Not necessarily surprised. Just kind of in awe. Seeing the current flaming trainwrecks that is the Lakers and the Knicks, you just grow a better appreciation for how well a veteran heavy team like the Spurs are managed.
I doubt it. Lots of people keep saying Scott Brooks is a much better coach than McHale. Check this out : Brooks played Durant in yesterday and today 2 back to back meaningless game sfor 42+ min each game. Judging by how people rating the coach, I believe McHale will play Harden/Howard/Bev this Wed all with 45+ minutes.
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Nice way to wrap up HCA and not have to fear a NOR spoiler game on Wed. Man our bench play is ugly, DMo has really fallen off a cliff thelast month or so, Cisco only seems to play well against OKC, Lin didn't shoot well but also didn't play stupid either so it was a wash, and Asik was Asik so... If you look at the mins our starters played vs SAS it is telling how bad our bench really is. Still, Pop doesn't put garbage on the bench so pulling this one out after playing from in front most of the game and then having to come back might have actually been a good thing. I wonder if anyone staters even play on Wed. I think w/ HCA we will beat Portland, but I fear it might be a 7 game series based mostly on the fatigue factor for CP, JH, and Bev and Howard still getting back into the flow of things.
Btw, i think everyone is getting a bit overboard now about our bench. It's worrying, but it's not as doom and gloom as what everyone says. Just need some more production from Garcia and hopefully Monty can get his act together. We do have Asik and Lin in the bench and also don't judge it from this game alone. Yes they were not very productive this game, but comparing it to the Spurs bench (against the best in the league) is unfair. Also remember the Spurs bench this year got so much playing time together.
This is a good point, our starters have outplayed the Spurs starters in all 4 games, but it is troubling that our bench is so s***** that we might have to play the starters so many mins if we advance to play the Spurs in the semi's next.
Even though we clinched tonight and swept the Spurs, I can't help but feel would have lost this game if they were playing at full strength. I also feel like we have limped into the playoffs, barely scraping out wins against teams we should be demolishing. Hopefully these two games with Dwight and Bev back have been enough to get into sync for the playoffs, because this level of play isn't going to cut it--not even against the overachieving Trailblazers.
Happy we got home court, but the Rockets are going to need significant upgrades to the bench if we want to win a championship.
This is the first time we've had home court advantage since this site started. Wow does it feel good and to do it against our biggest rival too!
not exactly meaningless...their is still the possiblity OKC could lose their 2nd seed. They lost tonight to the Peli where Evans nearly got a triple double. If they lose to the Pistons next game and Clippers beat the Blazers (who will probably rest their starters), Clippers move to 2.
