ClutchFans Game Thread: Clippers @ Rockets 3/5/2020

must have been sitting next to the rowdies. bc that;s the only way that would happen

 

Sometimes a coach needs to go against the grain to give his team a desperately needed wake-up call. Kevin McHale wasn’t a good coach, but when James Harden was playing with no energy in game 6 against the Clippers in the 2015 Western Conference Semifinals, he benched him, and the bench provided the spark the Rockets needed to come back and, ultimately, win the game and the series. D’Antoni simply keeps throwing his best players on the court and praying they internally decide to try harder. Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn’t.

 

Westbrook is still effective because he can still get into the teeth of the defense and kick to open shooters. He still put pressure on them.

Yes we need to make outside shots, but the thing is we don't even need to shoot some crazy percent. It's odd that this team goes as cold as it does at times. We have enough good shooters and spacing it should never be as bad as it was tonight. Even a pathetic 30% gives us a chance this game.

For this reason I wont read too much into this game. We are better than this.

 

Knicks didn't do it. Boston was the one who started this type of defensive scheme from the elbows. clips have guys that can duplicate it

it's good the rockets are seeing it now. now they can find ways to adjust to it. there was always going to be some kind of counter to this. its on the rockets to see it and now respond on how to be effective against it

 

Lol, ok.

Paul George is much better than just 13 points, and Lou Will scoring just 5 points is a huge anomaly. Kawhi didn’t have to do much because we were getting our ass whooped pretty much from the start of the 2nd quarter.

If u wanna discount everything the Clippers did and just say “if we had made as many shots as them, we would’ve won,” then go ahead.

Rockets ”shooters” are never to be trusted

 

Teams usually have fluctuating 3 pt shooting in the playoffs. I rarely saw GSW only taking 3s, they take midrange shots and back door cuts as well.

It is more than a statement game IMO.

It shows rebounding and the midrange is still very important in the games that matter.

 

This was always going to happen. No matter if we play well, whenever we lose its going to be, "see this is why it won't work in the playoffs and they have no chance. "

 

discipline issue, is the difference between elite team and good team.
it's start from coaching, and then star players. it's a top-bottom model.

 

We didn't play small ball tonight. Small ball is all about pace, crisp passing, sharp shooting. Instead we were drbbling unnecessarily at the top of key dangerously. Wasting clock until last few seconds only to pass to the next teammate, not getting backing on D and losing rebounds. We didn't play small ball, we just became small tonight.

Also, I bet its taking a toll on Tuck and RoCo having to play crazy D in every game.

 

It's a lot easier to take a mid-range with a guy 6'11 who plays like a guard. There is no point to try and make a point by citing the warriors. That's the most stacked team in history. No one can do what they did. They could have probably played any style offense and still win because of talent alone.

 

we will all be crying if d'antoni isn't replaced because it's an iron-clad guarantee harden will never win a title as a rocket

 

Small ball can work..... if you have the right support. The other teams wouldn't be leaving our other guys wide open if they could shoot more consistently. It's why Westbrook is going to find difficult from now on. The other teams will play how the Knicks and the Clippers did. Clog the paint and force Westbrook to either take a tough shot or for him to pass it out. He's definitely way less effective when you take away his lane.

If Westbrook and Harden had better and consistent support, I guarantee you those guys won't get players on them in the paint. Look at how close they guard Harden when taking a 3pt shots. He's having to take those difficult step back 3pt shots because he simply doesn't have the space and time either from a 3pt shot or when he's driving to the paint. Like look how much attention Harden gets when he drives to the paint. They put 2 or 3 guys on Harden as soon as he drives. They're quite content leaving Westbrook wide open to shoot that wide open 3pt shot than letting Harden have his own way in the paint.

This is how you beat the Rockets. The only way we have a chance is if Harden starts hitting those difficult 3pt shot more consistently or if the supporting cast steps up and starts hitting their shots more consistently.

 

The chronicle wrote that story about McHale benching harden in that clippers series.

I won't bash harden too much.

Why can't they work the ball around and maybe post up harden after a ball reversal?

Warriors switched up things for Curry to get Curry off ball looks.

Why can't harden score off ball like Curry since harden shoots the ball so we'll : /

The problem is that this team actually is not d'antoni best product after the capeala trade.

 

We played with some good pace early but could not get any whistles on our drives. That's important because they would take the ball right down court 4 on 5 and get a bucket.

 

No, but the Rowdies are loud. I stayed away from that end of the court when picking out my season tickets. The playoffs are so much louder, and everyone spends most of the game standing instead of sitting in their seats. The playoff fans are more into the game than the regular season fans.

 

I haven’t been to a playoff game in a few seasons, so perhaps the environment has changed, but I was at game 7 versus the Clippers in 2015. It was loud. I was also at the game where Josh Smith had a dunk party against the Mavericks in the first round, and, again, it was loud.

I’m not doubting that other arenas get louder, but I certainly felt like the crowd was very hyped for both games I attended.

 

CP3 could. Of course you can.

You do not win a ship without balance.
It doesn't have to be just midrange, draw up plays for your role players.

Those LA teams have good perimeter defenders.
You can't be relying on 3s against them.

 

they are. doesn't mean its that loud though, well to me atleast bc the regular season is horrible

 

At me after another winning streak. Bunch of chicken littles on CF every loss is end if the world and someone needs to be sacrificed to allay the panic and finger pointing.