1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

[NBA.com] Rockets make winning close games a habit as they escape Thunder, Westbrook's 49 points

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Os Trigonum, Jan 6, 2017.

  1. Os Trigonum

    Os Trigonum Member
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    May 2, 2014
    Messages:
    81,587
    Likes Received:
    122,005
    Fran Blinebury of all people comes crawling back and joins the media conspiracy

    http://www.nba.com/article/2017/01/06/houston-rockets-making-winning-close-games-habit

    Houston's confidence grows as team moves to 8-2 in games decided by four points or less
    [​IMG]
    Fran Blinebury NBA.com
    @franblinebury
    Jan 6, 2017 1:13 AM ET

    HOUSTON -- Houdini mostly did it with imagination and maybe a hidden lock pick tucked beneath his tongue.

    That the Rockets have turned the great escape into a regular part of their hair-on-fire, bombs-away routine is worth noting.

    The really good, truly contending teams find a way.

    It's not always the heroic last-second shot at the buzzer that winds up on all the TV highlight shows.

    It can be a hard-nosed defensive stop, a tough rebound, a loose ball that’s wrapped up with a dive onto the floor.

    Thursday it was Pat Beverley getting the biggest rebound of the night, James Harden making the smart, sensible pass and Nene going hard enough to the rim to draw a foul and then make two free throws with 0.7 showing on the clock for a 118-116 win over the Thunder.

    It was one of those special occasion games that pop up on the long regular-season schedule for the sideshow. The two whirling offensive dervishes of James Harden and Russell Westbrook, chasing triple-doubles and bending the normal rules of what is supposed to be possible every night.

    The stars delivered. Westbrook with 49 points, eight rebounds and five assists; Harden with 26 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds.

    “Obviously there is a lot of excitement around this game,” said Rockets forward Ryan Anderson. “But we wanted to keep our composure and just play the way we’ve been playing.”

    When it counts most. Late.
    ​
    more at the link
     
    #1 Os Trigonum, Jan 6, 2017
    Tha_Dude and hakeem94 like this.
  2. Tha_Dude

    Tha_Dude Member

    Joined:
    Nov 30, 2016
    Messages:
    3,465
    Likes Received:
    6,628
    ****, I'm drunk. Delete comment and give the OP $100 dollars please.
     
    #2 Tha_Dude, Jan 6, 2017
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2017
    Os Trigonum likes this.
  3. Mr. Clutch

    Mr. Clutch Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2002
    Messages:
    46,550
    Likes Received:
    6,132
    I think 8-2 is also missing an overtime game or two where the score ended up more than 4
     
    #3 Mr. Clutch, Jan 6, 2017
  4. Kruze10

    Kruze10 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2010
    Messages:
    1,726
    Likes Received:
    601
    It wasn't so much the Rockets found a way to win as much as they found a way to almost lose the game.
     
    #4 Kruze10, Jan 6, 2017
  5. chenjy9

    chenjy9 Numbers Don't Lie
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2008
    Messages:
    13,534
    Likes Received:
    10,532
    Stop acting like NBA teams are scrubs. They are still a professional team, meaning they can win any given day. Teams make runs... and OKC is not a bad team. As long as Westbrook is in the game, they can give anyone a run for their money. That's why he is a MVP candidate. That last pass Harden made however, is why Harden is much more deserving of the MVP. When the game counted most, he and the Rockets made less mistakes. It is as simple as that.
     
    #5 chenjy9, Jan 6, 2017
    dram1 likes this.
  6. dram1

    dram1 Member

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2002
    Messages:
    716
    Likes Received:
    42
    Negative Nancy...there you are!!!
     
    #6 dram1, Jan 6, 2017
  7. count_dough-ku

    count_dough-ku Member

    Joined:
    May 19, 2002
    Messages:
    18,214
    Likes Received:
    10,219
    They've had struggles at home against inferior opponents(Celtics, Nets, Thunder), but these are good tests for the Rockets. They need to learn to win close games because you ain't gonna blow out the other team every night, especially when we reach the playoffs.

    My bigger concern is these slow starts they've gotten off to lately. That has to stop.
     
    #7 count_dough-ku, Jan 6, 2017
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)

Share This Page