What Rockets loss stings you to this day?

1997 Stockton three robbed us of Hakeem vs MJ

 

Probably G2 of the '15 WCF... lost on the final possession of the game after a dazzling performance from Harden (38-10-9) and a double-double from Dwight on a torn MCL. Not to mention, it took place right after a crushing defeat in G1.

 

The Lakers loss stings but more in a "wow if Yao was healthy" way. With a healthy Yao we beat that Lakers team in, heck we could've still won if Kobe knew how to miss vs Battier/Artest. No way Carmelo abuses those 2 like Kobe did in that series. As for the finals, IIRC Yao always did very well vs Dwight.

 

Kind of a random one, but G5 vs Dallas in 2005 still makes my blood boil.

 

Gm 6 2017

 

The players on that team were exactly the kind of players you fall in love with as a fan.

Landry, Hayes, AB, Battier, Artest, Yao, Dikembe, Scola etc

 

2017 MEM@HOU

 

As much as I hated that play, we were down 2-3 and game was tied. It robbed us of going to overtime in Game 6. And if we win, we go to Utah for Game 7....where they won all three games, so far.

 

Lillard game winning 3 in 2014

 

I hate the "we were so close what could'a been" losses

2015 WCF G2 loss to GSW
1997 WCF G6 loss to Utah

 

There was another Jazz series where we took them to 5 (we were seeded 8th) and looked like we could pull it off, then Barkley got hurt.

Back then, being down 2-3 didn't mean **** to us as a fanbase. We'd been coming back from behind and Heart-of-a-Championing our way to all kinds of crazy victories.

 

Also, Brandon Roy drilling a fall-away three with 0.8 seconds left in OT, right after Yao hit a clutch jumper to put us up, in 2008. It was the prequel to Lillard's shot. Stupid Blazers.

 

that was the closest we could have gotten to a championship until this day
OT at home, game 7 with momentum, Hakeem, Barkley, Drexler, Elie, E Johnson

what even happened to Heart of a Champion?

what loss did you hate the most?

 

Lillard in 2014 changed the way I view nba basketball

 

It hurt that harden didnt even get a shot up to win that game. It was a furious late rally

 

Those are injuries that sting. They suck, but there's nothing you can do about it. As for Rockets losses that frustrate me, some that come to mind are:

1993 - Rockets vs Sonics Game 7 - They got screwed on a few out-of-bounds calls late and then Ricky Pierce hit a tough shot to tie it and send it to OT where Seattle prevailed. If the Rockets win that game, they face Phoenix who they always got the best of and then we might've had that elusive Bulls-Rockets Finals matchup. Really though, the more frustrating loss that season wasn't Game 7 to Seattle. It was the 2nd to last game of the regular season at home against the 11-71 Mavs. The Rockets p-ssed that one away(they'd even won 11 in a row heading into that game) and then lost the next night at San Antonio on that infamous Robinson dunk after the buzzer. If they just beat a sh-tty Dallas team at the Summit, then Game 7 vs Seattle is on their home floor.

2005 - Rockets vs Dallas Game 3 - The Rockets had the Mavs reeling with a 2-0 lead coming home and T-Mac ripping their hearts out with that game-winner in Game 2. And with a 10-point lead in the 3rd quarter, they seemed well on their way to a commanding 3-0 lead. Instead they let Dallas back in the game, the Mavs stole the win and the momentum, and the series was never the same after that. Yes, the refs were targeting Yao. Yes, Game 5 was also infuriating with the blown out-of-bounds call on Finley. But they had a stranglehold on this series and let it get away.

2007 - Rockets vs Jazz Game 7 - The Rockets dug themselves a deep hole(I think 16 points) in the first half. By the time they recovered to take a 5-point lead in the 4th, T-Mac and the others had nothing left in the tank. There's a reason the Rockets couldn't grab a defensive board in the final 2 minutes which wound up costing them the game and the series. A really infuriating loss given that the 8th seed Warriors were awaiting in the 2nd round. Had the Rockets shown up in the first half and won that game, they almost certainly get to the Western Conference Finals and face the Spurs. I doubt they beat San Antonio, but if by some miracle they had, the Cavs with a 22 year old LeBron would've been a cakewalk in the Finals. One of the biggest wasted opportunities in franchise history.

2014 - Rockets vs Blazers Game 1 - One of the other most notorious wasted opportunities in franchise history. I know everyone will gravitate towards Game 6 and the infamous Lillard wide open buzzer beater, but this is truly where the Rockets lost the series. Up by 10 late in the 4th and Stotts out of desperation went to Hack-a-Dwight. But it worked since Howard was so worthless at the foul line and couldn't make a single free throw which led to McFail panicking and pulling him out of the game. The Blazers quickly tied it up and then before we knew it, we were in OT where Portland stole away home court advantage. Again just like with 2007, I don't know if the Rockets defeat the Spurs had they advanced. But they never even gave themselves a chance to find out.

1997 - Rockets vs Sonics Game 5 - A seemingly obscure loss, but a very costly one. The Rockets had Seattle on the ropes after taking both Game 3 and 4 on the road(including a thrilling OT win in Game 4). Up 3-1, they had a chance to close out the Sonics at home and instead got badly outplayed. Seattle deserves credit for some of the best D I ever saw them play, but their intensity was about 1000 times greater than the Rockets' that night. By blowing this opportunity, the Rockets were forced to go to Game 7 before they finally finished off the Sonics. Meanwhile, Utah was resting after dispatching the Lakers in 5. Had the Rockets won Game 5, they wouldn't have been worn down heading into Games 1 and 2 in Salt Lake City(both of which they lost) and that series might've gone very differently.