This loss doesn't even come close to the game 2 loss to Phoenix in 1994. Is anyone who saw that game live arguing otherwise?
As others have pointed out last night's loss doesn't even crack the top 5 Rockets' playoff losses. It was bad but not 40 points bad, not Quitten bad, not Yao Ming looking like the world was coming to an end in the locker room bad in 2007. I'm going to add one more as it is was pressed indelibly in my mind. The 1986 game 6 loss. Now the Rockets weren't expected to win that series and they were up against one of the greatest teams in NBA history but the feeling of disgust and and anger that I had at the coronation of the Celtics and how much they rubbed it in our faces is one thing that has stuck with me. It's one reason why I've never fully been able to embrace McHale as Rockets' coach and why to this day I still hate Danny Ainge.
I have a feeling some of you younger folk wouldn't survive the highs and lows of the 95 championship season
Last nite is up there. Its just one loss, but to go through 3 years of 1st rd exits and come out uninspired is just heartbreaking. The Scola, Yao, Arrest & Aaron Brooks team was less talented but we could ALWAYS depend on them to give 150%. They were scrappy, fought for every rebound & came ready to play no matter the circumstances. THIS team doesn't have that type of attitude. Why? It starts with the leader James Harden. He simply doesn't leave it out on the floor every nite. Very talented. But I get the impression his 1st priority is being cool & being relevant among the young generation
I was around for the championship years and fully embrace it. This 2015 Rockets squad does not parallel the mental fortitude of the '95 team....not even close. It's one thing to blow big leads or even lose homecourt, but the Rockets just put a disgustingly horrific effort last night. It's shameful. As great and talented as Harden is, he convincing me that "he is what he is"....a very gifted player but doesn't have the "will".
:grin: Imagine if World Peace decided to change his name back to Ron but "Ron Arrest" in honor of his legal problems.
Next game will be pivotal how they come out... In the 94-95 against the Suns, Hakeem said that the first game loss was a wake-up call that brought the team together. I hope we find that chemistry tomorrow.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Standing outside <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets?src=hash">#Rockets</a> locker room... And Kevin McHale is ... Um... Using language untweetable, very loudly.</p>— Simone Eli (@SimoneEli_KPRC) <a href="https://twitter.com/SimoneEli_KPRC/status/595445121857916928">May 5, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Stockton's shot in 97 WCF Game 6 still hurts the most for me. It just seemed like we were destined to face Jordan's Bulls in the Finals, especially after Eddie Johnson's buzzer-beater to tie the series. If it had happened, I think we could won a third title over Chicago. But instead, after that shot, it was downhill from there...
Your feeling is just gas. The BIGGEST difference between the Clippers and every other game mentioned is our opponent didn't have their best player. Not only did we lose.... but the Rockets were AT HOME, FAVORED, and were BLOWN OUT. If the Rockets win this series, maybe it's just a fluke game... BUT, if we lose, Game 1 is a precursor that reinforces many doubts that already existed about this squad. -Weak leadership from top to bottom -It exposes Harden - a guy the city will likely be depending on for many more seasons -It exposes McHale - a guy that will likely be coaching us many more seasons -It exposes the team as a whole... crap focus and no urgency I think many older fans don't realize what Game 1 could mean.
Believe me, on May 13, 1994 nobody was saying the Rockets had "mental fortitude". as for this season, it all depends how they respond. If they come back and win, this will just have been a bump in the road that brought the team together. If they lose, then yes, this will have been a very devastating game.
it means you're down 0-1 The Rockets in the 94/95 were down 0-2 and 2-3 and 1-3 They didn't take advantage of Chris Paul not being there, that was troublesome. that's like if the rockets in 94 lost to a Phoenix team without Kevin Johnson
To the Rockets fans born after +\-1984, Words can't describe how utterly helpless and hopeless it felt in 1994. Dikembe cleared our path to the Finals by leading his Nuggets to the first ever #8 vs #1 seed win and knocking off our nemesis, Seattle. It was as if the Basketball Gods gave the fans of Houston a gift for all our years of suffering. This was going to be our year! Finally! And how did the Rockets respond? They blew an 18 point lead in the 4th quarter of Game 1 and decided to blow a 20 point fourth quarter lead in Game 2 as their encore! Headlines in The Chronicle read "Choke City" the next day. We were heading to Phoenix down 0-2 and there was no hope....NONE. I can't even imagine what it would've been like if Twitter existed in '94. Everyone questioned Hakeem's heart and leadership ability and people were saying they should trade him and rebuild. Can you believe THAT? What transpired over the next 2 games gave birth to "Clutch City" and the rest of the playoffs forged Hakeem's legacy. But before that, a whole lot of people didn't believe in him and thought the Hakeem Era was over. This season has a lot of parallels to '94 and it's up to this team to let last night serve as a wake up call and to seize the moment and write their own destiny. The Clippers are just as schizophrenic as the Rockets are and are completely capable of laying an egg in Game 2 or even winning Game 2 and blowing 2 games at home. Likely? No! But, it's still far more likely than that team in '94 did that supposedly had "no heart" and "no leader". We were one of the only major cities to never win a championship in any sport. We were obviously cursed and we all questioned if being a Houston sports fan just meant that we were all just gluttons for punishment. But, I vividly remember when I fired up my crappy 6:9 aspect ratio below standard def tube TV for Game 3 because I wanted to "Believe It"!! And in that amazing Summer of '94, I graduated from high school and one of my teams FINALLY won a championship! I also got a lot of 'tang working at a church camp that summer..... But that's a story for a different board! TL;DR - We're not as effed as it feels like we are and church girls are easy.
Rockets have lived some of the greatest feats, but Hakeem had pedigree from the 80's and was a GOAT-type beast. We're currently depending on unproven players who are already suspect. Series isn't over, we can still win. LOSE.. the entire conversation about the downfall would begin with Game 1. Similar to the Astros losing Game 1 with Randy Johnson. At least SD was healthy, though.
