Spurs 1) I'd rather lose to the defending champs to those chumps in LA 2) Parker is banged up 3) Clippers when healthy have absolutely blown us out of the water in previous regular season games the past 2 seasons 4) Our last game vs Spurs was a 1 point loss with Dwight playing limited minutes and a last second controversial call vs Harden
A non division winner can be the #2 seed the top 4 seeds just includes the 3 division winners and the next best team. The Clippers are the #3 seed AHEAD of the Division winning Blazers who are #4 The ONLY scenario where the lower seed would have home court advantage is a potential 4/5 matchup when a division winner must be included in the top 4 despite having an inferior record, i.e. Portland
They went into this subject in great detail on the sports shows when they had to explain to everyone why #5 Memphis would get HCA over the #4 Portland. Matchups (1-8) are based on seeding. HCA - is based upon the teams records, and tiebreakers for tied records. Rockets and Clippers have tied records. The only reason why the Rockets were seeded #2 is because the Rockets won their division, and the Clippers did not win their division. But the Clippers own the tiebreaker over the Rockets. Memphis has a better record than Portland, so Memphis got HCA. I don't care to bet, but as far as I can tell... that's the correct info., as it was explained by the so-called experts.
http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2015/04/live-rockets-vs-mavericks-game-5/#32535101=0 "The Rockets will open their second-round series at Toyota Center against the Clippers or Spurs. They split the season series with the Clippers and lost three of four games against the Spurs, but would have homecourt advantage against either."
Hmm, okay. Well if that's the case, then that's good news. It was never explained on the radio show that it only applied to the #4 and #5 seed matchup.
Well it's a shame you aren't wanting to bet. It's ok though. Looking forward to LAC-SAS going seven games!
Heh, like I said in my OP, "correct me if I'm wrong". I just figured that the same principle from the Memphis/Portland series applied to all of the matchups in the playoffs. And I thought it was odd that no one was touching on the HCA point when discussing Spurs or Clippers vs the Rockets. I still don't quite understand all of the finer points as to why that rule only applies to the #4 and #5 seed matchup... but I certainly trust that you guys probably know more about it than me. Either way, I'm happy to know we have HCA over either of them.
Both will probably have the edge going in so its really a "pick your poison" question. I just want Houston to come out focus because unforced turnovers and silly mistakes we normally make will be magnified with either opponent. -Buda
Stephen A Smith said Rockets have a chance against Spurs. They can win. Skip said no way in hell. Kwahi is a Harden stopper. Etc
It's a pick your poison type deal. Both teams will be tough as hell. i will have to go with the Clippers since we've beating them the last two times we played them. I think we finally know what it takes to beat them. Another thing I don't thing Rivers will go with that Hack-A-BC strategy.
Spurs just represent way fewer match up problems for us, also with the Clips DeAndre will basically cancel out Dwight over a long series.
Harden and Dwight can dominate the spurs but it just comes down to HOW we will play them. Fast tempo is in our favor. Josh, Brewer, Ariza, Harden... the whole team is at its best when the defense doesnt settle. We really dont need heroball. They headlined us that.
we barely beat them with griffin playing limited min from an injury he was returning from. I think our strengths will be exposed with Clippers.
Dude, I'm wondering the same exact thing. Honestly? The game 4 loss worried me as much as, say, eggs going up 5 cents a carton at HEB. Big shrug from it. Smith is playing absolutely inspired basketball and making progressively more impressive decisions, beginning to nullify his supposed "team cancer" weaknesses that (should be apparent to everyone now) were clearly mental, and I've eaten many of my own words & put my foot in my mouth plenty of times personally about McHale now b/c he's done a fine job (also ty Dwight) getting J-Smoove into a good place. Howard, unsurprisingly, is back and beastly. The Bearded MVP is The Bearded MVP. Stellar bench. Solid role players. I've been just as down on the organization, well not down, but as sad/morose at various times for the last 15+ years as everyone else. This is as excited as I've been about the team since lord knows when.
I hope Spurs/Clippers go have 3 more triple OT games and are beyond exhausted...but we match up better against the Spurs and we would have earlier games. That's definitely the way to go!
I feel like the Spurs have typically brought out the best in our team. I know we've lost 3 this year but over the last few years we've done well. It seems to me we have a tendency to reflect the team we are playing a bit. Against the Mavs it felt at times like we were trying to just run with them YMCA style and it almost burned us. Our defense was largely non-existent. I think the way the Spurs move the ball and play D is going to rub off on our own D and ball movement. To add what has already been said before, we're more athletic and I think that's where we'll win it.
We're more talented. People don't get this about the Spurs. They have Tim Duncan and awesome coaching, but when they've lost in the past it's been to teams that overwhelmed them with talent. Most recently it's been vs LeBron in the finals and ZBo's post moves in the first round, but Tim Duncan can def be beat: it's happened ten times in his career, and to better teams than this one! Have faith Rockets fans. McHale is learning as a coach, and our talent level is up there with anyone in the NBA.
