22 in a row? No, but how about 19?

So before the Charlotte game, I predicted in the game thread that we would go 9 and 2 over the next 11 game stretch. So far we are 6-1.

That being said, and looking at our upcoming schedule, things look really really good for the near future at least.

Obviously there are a few tough ones, but we also can't underestimate momentum.

We have a HUGE game coming up on Saturday, and I mean HUGE. We are on a 5 game winning streak (longest active streak in the NBA) and our last loss came against none other than the Spurs in a nail-biter overtime game. It's not going to be easy, but I think if our players play with fire and remember that tough loss in San Antonio, we have a great shot to get the win at home and get some needed revenge. Also keep in mind that they will be on the second half of a back to back and we will be comfortably waiting for them at home having not played the night before.

Now before I get into the preposterous 19 in a row that I claim in the title, first I want to say what a loss on Saturday would do. We all know that over this 5 game win streak we haven't been playing...uh... very pretty basketball. Some of the wins were very ugly and a few of the double digit leads we had against bad teams collapsed faster than a house of cards in a wind tunnel. So a loss against the Spurs at home would hurt and could be dangerous for our confidence and flow, especially considering some of those last 5 "wins" felt more like losses. We hit the road for one game against Minnesota, and while they are one of the weaker teams in the west, its still a dangerous game and could easily end up in a loss if we aren't careful and thorough. You don't think Rick Adelman wants to make us regret letting him walk? Of course he does. So now two losses in a row and we start losing a little confidence. Then the 50-50 games and even some of the games that we should win could look a lot more like the wrong side of the New Orleans game if that ended in a loss.

Anyway, enough negativity. What a win against the Spurs would do would help our players forget how poorly they played in the previous wins and give them a lot of confidence back just having beat a west contender (as old as the Spurs are, you can never count them out of contention as long as they have Timmy, Tony, and Manu playing on the team).

Now we can look at the next batch of games:

@ Minnesota
vs Milwaukee
vs Washington
vs NY Knicks
vs Minnesota
@ San Antonio
vs Phoenix
@ Minnesota
@ Denver
@ Portland
@ Phoenix
@ Golden State
@ Memphis
vs Oklahoma City

The games at San Antonio, Denver, and Portland obviously stick out, as well as the game against OKC, but that would technically be the 20th game and as optimistic as I'm being, for all intents and purposes, let's say we lose that, just for the moment at least.

So boom, we won at San Antonio, then we play 5 VERY winnable games. I would say we would be favored in the next 5 games. Then all of a sudden our streak is 11 going into the game in San Antonio. How do we win that game? Confidence. 11 wins worth of confidence. Confidence in our players knowing that they have beaten this team 2 times already this season. If we win that game, then our status goes from "Hot" to "Rollin'" and we go home for a game before hitting the brutal 6 game road trip. Fortunately it seems like Portland has cooled off a bit and hopefully Denver does too, but I wouldn't consider any of those teams contenders this year so we have a shot to ride our streak up up up and up to 19 going into the Thunder game.

I know that's a TON of ifs but I feel like every game is winnable in the right situation. Also keep in mind that there could be a trade in the midst of this and I guarantee you that if Morey makes a mid-season trade, you better believe its going to make us better.

And hey, if we're doing THAT well... watch out Thunder, watch out old record? Haha! :grin:

Anyway, flame me all you want for saying that this is too soon to make this thread, but I'm a fan of the Rockets, and that's what fans do. They are optimistic and get excited about the team and whats to come!

I know this is all moot if we lose tomorrow, but you can't tell me that this thread isn't going to get some attention through those next 5 games if we win tomorrow. Could be fun.

Last thing I want to say is, STOP predicting that Kyle Lowry will have a triple double every night. Ever since the game that he came really close to one, everybody has been predicting he would get one every single game and he hasn't even really come that close since. Stop jinxing him! Haha