ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Warriors 1/21/2015

The Warriors are our Seattle SuperSonics of the mid-90's.

Hopefully they meet their version of the 1994 Denver Nuggets in the first round and exit promptly.

I don't see us beating the Warriors in a 7 game series.

 

they didnt pick up rondo to be a scorer, he did make them better and its obvious

 

Ok...I didn't know it was leaked from what was supposed to be a private conversation. Yes...I can understand trying to fire the team up. Obviously, it didn't work. lol

 

Moving past that Golden State seems to have a lineup and gameplan specifically designed to make the Rockets look extremely bad, the Rockets just look like they're in a complete funk. There are probably a variety of reasons why (coaching, integrating new players, injuries, guys buying their own hype, etc.), but they seem to have regressed back to all their bad habits of last season and they need to get their chemistry right and recommit to defense and ball movement. I'm not freaking out because it's a long season and teams have highs and lows (except the Warriors, who look like a historically great team and are actually getting better), but it would be nice to see that the Rockets can go through a rough stretch and pull back together.

 

I'll chalk part of the Rockets woes against the Warriors up to we just don't match up well with them. No other team in the league plays as well against us as that. I believe we can beat any other team on any given night. But, a lot of credit goes to the Warriors because they do a lot of stuff really well. They may have teams, perhaps like OKC, that they don't match up quite as well against. I will say that if the Rockets brought their "A" game playing GS...that they could win against any team on any given night including GS. But, GS is a big reason why we didn't bring our "A" game in just all the things they do. Keep in mind they have only lost six games. They are a great team. Talking about playing a great game and doing it are two different things. But, there is no doubt in my mind a lot of it comes down to match-ups and mismatches.

 

I just don't get it. The first two games, we stayed with them until the last 6-12 min. These last two haven't even been a contest.

 

Make sure that Bogut and Iggy don't play?

 

Because the first two games came during the 19-5 stretch where the Rockets competed on the defensive end, even when shorthanded. The last two have come during the 10-9 stretch where they've quit playing hard on D, getting back in transition, or even showing up in half of their games.

The problem is not how we match up with Golden State or them being hot right now(they were in the midst of a freaking 16 game winning streak last time they beat us in Oakland!). The Rockets are playing like dogsh-t. It's entirely mental.

 

That's the problem, there are too many teams in the west that are just "bad matchups" for us, were simply not a championship contender. Clippers, bad match up (can't stop CP3 or griffin), OKC, bad match up (can't stop durant or westbrook), Portland, bad match up (can't stop lillard or LMA), Dallas, bad match up (can't stop Dirk in the 4th), Memphis, bad match up (grind us out all night), GSW bad match up( can't stop steve kerr from coaching)

That means were probably a 1st round exit again.

In a way, these 2 blow out losses are good because that sends a message to our management that we are not any where near ready to compete. It's not like earlier into the season when we were successful against a soft schedule and they decided to extend Mchale. Now they know just how far this team still needs to go. Unfortunately they wont change the coach.

 

Didn't watch the game last night.....just the highlights this morning.

One word - embarrassing. Warriors have our number and it's not going to look good if we face them in the playoffs.

 

What's embarrassing was watching Curry try to act tough.

That made me cringe. He came off like a total chump.

 

Why the hell did McHale not put Ariza on Thompson and let Harden cover Barnes?

 

That is what I didn't get.

 

It's weird because when we were beating GSW when they had Jackson, we used to throw Parsons at Klay and Harden at Barnes and it worked out great.

I just think McHale's brain freezes during the entirety of the game and he just sits there not knowing what has struck him

 

Sometimes I wish Howard, Ariza and Bev would read clutchfans

 

GSW were the better team last night, they couldn't miss! They clearly beat us.

However, I got the feeling that ESPN and the NBA "expected" GSW to win this game.

Early in the game, the ball obviously goes off andrew Bogut's knee, and GSW gets the ball. Beverley gets called for a blocking foul when he was clearly set, and there in time (fine they missed a call). Josh smith gets hacked on the arm by Green and gets no call, and eventually gets kicked out. Bogut gets a block on D-mo that looked like goal tending.
Also, in the NBA it's usually the guys that retaliates who get the tech... Well, Ariza bumps into Curry, and none of the refs saw that in real time, but all of them saw Curry retaliating back towards Ariza. None of the refs blew the whistle in haste, but eventually with a sound mind, they rules in favor of GSW. When does that EVER happen?
The most frustrating of all this was how the COMMENTATORS, and the CAMERA CREW who were so BLATANTLY BIASED! Jon Barry sounded like he was on GSW's pay-roll. The camera angles on all the questionable calls were horrendous.

Im not blaming the Loss on the Refs... I just can't turn a blind eye to all the "fortunes" of GSW

 

He probably wanted him to say "guys we suck, after the first 6 minutes just stop playing!" or something silly I definitely agree in the huddle (especially if you've played sports), you have to say whatever you can to motivate your guys. And I know there's been a lot worse stuff said, I'm not happy about the Rockets performance lately, but definitely can't fault the huddle talk. I hope next time they pick him up he talks even more ****, and then dominates on the court.

 

Really? Bill Bellichick is an arrogant assh**e. Kobe Bryant is a supreme assh**e. Pete Carroll, Marshawn Lynch, Richard Sherman are ALL arrogant dicks. Big deal...

He didn't know that as a head coach, it was his decision to make. But it's all good because he's still Uncle Les' & Morey's guy.

 

Good to see mchale grow some balls and sit harden during the fourth. I could tell once it got under 20 it looked like harden was mad he wasn't going back in. I think mchale finally let the starters know if you don't perform you get benched.

 

I gave him credit after the Pelicans debacle, but I'm done with patting him on the back for meaningless gestures. If he really wants to send a message, bench underachieving players at the beginning of the next game. Imagine calling up Canaan and starting him at PG against the Suns. What message would that send to Bev? Or sitting Dwight. But McHale doesn't have the stones to do this or else something would've been changed with the rotation by now.