ClutchFans Game Thread: Jazz @ Rockets 4/14/2019 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 1)

I thought tonight's game was officiated very poorly. Not sure if refs are consciously adjusting the way they call the game, but James got clobbered a few times on his floaters and going to the rim and didn't get the whistle. Part of me thinks the refs have been instructed not to make the story how many whistles James got so they hold off. This will be a huge problem if it continues in subsequent games/series.

Winning game 2 will be huge for us, and we need to win just to keep the Jazz hopes low. Once a team ties a series they get motivation and confidence. Another loss will be demoralizing and hopefully lay the path for a 4 or 5 game series.

 

media conspiracy, trying to create a feud lol

 

Mad Chris Paul dropping 40 next game to force the media to ask him questions

 

We had this game pretty much in hand all the way through... the refs tried to keep it somewhat competitive - but barring another 0-27 collapse - we had it...
Personally, i wonder if harden jawwing at the refs (which he started early on) didnt impact the non-calls...
My point was that the officiating didnt really matter... bc yeh, we were 'just that good...'
and it wasnt like when the Kings got robbed vs the Lakers years ago - where it actually impacted the result...

 

Agree on all points.

 

so nothing that happened in this game had any extra affect on the refs. because the refs tonite already had a long detailed history of fuking harden/houston. john goble in last years playoffs and notably this season: 1) kd out of bounds game, 7FT's at MIL, the recent NYK game. marc davis was the lead rigger for our losses in game 3 @ GS and game 3 @ MIN last year. harden DOES NOT GET FTs whenever either of these 2 guys are in the arena

 

Media: "James, tell us about Chris Paul's 40 - are the Jazz paying so much attention to you that it helped Paul score 40 tonight?"

 

I have been watching the game for 40 years. This "storyline" and "fabricating" has been the bane of the NBA since I started watching and you have to link it to the fact that the league used to be on tape delay and floundering. Showtime with the Lakers/Celtics and then Jordan saved the league but all of the crap they were doing the whole time never changed. They have been in love with picking winners because it is all they know. Too often the NBA looks like the WWE and that just kills any legitimacy. We can go back to countless series in the past. The game is so good it doesn't need this crap. Look at what just happened with the NFL and the wrong team going to the Super Bowl. At some point enough people will care and you can never go back. Look at how everyone feels about the McGwire/Sosa "asterisk" era. Sure things can recover but there is lasting damage. I guarantee you if we were the Lakers instead of the Rockets and Games 6&7 happened it would have been national news but we all know it never would have happened in the first place.

 

It was good natured. I don't think Chris was pissed. Looked like since they were both asked the question, when Chris wasn't given a chance to respond, and James looked at him like he was surprised as well, the guy decided to split. James left shortly after. Both played about the same minutes. I think Harden played only 1 more minute than Paul did. They've got some "rest and recreation" to attend to, in my opinion.

 

Yeah I don’t think Chris was actually mad, more of just plainly being like “Well, I got stuff to do.”

That’s on the media though. I mean someone in the middle of those 6 questions could have asked Paul SOMETHING. Ask him about the weather, anything my word.

 

I'm not disagreeing with you... I cited the Kings/Lakers series from years past as the worst example of blatant rigging...
My only point was that trying to keep a game somewhat competitive and therefor entertaining for the general viewing public - where the outcome is nowhere near being affected - isnt worth losing sleep over...
i've always hated 'superstar calls' - just as much as I hate flopping and trying to 'trick the refs' into calling a foul where there wasnt one...

 

Disrespectful to one of the greatest pgs ever. Paul is there for a reason!

From the time Harden took at seat in the 3rd with the game still within reach for the Jazz, CP3 orchestrated play after play, controlling the whole game, dismantling the Jazz. Just beautiful bb, man.

 

I also think our defense was very tight tonight. Other than a few times when we did badly on Favors pnr, we really forced them out of rhythm in the half court setting.

The only reason they made a run is because of fast breaks, which we have been traditionally bad at. I think next game they are going to run at us at every possession. We gotta prepare for that.

 

No bullsh%t with this team now that we're in the playoffs. Those 2nd half collapses off of big leads? No more.

Rockets easily put up the most impressive performance of the 8 Game 1s. Utah has been playing too well in the 2nd half of the season to get lit up by 32, but that's what happened.

 

All because of how the rockets came out and turned the ball over multiple times which led to fast breaks. Once we got the timeout and we got that easy alley from CP to Clint. They took care of the ball again and that was game

Defense was definitely good. Rockets do need to get Faried on the same page as everybody. He’s struggling to know to either switch or stay and messing up the rotations

 

So how is that Milwaukee playing behind Harden / forcing him to his right defense working out for ya? Haha If it hadn't been for guys missing wide open threes Harden created in the 1st half, this thing would've been over way sooner. I really liked our defense, we were quick to switch and really put the pressure on.

Besides Harden doing his thing alongside Capela, it was nice to see Gordon having some good drives, House and Tucker getting some threes up, Green going the 3pt line two times and Faried with some **** back ish. CP3 was having his way too, getting to the rim. I loved the double block by House & Capela in the 1st half and that Harden out of nowhere was just monstruous! Great intro video too. Let's get this one done quickly. Funny how people expect 7 games and upsets. Keep doubting us.

Last thing, Green is in the rotation - at least for now - over Shumpert. Told y'all! But he might lose it soon, he committed some silly fouls.

 

Not only would it not get their confidence up, but it would be nearly impossible for that team to beat us 4 of the next 5 games. They're just not that good.

 

Gordon 17 points on 10 shots

He has to start shooting more