So true. CP3 quoted Ricky Bobby when he joined Houston: “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” Just to add to that Ricky Bobby: “You can’t have two number ones.” Cal Naughton jr: “Yeah, ‘cause that would make eleven.” and from Highlander (film) “There can be only one!”
HOUSTON -- Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni stood in the middle of Toyota Center's home locker room Saturday night and congratulated his team for breaking the franchise record for wins in a regular season. The Rockets didn't exactly erupt in celebration. "They didn't care," D'Antoni said after the Rockets improved to 59-14 with a 114-91 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. "I'm kind of happy. I thought it was nice. They absolutely did not care." It has been a heck of a regular season in Houston. The Rockets broke their franchise record for wins with nine games to go. They have essentially locked themselves into the top overall seed, holding a 4½-game lead and the tiebreaker over the wounded Golden State Warriors. The Rockets have accomplished everything they planned to this point. Big deal. "It's a good team accomplishment in the regular season, but we've got bigger goals than that," MVP front-runner James Harden said after his 27-point, 6-rebound, 8-assist performance against the Pelicans. "So it's just a step to where we want to go." Harden drills back-to-back treys James Harden extends Houston's big lead against New Orleans with a pair of 3s before halftime, as the second gives Harden 2,000 points for the season. Chris Paul didn't come to Houston to celebrate regular-season milestones. From the moment Paul succeeded in pushing for a trade from the LA Clippers, the Rockets accepted championship-or-bust terms. The Rockets' regular season has been as successful as anyone possibly could have envisioned. That's the case even with injuries sidelining Paul for 20 games, including the past two, as the team errs on the side of caution with the veteran point guard nursing some minor soreness in his left hamstring. The Harden-Paul partnership has produced a historically elite offense, a whole bunch of smiles and none of the friction anticipated by those skeptical of two ball-dominant stars playing together. But the silence from those skeptics would transform to a deafening roar if the Rockets don't make an extended playoff run. A trip to the Western Conference finals -- or a round further than Paul has ever been in his career -- is the bare minimum for the Rockets to avoid ridicule. Putting up a good fight against the defending-champion Warriors would be enough to earn respect from any rational basketball mind. But that sure wouldn't be satisfying for the Rockets. The Rockets have proved to themselves that they're as good as they believed they could be, that this is a team capable of claiming the franchise's third NBA championship. PJ Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moutehave been critical in Houston becoming a top-10 defense, which the front office and coaching staff considered a requirement to evolve into a championship-caliber team. Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson, the shooters who signed with the Rockets the previous summer, are part of the machine en route to shattering all the NBA 3-point records that Houston set last season. And Clint Capela, the homegrown 23-year-old center, has developed into a legitimate third star. He had one of his best performances in the blowout of the Pelicans, stuffing the box score with 18 points, 16 rebounds, a career-high-tying 6 blocks and 3 steals; it's a line that hasn't been seen in Houston since Hakeem Olajuwon's heyday. That sort of night from Capela isn't a surprise at this point, as he's a consistent double-double threat (14.1 points and 11.0 rebounds per game) whose energy and above-the-rim ability on both ends of the court serve as a perfect complement to the savvy and skill of the Rockets' superstar guard duo. San Antonio Spurs in Game 6 of the 2017 Western Conference semifinals. "We haven't done anything. We don't have time to relax. The No. 1 seed is cool and all, but we've got bigger things to worry about. We don't have time to relax or take deep breaths."
"The priority will be getting to the playoffs as healthy as possible, meaning they'll be careful as Paul and Mbah a Moute (knee soreness) deal with minor injuries. Other core veterans will get some rest, including Harden, whether he likes it or not." Rest
What's really on their minds is to find a backup for CC in the playoffs and make the GARM less feel good and boring.
Its crazy we lost 5 in a row in December. lost to Grizzly twice in October. We would have crazy record if you take those out. Our record would be insane.
@Snow Villiers is on to something . . . if MDA asked the team for their opinion on 99ers, they'd probably also absolutely not care about that. Which would definitely put @tinman in the untenable position of having to criticize people like Harden and CP3 . . . . I.D.I.O.T.
"I only want" doesn't really mean "I only want" ... You want MORE than only?? ....... ....... .......
The regular season is long and grueling. It lasts through autumn, winter, and spring. Teams should celebrate regular season success. Unfortunately, talking heads spend the entire regular season saying the only thing that matters is the playoffs (especially if their reg season predictions were wrong). But if the regular season doesn't mean anything, let's knock twenty games off the schedule and extend players' careers.
