ClutchFans Game Thread: Raptors @ Rockets 1/25/2019

"I'm here for whatever, man"

I love his attitude

 

I'm just going to pretend I didn't watch the last 60 seconds of the game and say great win against a good team. Farried does exactly what we need him to do. Run rim to rim and hustle. He will be the perfect 15-20 minute backup center to Clint.

 

@heypartner So uhh....nothing on the Aldrige thing.....alright cool lol.

Anyways, wanna say that I'm pretty excited what we are doing right now, we are beating championship squads without our second and third best player, that is the mark of a good team.....lol gotta clean up those inbounds plays though, sheesh.

 

WTF is PJ wearing???

 

Rockets couldn't hold a lead tonight; they gave up big lead after big lead, but they won anyway. Better defense from time to time. When does Capela come back?

 

Just watched the game

Dan Tony is horrible at using timeouts to curb momentum & refocus team. That run to end the 3rd was infuriating. Tony just sitting on his hands. Opposite of Poppovich

 

It's cool that the team defeated the Raptors and all, but did they even save $1 in luxury tax today?

 

I'm with all of you who are choosing to forget the final minute. That was an atrocity, but a remediable one. Better to have these scares now, to get us some 48-minute religion for the playoffs.

That aside: This might be my new favorite game of the season. Because our shooting sucked. Because theirs was clutch. Because they had length and depth and defended us as hard as I've seen anyone defend anyone this year. Took Harden out of the game, as much as anyone could. A fantastic test of playoff basketball. And our guys came up big. Not shooting-wise, which would be nice but is not a reliable way to win night to night. I'm talking about the defense. Faried, Gordon, Rivers, Tucker, Ennis, Harden -- yes, Harden ... Guys communicating and handing off, guys getting up in people's faces, hands going for the ball, blocks and strips and diving on the floor. All kinds of stuff went against us in this game: bad bounces, uncalled pushing and grabbing, and lucky shooting by the opposing team. And still we gutted it out, through sheer hustle.

All of that without CP or Capela. With Harden smothered. With Harden having a terrible night from 3, and not getting to the line.

We can do this in the playoffs. If Ennis can keep playing D at this level, or if Clark can, that's 9 guys we can put on the floor to defend any position. Without Nene, and without House. We can win physical games against playoff-quality teams with referees letting Harden get mauled.

I like our chances playing that way in a 7-game series. Even against the Warriors.

 

This team is trying so desperately to throw every game in the last minute

This is the 3rd one this last week or so, luckily we're 2-1

That said, while Chris has had his late game jitters, he'd prevent the atrocities

 

Those small-ball lineups should go away...

 

Yes because we need size and defense in the starting lineup. Gordon shouldn't be playing starter minutes. We need to keep his and Tucker's minutes down, not because they're bad, but because they can get really bad with heavy minutes.

 

Wtf did i just watch?

Gordon....tucker....what is nba vet? Is this the beginning of space jam 2? Glad i turned it off cuz i would have had a heart attack.

 

Much needed win. Quality win. Go ROCKETS

 

Well said man, may I add rivers is very good at what he brings to this in terms of defense and intensity. He held harden accountable in that last minute 3 rebounds in a row for the raptors, harden was just chilling.

 

With all due respect to my man Gorman, Nene is done. He has declined A LOT since his first playoff series with us. Nene can barely jump for a dunk now, something he could easily do a couple of years ago.

 

Ennis wasn't great tonight but he made some great defensive plays

 

1 this team has questionable decision making throughout the games not only final minutes

2 tonight we finally saw in long stretches they are capable of playing solid fundamentally sound basketball instead of just chucking 3s as escapegoat

 

I like the addition of Faried. Faried >> Nene
The addition of Rivers. Rivers >> Knight
Gordon back and CP coming back
Clint only a matter of time
Things are coming around.

Right now, our biggest weakness would seem to be Ennis.
Would LOVE to have House instead.
Would give us a really solid core to compete