...but with the Rockets currently 3 games behind Phoenix, the scheduling gods have put us in a position to go into the Phoenix game just 2 games out. Nothing is a given with the Rockets anymore, but after a win against the Warriors and a Phoenix loss in Utah on Friday night, we'll only be 2 out. Hopefully we'll be relatively healthy because the Rockets have a golden opportunity to show us fans just how badly they want to get into the playoffs. Despite recent trends, a huge 4th quarter spurt just isn't gonna cut it anymore. I'm eager to see an agressive Houston team take it to Phoenix right from the get go. It's so tempting to look back on our schedule saying we should have had a win here or we should have had a win there. Bottom line, we gotta keep winning and Phoenix and Minnesota better start losing soon. This weekend is a perfect opportunity for us to begin a new winning streak, Phoenix to start a losing streak, and for us to make up for a few close losses earlier this season. I never thought I'd be saying this at this stage in his career or after all the turmoil this season, but we are a much better team with a healthy Hakeem. Pray for a quick recovery because Cato is ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS and we might as well kiss the playoffs good-bye without the greatest center to ever play the game. Unbeatable. By the way, who do you guys want to play in the first round of the playoffs? ------------------
That's the exact reason I was complaining. The Rockets will not have the luxury of playing lowly teams every night, so they can not afford to get off to horribly slow starts. They have to play with a high level of intensity in every quarter. ------------------ I'm the most positive Rocket fan in the world.
I would like to play the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs... that might not happen though. ------------------ ZRB isn't negative, he's just misunderstood.
I dont know why you're saying they had a horrible start in this last game. If I remember correctly the Rockets looked good in the 1st quarter. They only started struggling when the Clips brought in their bench. The Rockets actually had the lead at the end of the 1st. 28-21 ------------------ Cause I'm a twenty first century digital boy. I don't know how to read, but I got a lot of toys. My daddy's a lazy middle class intellectual. My mommy's on valium, so ineffectual. Oh Oh, ain't life a mystery?
That may be. However getting down double digits to two crappy teams (record-wise) anyways just isn't gonna cut it. Yeah, I know: a win is a win. But take that same style of play and translate it over to any .500 or better team and all of a sudden that win becomes a loss. ------------------
I agree the Rockets shouldnt give up huge leads and have to claw their way back into it. I was replying to ZRB's statement that the Rockets have been off to horribly slow starts. One thing that you can take from these 2 games that's good is this team is finally making the 4th quarter their quarter. In the past they would compete with a team and then die in the 4th. At least lately they've fought in the 4th and made that their best quarter which is what good teams do. I'd take a slow start and a strong finish over a fast start and a slow finish anyday. Of course in a perfect world I'd want the Rockets to never give up a lead and win by 20 each time out, but this is the NBA and it's never gonna be easy no matter who you're playing. ------------------ Cause I'm a twenty first century digital boy. I don't know how to read, but I got a lot of toys. My daddy's a lazy middle class intellectual. My mommy's on valium, so ineffectual. Oh Oh, ain't life a mystery?
I agree. The differnce in our ability to close out the 4th quarter this season compared to last is extremely encouraging. ------------------
So Lakers - who didn't get down to a crappy team by 20+ pts, but lost to them by that amount is a playoff team, while an undermanned Rockets who put up a comeback is not? Yeah, that makes sense... ------------------ We can reach our destination, but it's still a ways away.
On any given night, in any given game, the crappy team can beat the superior team. This is basketball, and at the NBA level, it can be as simple as one guy getting in the zone, and that's the BALLGAME. The talent level on a per player basis isn't THAT different from team to team. By that, I mean every team has its stars, its role players, and its scrubs. Stars don't play well every night, scrubs don't play bad every night. This theory of "the team with the better record should always win" just isn't practical. This is an 82 game season, everyone gets beat by the scrubs at some point. The same style of play is not used every night. You play your matchups and use your playbook differently every game. Then you take it back to the locker room at the half and look at what worked and what didn't. Same thing after the game. We were behind, but we won. The better record doesn't always beat the lesser. This is basketball, not arm wrestling. ------------------ There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness." [This message has been edited by HOOP-T (edited March 09, 2001).]
Um, not to burst your bubble, but there's still the little matter of the Golden State game to worry about before you go figuring out what we need to do in Phoenix game. ------------------ Founding Father of the Refs Suck Club
