ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Jazz 4/20/2019 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 3)

I think this year's playoff team is better than last year's. I'm not going to debate regular season records when last year's team was depleted by the playoffs (Mbah a Moute injury , disappearance of Anderson) and this year's team has three key additions that arrived after many early losses. You disagree and that's fine. We'll find out who's right in the weeks ahead.

 

I know, and I still think they definitely would’ve been in this game and even pulled it out...that team was legit, and we’re talking about Utah, not some genuine contender

Now I’m seeing that this team is far better defensively than last year’s?

People gotta put some respek on the 17-18 Rockets’ name!

 

all I disagree with is the notion that there’s no way last year’s team would’ve been in this game and that this team is much better defensively than last year’s...with or without Luc

I don’t think you’re putting enough respek on 17-18’s name

 

This series he's doing all the things people (like myself) have ragged on him about....
He's running a nice rotation - good minute disbursement...
Better shot balance with more pitp....and not just 50+ 3 pt chucking...
Defensive focus is there...
Heck, he's even calling timeouts in an advantageous fashion!

He's done a great job this series!

 

Yeah, this was probably the first time that we've seen him start to go down that "wilting", "meltdown" road... where he's getting bullied and thrown way off his game... and instead of him getting worse and worse... Harden actually stayed fairly focused, stayed engaged, and didn't let it all snowball downhill.

Harden continued to play through his struggles, continued to show effort, and most importantly... he didn't check out mentally.

I definitely believe that having CP3 there as his running mate and backup leader played a big part in that. CP3 relieves just enough pressure and takes off just enough weight from Harden's shoulders, that he can handle it and not wig out.

I am happily surprised, and I hope it's a sign of better things to come. Although, I still maintain that it won't be as easy to overcome this kind of poor performance from Harden against the better teams, especially the Warriors.

 

if Harden was getting the same whistle as Mitchell tonight he would’ve taken like 25 free throws...slight bump on Mitchell was sending him to the line...slight bump on Harden or even body checks was a play on

even guys like Paul George are getting much friendlier whistles than Harden, and Paul George isn’t some foul drawing savant either

 

This team is much deeper than last year’s, without a doubt. D’Antoni has 10 playable guys right now, whereas the Rockets were trying to beat the Warriors with 7 guys last year (six once CP3 went down).

 

Mike has had a few flubs....but he's been 1000% better than usual. He's step his game up.

 

Does mike get credit for more pitp and less threes when the jazz are basically playing us to do exactly that?

Shooting 43 3s per game even with them trying to force us off of it.

 

I’m never gonna forget those trash jazz fans booing harden after he got tackled on what should’ve been a flagrant foul.

Sweeping them at home is going to be so satisfying.

Hope at&t sportsnet doesn’t disappoint with the closeups of jazz fans faces after the game.

 

yes, because were not settling for chucking contested 3s - we're actually adapting to what the defense is giving us - and not just 'playing our game...' and trying to get 50+ 3pt attempts regardless of situation...

 

I have to say Gerald Green won that for us tonight. His couple of 3’s were huge and a momentum booster for us.

 

We have led the league or been top 3 in uncontested 3s shot per game for years now,

Stay complaining my good man lol

 

I miss McHale. That guy new crunch time offense.....

 

has nothing to do with what i said....
taking uncontested 3s is fine - which considering we're taking 3s at an unprecedented rate I would hope a good # of them are uncontested... if we're taking 7+ more 3s a game than every other team in the NBA - I would hope we're getting the most uncontested attempts... its when we continue to force 3s despite the defense sagging out on us that its concerning..

quit trollin, jordnnnn.... smh...

 

ESPN complained that Harden got free throws in the 4th against Gobert.
They were saying he blocked James.
Those liars had the audacity to say Houston was ahead in the 4th because of his free throws, when he already had made 2 three pointers and a dunk. @Deckard Your comments about this and everyone else's about this would be greatly appreciated.

 

The coverage has been awful. Gobert clearly fouled James, and several other times that weren't called.

 

Honestly, now that we won Harden struggling actually feels like a good thing.

As much contested shooting as he does, he's due for some clunkers on occasion. To get one of these out of the way in a winning effort, and watching him stay focused and not check out mentally is better than a game where he goes off.

 

Please don't say that. I want him to stay so badly in Houston. He will probably leave. If he does, I hope it will be to an EC team. I wouldn't be terribly unhappy if he went back to the Clippers either.

 

I couldn't tell it in real time, but I saw the foul in slow motion. No doubt the refs didn't call many others.