ClutchFans Game Thread: Pistons @ Rockets 3/22/2018

well aint that Morey, MDA, Cp3 & the rest of the rockets org and teams' job then?

 

Gerald Green with a +15!? How? Joe with the +12!! I've noticed both these guys playing together more .. maybe there is something to it .. fire and ice philosophy.

 

Spoiler

The ice cannon is a tad malfunctioning.

 

Horrible game, no energy, nothing.

They need to at least try.

Glad we got the win.

DD

 

JJ in the post with Green roaming around the perimeter looking for the 3-point shot. I don't necessarily have a problem with this play, although I'd prefer posting up CP3 instead(depending on matchups).

 

Truly a terrible effort from the squad tonight. Except PJ Tucker, thank god for him. And also thank god that Detroit tipped his ball off the rim that was already going out, we lose tonight if that doesn't happen. I have no idea how we won that game playing the way we did, but I'll take it. Although we need to stay a bit more focused to end the season, don't want to totally coast.

 

Watching this game gave me the diabeetus.

 

I'm hoping this was just due to exhaustion. They've been on the road for what seems like forever. Since the All-Star Break ended a month ago, prior to last night, they'd played 10 road games and only 4 home games. And their longest homestand in that stretch was a whopping 2 games(Spurs & Clippers).

And take a look at how much travelling they did for those games. They went to DEN, UTA, LAC, then back home for one game with the Celtics, then off to OKC, MIL, TOR, DAL, then back home for 2 with the Spurs and Clippers, then off to NOP, MIN, POR, then right back home for last night's game with the Pistons. I'm still trying to figure out how they've lost only one game during this stretch(and by a mere 3 points at that).

 

4 games in 6 nights coming back from a brutal road trip, CP3 out, Luc out, I ain't even mad.

 

Trippy how things turned out, isn't it? The Pistons rose to the occasion, gave it everything they had, took the best team in the league into overtime, and still ended up losing.

Yes, we are the best team in the league. It cannot be denied. Everyone can check the facts, Jack. Now we've won 7 in a row (which qualifies as yet another streak, one of several this season), we're 4.5 games ahead of Golden State, really 5.5, since we own the tie breaker, so we pretty much have the top seed throughout the playoffs locked, we have the best conference record, both West and East, the best road record in the league, our home record is tied with the Raptors in the loss column with 6 home losses, the reptiles having 1 more home win, having played 1 more game at home (obviously), we're tied with the Clippers (of all people) for the best division record in the NBA. One could go on. That's not even getting into the individual accomplishments of our players.

Yeah, we ain't bad. It means nothing, though, according to the talking heads, because we have to prove it in the playoffs. I think we've proved plenty, but I agree with them. We have to prove ourselves in the playoffs before we get taken seriously, and I don't mean just getting to the WC Finals and winning the series, whoever we play against (never assume, someone could bump off GS). We have to win it all. If we lose the Finals, whoever beat us will be hoisted up to the Heavens of the NBA, Houston will be dismissed, with the meme being that had this, that, and that other thing hadn't happened to the Worriers, they would be celebrating another championship. The only way Houston can get out from under the crap the media keeps shoveling on Houston, Texas is to win the championship, this year. That's what we have to do.

 

The only way we can do that is to get fit quickly, and continue to make defense first our motto. No let up on that in the playoffs and in the remaining games. In my opinion, we have overachieved to get here, despite Harden's and Chris' brilliance. We lack explosive athletics, who can get away with making mistakes.

I'm pleased when our guys play an all round game. Putting the ball on the floor and attacking the basket, making mid-range shots, moving the ball, making tip in's. Our rebounding needs to get better. Chris and James need to take and hit floaters. Capela is no star, but he needs to step up as best as he can. Clint should be made one of the focal scorers against the lottery teams going down the stretch. He needs to give us more than just the P/R dunks/ lobs, while giving us solid defense.

Wright is not going to be available I believe. Nene, unfortunately has really deteriorated.

JJ is old, he could do more if he had some athleticism left. I hope he can give us something akin to the Utah/ Clippers playoffs.

Our Houston Rockets need to give more than a 100 percent in every game with good health in order to win the NBA Championship this year. Go Houston Rockets! We are with you!

 

I'd rather have Lou than Green.... Lou's more consistent for sure.

 

Lou was NOT consistent at all last season. He had big games for sure, but he would just as easily go ice cold. And unlike Green, Lou would never play defense. At least Green had some good moments defensively against Portland and he was very active last night at poking the ball away.

 

Be thankful, it was an awful game.

 

Although Lou is a better player than GG, he wasn't a good fit for us. He and EG cannibalize each other and his lack of height was a liability for our forever-switching defense.

 

If you're comparing green to lou then green is better than i thought and lou is worse, lol.

 

What's this? An informed, reasonable take from you?? Quick, somebody check the weather in Dallas and see if it calls for a blizzard!

 

That game set hoops back a few years. Glad we won.

 

Maybe rest Harden as well tomorrow night. Let the Pelicans have the win and then play Harden and CP3 against the Hawks on Sunday. They'll be rested and facing a terrible team that's not trying to win. Plus we get the added bonus of New Orleans remaining in our bracket(4/5). I don't fear them at all should they be our 2nd round opponent.