ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Blazers 4/25/2014 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 3)

One problem. James Harden's game isn't built for the playoffs and Mchale's coaching isn't built for any time of year.

 

Lin really can turn this series around because he can make the game easier for Howard and Harden. If he gets into a shooting rhythm then Portland will not be able to guard the Rockets.

 

We get the W and build up confidence! It's gonna be a fun game

 

I'm feeling really good about tonight. Backs against the walls, everyone counting us out and the odds against us. That's what this team has been all about and you can see that by the type of players we have.

Harden - SG that a finals team gave up on. They thought saving a couple of dollars was in the best interest of the team instead of keeping their 6th man of the year.

Howard - arguably the best center right now who is trying to rebuild his image from last years La debacle. No one thinks he can help lead a team to a championship.

Parsons - snubbed draft pick that fell to the second round.

Beverly - cut from the NBA, bounced around Europe before settling here as a defensive threat.

Lin - probably the most criticized player on the team but damn it he tries hard no matter how much he pisses me off. When he's on, he's really deadly in the open court.

Asik - one of the best defensive centers who Chicago thought wasn't worth keeping around.

All of these guys need to go out their and prove themselves and validate their worth and make everyone regret all that talk about how they weren't good enough. Damn it I'm pumped!

 

Win tonight and pressures on Portland to win Game 4. Obvious must win but if we win tonight I still like our chances this series.

 

I really hope to see a successful TT tonight. Omer has the best chance of stopping LMA. How I wished he had a better offensive skill set.

 

damn...rofl....

i'm hurting and the situation is not funny... but this post just has me crying laughing. i'm seriously in tears.

 

Get 1-2 and we're dealing with a different statistics. Am I rite or am I correct?

 

this is the main problem. mchale's stubborness, he's willing to sink the whole ship to prove a point on this is how you operate in the playoffs and how my Celtic teams won in the 80's because we had a 8 man rotation, etc....great coaches make great adjustments.

i'm not sure whether he won't or doesn't have the ability to.

 

not as hard as im laughing at your sig

 

you're right... at least your being realistic, my thought process is this if they can stop aldridge by putting garcia on him and just fouling the crap out of him and double teaming, box out and just keep winning the next game and somehow tie or even split we have a chance.

If we can get out of this series and hopefully if the clips lose we can get somewhere. My sig will look totally crazy only if we go down 0-3.

 

what are the odds of rox winning 1 game in portland?

 

I'm sure the odds are not in our favor. Portland only lost 10 home games this year; however, this doesn't mean a whole lot as Houston had only dropped 8 home games prior to the playoffs.

I don't like our odds, but I do think things look better if we can win tonight in a blow out fashion. Completely take away the home crowd, make the proper adjustments, and have our team play its normal style of basketball.

 

One game? I'd say 50%. Aldridge playing a little worse and Harden actually showing up alone would give the Rockets a good shot at winning a game in Portland. The only things that worry me is the rest of the Blazers players are likely to shoot way better at home than they did in Toyota Center and I have serious doubts about the mental toughness of a lot of the players on the Rockets. Plus they're saddled with a pathetic excuse for a head coach who has no idea how to make adjustments.

 

I hope they go in w/ the mentality Doc Rivers & the Clips did last night. A reporter asked Doc how difficult it would be to try and get a win in Oracle Arena given their crazy home crowd... he shrugged and said, "The crowd can't guard us." Good way to think about it.

 

I predict LMA will go off for 40+ again

Rockets will struggle because Harden shoots 8 for 28.

Blazers in a blowout

 

The Rockets mentality is when they are overwhelmed with the expectation to lose, they over perform. So I say they over perform tonight and win.

 

Winter is coming ,embrace the sweep

 

Perfect!