, Jake Tower, chadyang and 1 other person like this.
  12. Purvis2Short

    Purvis2Short Member

    Joined:
    Jan 29, 2008
    Messages:
    1,148
    Likes Received:
    531
    ISO Joe playing like a CUP of Joe.
     
    #12 Purvis2Short, Mar 4, 2018
  13. LosPollosHermanos

    LosPollosHermanos Houston only fan
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2009
    Messages:
    28,663
    Likes Received:
    12,596
    10 yrs?!
     
    #13 LosPollosHermanos, Mar 4, 2018
    xtruroyaltyx likes this.
  14. swyyyguy

    swyyyguy Member

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2008
    Messages:
    8,068
    Likes Received:
    3,323
    T-Mac played out of his mind to keep that winning streak alive for us. We had better a overall record when we had T-Mac without Yao as opposed to having Yao without T-Mac.
     
    #14 swyyyguy, Mar 4, 2018
    riko likes this.
  15. luckyman76

    luckyman76 Member

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2016
    Messages:
    1,387
    Likes Received:
    1,734
    This is the key. This is one of the finest games where no matter what was going on the Rockets kept their composure and got to see how it plays out in the end. Most teams that have a "Great D" rep have earned it by fouling every time and accepting the consequences and mucking up the game. You can look at Boston from both games how many times they fouled and got away with it because they knew they would. We are never going to be able to complain and get our way. You see what the rules are and know what the refs will do. Either you adapt or you suffer at their mercy. This style of play is what gets stars out of rhythm like Harden. The Rockets need to learn how to effectively blow up the other team's plans. What makes the other team work? Blow up Kyrie. I think the Rockets did a good job of that.
     
    #15 luckyman76, Mar 5, 2018
  16. TracywtFacy

    TracywtFacy Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2006
    Messages:
    4,546
    Likes Received:
    5,511
    Meanwhile, let's spare a thought for the Grizz. Losers of 13 straight.
     
    #16 TracywtFacy, Mar 5, 2018
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)

Share This Page

Toggle Width
Style
ClutchFans Original

  • About ClutchFans

    Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe.

  • Rockets Content

  • Support ClutchFans!

    If you find that ClutchFans is a valuable resource for you, please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Supporting Members can upload photos and attachments directly to their posts, customize their user title and more. Gold Supporters see zero ads!


    Upgrade Now