surprised Spurs starters did not play in the 4th quarter

He seems to give up on games earlier then most coaches. I guess he figured the probability of coming back was too low. He still has HCA.

 

Pop can ready body language better than any other coach. He didn't want to waste his time trying to convince his players they had a chance.

 

knowning Pop, expect a huge counterpunch to our counterpunch from which we were counter punched, twice.

 

He did the same thing against the Grizzlies.

 

I don't think he was happy with how his team started the game. So he does that to send a message that his starters should start the game better or they won't end the game.

I hope we make him do that 2 more times.

 

haha i hate when he does this. they respond well the next game. i thought they were still in it but thank you pop

 

probably trying to figure out the offense again. using his bench as cannon fodder.

 

Didn't you hear the announcers talk about how tired the Spurs were? Pop knows. All of the Rockets opponents #needmorehelp and are #tootired.

 

Combination of playing the odds, reading the game, and resting his players, all under the guise of sending a message.

 

Pop is a troll...I hope it backfires on him...and the Rockets just destroy the Spurs in San Antonio...

 

To be fair, he played his starters in the 3rd, and they went from down 4 to down 15 to start the 4th.

Just like MDA, he stuck with his normal 4th rotation to start, seeing if they could chip away at the lead. They couldn't, although they kept it neutral. Rockets were +1 through 4 minutes, so a 16 point lead at the 8 minute mark.

That's not insurmountable, and most coaches I think would have tried for one last push. But all things in their totality, can't fault Pop. On the road, other team on fire from three, your team not sticking to or executing the strategy like they should.

That said, whereas game 1 was a blowout, I thought the Spurs had some momentum heading into game 2. For two reasons. #1 the Nene ejection, Dedmon ejection and Ariza "chirpy-ness" that fired them up a bit. The Spurs bench then closed the game +9 over the final 7 minutes of game 1, with Simmons in particular going 4-9 in teh 4th of that game... and Murray got some much needed playoff time.

Last night, Harden came back in for 3 minutes from 8 minutes to 5 minutes, and the Rockets went a quick +7. Then the scrubs held their own to a boring finish.

If momentum is a thing, whereas I might have said the Spurs had some going their way at the end of Game 1, despite getting blown out, there were no signs of positive momentum from the Spurs in the 4th last night...

 

He was trying to grab that late 3rd/early 4th quarter spark from the bench like he did in game 3. Didn't work. Rockets didn't stop knocking down shots.

 

They were blown out. They had zero chance. Why chance any risk of injury?

 

I didn't watch the game last night, but knowing Pop's style, like others have said already, the Rockets were going to really be hard pressed to lose a game 4 "elimination" game at home. Rockets had a lot of fuel to play intense and on fire (Bev's family tragedy, Nene lost for the series).

While winning game 4 would go a long way for the Spurs in closing out the series in 5 possibly, it makes total sense to me that Pop erred on the side of resting their legs (grueling Memphis series) for game 5 at home. Sometimes, conceding victory to a hot home team more or less on the verge of blowing out the visiting team is just the wise move for the long run. Just like how the Rockets achieved their goals of splitting the first 2, the Spurs achieved taking homecourt back by splitting 3 and 4.

As this series wears on, both the Rockets and Spurs will start to have some fatigue. It benefits the Rockets in a sense that their natural style is to play fast(er) and bomb 3s. However, if the Rockets go cold in game 5, the pace will slow down and even become an uphill battle from the tip (5-10 point deficit). In this scenario, the Rockets would expend a lot of energy to make up the small speed bump of a deficit for much of the game while the Spurs will feed off their crowd energy late in the game.

Nene being lost for the playoffs is pretty big blow considering how vital he's been in the Rockets' success. However, I hope Trez, Dekker and/or Williams can contribute with their fresh legs to spell the team.

 

what this guy said...

 

i was a little surprised he gave up that early. 16 points with 8 minutes is hardly insurmountable. and the rockets aren't exactly lacking in the generous turnover department. I would think you would give it a shot for a few minutes to see if we crumble. you got up 3-1 and the series is over.

now by the 5 minute mark? history says those comebacks are very unlikely and maybe discretion is the better part of valor (although again, the spurs had a 13 point, 4 and a half minute comeback on us just this year). I certainly wasn't looking forward to holding that lead for 8 minutes. so I'm glad he gave up.

 

I wonder If the Rockets would have gained a mental edge by beating the crap out of their starters in the 4th. This way Pop can make it seem almost like a forfeit, and motivate his own team in a way that makes it seem like they are in control.

 

Pop is senile...

or nba is rigged...