Move James back to the SG spot in crunch time and get him catch-&-shoot shots. Dribbling down the clock, only to miss the shot or turn it over, is what kills the Rockets. Spurs move the ball around and dont care who takes the shot. Rockets need to do the same. If Harden doesnt trust these guys then they need to go after this season.
Actually Westbrook never holds the ball like that, he just run full steam down the court and bricks, I honestly prefers that to what Harden is going.
Looked like tightness under pressure to me. Starts with Harden and trickles down. I pains me like crazy to say it, but I've seen several games play out like this, and that's just what it looks like. Despite the lousy refs and fatigue, the Spurs were handing us the game/series on a platter and our guys got tight. It's the worst way to lose. Sucks so bad right now.
Bleh. So true. I feel like I say this a lot, but WHY go away from what has been working? Why go from letting other people get a touch until you find the open man, to complete hero ball? I get that the tempo slows but that doesn't mean you just throw out any remotely useful basketball play in favor of..... whatever we just witnessed.
So heartened that "officiating," which is a joke excuse, has been far outvoted by the 2 correct answers. One of the 2 ppl that blame the refs.
Hilarious but while Westbrook is the most ball dominant NBA player ever, he doesn't run the "dribble the air out of the ball" play that Harden runs.
no I blame the coach, you don't play seven players versus nine The game went to overtime and everybody has been guarding bigger players all series long Leonard went down, they don't have Tony Parker and we lost to green and a 50-year-old Face it Greg Popovich owns Mike Dantoni
I point to the third quarter. Harden kept passing to open shooters with no one hitting anything. Then long droughts and overtime collapse. Went away from moving the ball and ended up not being able to break down the defense. But if Ariza, Gordon, or Lou make 15 points we win. Anderson and Bev were big but we need one of those three to make those shots.
7-man rotations probably don't work as well during 53-minute playoff games. Playing small and trying to keep the two towering oafs off the glass compounds the problem.
Late in that OT after harden had just committed another TO that resulted in 2 ft for Simmons, MDA should have put Lou Williams in and let him create. I love harden think he's a generational talent but the fatigue had set in and MDA should have noticed that, From the start of OT when harden couldn't start the offense for the first 2 min. At that point it's clear if you want to win your gonna have to put the ball in somebody else's had atleast for a few possessions. Harden made one good play that whole OT which was the drive and kick to the corner for a bev three. Rockets gave away the season there is no way we win two in a row unless KL is seriously injured and not playing the rest of the series. And even if I still would favor the Spurs.
I do wonder which team the league prefers to see in the WCF. Right now, It seems like they're desperate to see a game seven, as demonstrated by the suspect officiating. Wait...which officials actually favor the Rockets? Should we bring Joey Crawford out of retirement for one game?
The only reason there was a crunch time situation was because of the terrible officiating. They tried their damndest to give the Spurs the game, but the Spurs didn't execute very well. It was enough for them to tie the game. After the refs set the tone, Harden had to change style of play on the fly. Meaning the offense was out of its element and comfort zone.
Refs , that offensive foul at the end of regulation on harden is a joke . Yes James used his shoulder ... still should have been a no call
HERE is the thing . . . . . Bad Officiating leads to turn overs i.e. If you don't call a slap on the wrist . . .when the ball flies away . . . its a turn over Rocket River
