ClutchFans Game Thread: Spurs @ Rockets 12/16/2019

Gordon was woeful

 

we are lucky he got hurt this year... we struggled last year in the beginning because he was beyond terrible...he was a big part of that slow start last year

 

Revenged by 2 points.....

 

Horrid first half in all facets of the game. Couldn’t shoot, defend, no help defense, terrible rebounding on both ends and way to many easy transition threes and layups.second half was better but that’s not going to get it done in the playoffs. No offence to House Jr but he has been awful since he came back .he needs to pick it up or money needs to look at adding another wing player. I’m not confident in him being a starter on a title contending team.

Harden terrible nonchalant first half but picked it up in the second half.
Russ was amazing
Clintn solid for most part
Benny Mac another great game
Tucker good second half

Overall need to seriously pick it up for the Clippers game

 

Yea we won, but Harden's lethargic play will again be the downfall of this team. If his shots not falling, he hasn't learned the intangibles that makes teams contenders. If he's missing shots it effects his effort level then it snowballs to careless turnovers & defense. It's almost as if he's playing solely for his stats

 

Russ cites heart as Rockets pull off 25-point rally
'Sometimes you've got to want it more than the other team'

HOUSTON -- Russell Westbrook tapped his heart a few times when asked about the key to the Houston Rockets' rallying from 25 points down in Monday's 109-107 win over the San Antonio Spurs, their largest deficit overcome to win in at least the past 20 seasons.

"Sometimes you've got to want it more than the other team," said Westbrook, who led the Rockets with 31 points. "It's that simple. Ain't no plays or no possessions, no shots that can change that."

Houston coach Mike D'Antoni would love to see that demeanor from his team for the whole game. He noted that the Rockets' poor defensive start continued a disturbing recent trend, as Houston has allowed an average of 30.1 points in the first quarter of their past six games, which have all been against sub-.500 foes.

The Rockets held the Spurs to 35 points on 26.7% shooting in the second half. That was a stark contrast to the first half, when San Antonio shot 57.4% from the floor, scoring 37 points in the first quarter and 35 in the second.

"We were flying around the second half," D'Antoni said. "If we'd have flown around the first half, it would have been a lot easier. But maybe we'll have that mentality where we start games this way and get to be who we really are. When we play hard, we're pretty good."

The Rockets' turnaround started in the final 90 seconds of the first half, when they trimmed six points off the Spurs' lead. NBA scoring leader James Harden, who misfired on two of his first 15 shots from the floor, hit shots on the Rockets' final two possessions of the second quarter, including a 3 at the buzzer, to give Houston a bit of momentum entering halftime.

Houston's win after trailing by 19 at halftime matched the third-largest halftime comeback in franchise history and tied the team's largest ever at home.

Harden scored 19 of his 28 points in the second half, but he certainly didn't think his scoring was the biggest difference in the Rockets' performance before and after the break.

"It was just our intensity defensively," Harden said. "They were getting a lot of easy baskets from the beginning of the game. Defensively, in that second half, we were just a complete-opposite team. We were the team that we needed to be from the beginning of the game and throughout the course of the season."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, whose postgame media session lasted all of a minute, said that in some ways "it's just like your worst nightmare" to build a big, early lead, because the game is going to turn. The Rockets were on the wrong end of that phenomenon earlier this month in San Antonio, when Houston blew a 22-point lead in a double-overtime loss the Rockets protested due to an officiating error on a Harden dunk that wasn't counted.

"I know that throughout the season, you're going to have games like this," said Westbrook, who scored 25 of his points in the first half to keep the Rockets remotely within striking distance. "It's going to be a moment where you're going to be able to pick -- are you going to stay with it and fight through adversity or put your head down and make a decision [to give in]? Tonight we did a good job of sticking with it."

According to ESPN Stats & Information research, the Rockets trailed by as many as 28 points in the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Dec. 17, 1972, and came back to win 110-109.

 

Great post. Some people have such short memories. Just being in the mix and having a legit chance year after year with Harden is a tremendous step up compared to the teams the Rockets fielded before Harden got here.

 

D'Antoni gets it

 

MDA: "Most of time adjustments are overblown. You just say 'Play Harder'"

 

that isn’t exactly wrong for this one game and many like it

coaching is perceived as magic, but I’m not so sure it is.

 

The frustration level also grows the closer you get to the title but you know you are missing one or two ingredients, so close but likely falling short year after year.

 

Just hope they don't bring him back too early

 

Spurs should have won but they counted Hardens dunk.

 

As much as I enjoy having Mike D as a coach, there are things that he can definitely do to make this team be better.

• Lowering Harden's and PJ's minutes
• Calling time outs at critical moments of the games.
• Expanding his rotation and giving the younger players a longer leash to be able to work through their mistakes. Ben McLemore is a perfect example of how he should treat Isiah, Clemons and Clark.
• Tearing a new one into his players when the effort is not there. Yank them out of the game and put someone that will give effort. The majority of the time, you aren't going to come back and win a game when you are 25+ down, how about you try mixing it up and seeing if someone else can give you something.
• Not be so dependent on small ball when you are losing the rebounding battle. What good is to switch everything if the team can't finish the defensive possession with a rebound?

Its not magic, but suitable adjustments that Mike could make to have us fresher and more prepared in the playoffs.

I'm actually glad the refs are swallowing their whistles at this point. Maybe this will make Harden change up his style a bit and instead try to make the baskets rather than attempting to play ping pong to get a call.

 

Props to the Rockets for showing some pride and coming back. You could tell the Spurs were super amped up for this one after the protest. I'm sure they were offended.

Rockets finally matched their intensity in the 2nd half. Late game execution was still horrendous and we had luck on our side, but glad we got the W.

This team is so frustrating because they could be a good defensive team when they want to be.

 

Dang!

October, November and December without a game against the Lakers.

 

I don’t completely disagree with this. It is horrible basketball from a traditional sense, and if Harden gets hurt they will be lucky to win against anyone, but if he stays healthy and they get hot at the right time it’s going to be hard for anyone to beat them either. For me, that’s a lot of “ifs”, and I don’t think they will do it, but it’s an interesting philosophy. I’m pretty confident that this will be the last season for this kind of basketball either way, so you might as well just enjoy it for what it is.

 

After some time passed and re-watched the game, noted a few things.

Forbes was red hot in Q1 and early Q2. Think dude got too excited. At 3min left in Q2, score: 61-38, the momentum finally swung in our favor. Forbes got into two quick back to back fouls. Stupidly wrapped Clint, then next trip, an offensive foul. Pops took him out.

He wasn't memorable for the remainder of game. Fast forward to Q4, 6 seconds left, Spurs down 106-109. Pops draw a play for Forbes for a 3pt play. He had a clean look, and no go.
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Lemarcus Alridge in first half was giving them reliable buckets. Clint was closing in (without fouling), but that baseline turn around jumper was money. In second half, Capela (and occasionally Tuck), fronted him more. Couple the fronts, Refs called fouls on us, but being physical was enough to dissuade his teammates going to him more.
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During the comeback, Rocket's selective traps and double team were effective. Like one with DeRozan ran hard in transition, but we trapped him, he threw a wild pass that went into the 3rd row.