ClutchFans Game Thread: Blazers @ Rockets 4/20/2014 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 1)

The team has left Howard in during these situations most of the time all season and has mostly been successful doing this-- Howard has typically made at least half of his FTs out of intentional fouls and the Rockets has almost always held on to a lead, or even increased it, during this time.

The only example where I recall this really working was vs. the Lakers, and there are way more examples where leaving Howard in works out.

If anything, perhaps the mistake was to actually take Howard out rather than just take your chances on those FTs. Portland got some easy opportunities without a rim protection.

 

Great job Rocket defense. 48 for Aldridge? 31 for Lillard!? Really!!!???

 

Hack a Dwight. That killed it.

 

That was the dumb move. Not necessarily taking out Howard, but not putting in Asik. You know Jones can't guard Aldridge one-on-one(especially on a night like tonight), so why not use the supposed best backup center in the league when you have him on the bench?

 

Everybody seems to ask the same question in their mind.
Well tell you guys what, in that kind of circumstance, did you really expected us to run other game plan than ISO Harden.
How many time we had it see over the regular season, the same f u c kin situation and the same game set being played.
**** this !!!

 

Still think the rockets win in 6, unfortunate that the refs sucked on both sides.

 

Lin should have gotten the ball at least once in the last few possessions. The man scored half our points in OT.

 

Bev is not a starting caliber nba point guard and when everyone's playing just as hard as him he has no advantage :/

 

Howard, are you still want to joke around??? Please put more time on your free throws.

 

Asik isn't any better, and as a p**** move Stott likely continues that strategy w/ Asik, but yeah the way that last 4 mins was handled by McHale was garbage. Why not try Powell on LMA big body and 6 fouls to give that are not Asik's/DHs.

 

Harden was so stoned during the last play :/ 420 blaze it

 

I don't blame McFail for taking Howard out during that time because he missed 4 free throws in a row.

I blame Beverley for playing too aggressive and let Lilliard drove pass him without even doing pick n roll. I blamed Harden shooting 3 when we're only down by 1pts. And i blamed Harden failing to attack the basket the entire game. And then I blamed McFail for failing to come up with better strategy. I think we need to fire McFail and hire Jeff Van Gundy who is much better with strategy.

 

That's what I was saying ! Harden just didn't have it yet you keep going to him ? Ughhhhh this sucks !!!!!!!!

 

It's mental. Not easy to get over that hurdle.

 

Bad calls both ways all night.. Stop blaming the refs for our loss.

 

should have never taken dwight out of the game.

 

It's far more than that. Open your eyes. We suck, because Harden and Howard didn't show up. LMA and Lillard did. When your stars fail, you lose.
McHale failed too.
The Blazers are very confident now. Unless something radical happens, we will be defeated. Quite easily too.

 

If we still have BEV, i'm confident we will win the series. We're alright. We just can't keep having these late game meltdowns. Rarely do we do it multiple games in a row, but when we do, god is it awful.

 

The Calls against Houston or should I say non calls were way more impactfull than anything that went against Portland. Way more

 

The cost Rocket has to pay for not trusting LIN.