note: I injected quotes from the same post-game interviews, but which Feigen spread across two articles. Rockets building 'championship habits' in quest to dethrone Warriors By Jonathan Feigen, Houston ChronicleFebruary 28, 2018 LOS ANGELES – As James Harden declared again that he believed the current Rockets were the best since he moved to Houston and that "this is the year," it was clear that the 13-game winning streak the Rockets brought into Wednesday's game had not made him change his mind. The Rockets have made no secret about their confidence in their championship aspirations. Harden's slightly more ambiguous, though still clear declaration in an ESPN interview on Tuesday ranked only as their latest claim that they are worthy challengers to the Warriors' reign and believe they can win a postseason series, as they have the regular-season series. The idea, however, drives more than conversation. The Rockets have cited their pursuit of a championship for everything from a determination to improve a team that already has the league's best record to their acceptance of diminished roles as general manager Daryl Morey adds players for Mike D'Antoni to squeeze into his rotation. In some ways, that is to be expected. If the Rockets held the NBA's best record but did not think they could win a championship that would be more newsworthy than them continuing to like their chances. Heading into Wednesday's game against the Clippers, they needed only to go 12-10 the rest of the season to have the best record in franchise history. A win in Los Angeles would have made them just the sixth team in NBA history to have two 14-game winning streaks in the same season. "The biggest thing is try to develop championship habits," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We just have to get better. Winning will come if we do that. "We don't necessarily talk every day about our bigger goal, but developing good habits, we do." They do refer to that as "championship habits" and D'Antoni does not cringe when his players confidently cite that goal. He even said last month, when discussing how the offensive style that was ridiculed in Phoenix is now widely accepted, "We could've won it back then, we could win it now." "The only (reaction) I have to it is knowing it's really, really hard," D'Antoni said. "Things have to line up. We all know that. But we do have the talent and the ability to play and beat anybody at any time. We do have a goal in trying to win it. No shame in that. We also know Golden State's the best team. We still have some growing to do." "I kept trying to warn them. I worry that we are too good that games are boring now. Don't completely turn off all the flames. They look at me like, "Yeah, OK." They're a confident group right now. Sometimes it's going to bite us. "We just feel like we can win every game right now. We have guys in there that are super confident." If it seemed that he suggested that the Warriors are better, he did, in a nod to the championships the Warriors have won and that the Rockets have not together. "I think we have a serious chance," D'Antoni said. "We know Golden State's better, but we do feel like we can play with anybody. We'll see if we can get up there. They've won the championship. Until someone knocks them off, they're the champs. Yeah, we're confident, but at the same time, we know they've done it; we haven't." Rather than deny the championship aspirations, the Rockets have brought them up often since media day, when Morey said, "We feel we're well positioned to take down anybody and get in position to try to take down the juggernaut in Golden State." But like D'Antoni, as the stakes increase, and things get serious, even Morey is tempering his usual bravado, saying just this week, "We are good enough in every phase of the game except one unknown." Morey wouldn't elaborate, but jokingly added, "Rockets are good, BUT I sometimes wonder if Mike has a love affair with Joe Johnson." After their second win against the Warriors this season, Clint Capela said the Rockets were the better team and added, "Now we know that we definitely can beat them." None of that matters. Asked about the Rockets' confidence on Wednesday in Washington, Stephen Curry said, "What would you expect them to say." The next meeting of the Warriors and Rockets, if it comes this season, is a long way off. With that in mind, the Rockets said the rest of the regular season is about getting better for whatever is to come, with their plans clear. "Right now, we're just enjoying the process, the different obstacles like that game the other night in Utah," Rockets guard Chris Paul said. "We're just enjoying the process in different times we've been in tough situations, like any other team, and try to overcome it. We're just hooping. "We're starting to figure out things. We just want to keep getting better. We don't know how many more games we're going to win this season, but it's not about that. For us, it's about making sure we're building and playing the right way." They had done enough of that to go into Wednesday's game 30-1 when Capela, Paul and Harden play, 32-3 when Harden and Paul both play. "When me and Chris are in the lineup together, the numbers speak for themselves," Harden said. "Just continue to get better every day. There's things we're not good at. Focus on them and get better at them. We still have 20-something games to do that. It's not going to be perfect, but as long as the effort's there and we learn from our mistakes, we should be good." They have, however, openly and dramatically increased what they would consider to be "good."
@TheRealist137 saw this coming way before Mike Dan Tony. Either that or Mike AntoniO is on CF http://bbs.clutchfans.net/index.php...ts-too-good-that-games-are-boring-now.279243/
This is what I hate the most, news about the Warriors before the actual showdown. The media is screwing with our heads, yet again. This forth and back - They are not that good, we are not concerned, They are better than us.......
I love that D'Antoni gets fired up when the Rockets get complacent or get a dumb turnover. He's absolutely right. As good as we are, that Golden State team has two top 5 players, and two All-Stars behind them. They also have a former Finals MVP/DPOY who is aging but can still play big minutes, and a relatively deep bench. They are the team to beat. Houston needs to remember that at all times if we are going to win the chip this year.
Pringles is going for the inception level mind games. Dream within a dream. He graciously defers while implanting the seed of doubt within the Flubs. It's beautiful to watch unfold. And then there is Kerr more nervous than a virgin during prom. Interesting to watch the psychology develop.
I'm just praying that both the Rockets and the Warriors take care of business and meet in the WCF as the universe has decreed. That would be an EPIC series, one for the ages. If, for example, the Thunder or Spurs beat the Warriors, it wouldn't be the same. It HAS to be us.
Yeah why not. I've seen the Rockets roster as constructed legitimately be a REAL problem for GSW. Go Beat them Rockets........you're certainly good enough and capable...
"I kept trying to warn them. I worry that we are too good that games are boring now. Don't completely turn off all the flames. They look at me like, "Yeah, OK." They're a confident group right now. Sometimes it's going to bite us. Murry gon git banned with his multiple CF aliases.
So are we all just going to ignore the excessive amount of Lip Chap on Draymonds face? The correct amount is to keep the lip supple not drenched..
Yea what's goin on with this dude's elbows. Speaking of the thedude, what happened to the poster that had more likes than messages? I feel like he disappeared and all we have left is @theDude
I still can't believe mofos on here don't think Curry is as 'tough as nails'. Look at how ripped and cut he is. Look at his scars. He can take the contact and make you suck his d!ck at the same time...
