ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Warriors 5/19/2015 (Western Conference Finals, Game 1)

Match starts at 4am here fml. Gotta go sleep from now to wake up in time. Hope im rewarded with a win!

 

Hoping that Rockets come in and grab game one.

Time to kill that morale.

 

This team is playing with house money, I am proud of them for getting this far after all the adversities they went through. If we lose in a hard fought series in the WCF, no shame in that, we still have a solid core and a bunch of assets for Morey to improve the roster for next season. Golden State will not be able to afford to have as good of a team they have this year, and If we do somehow manage to upset the Warriors, we would take down a historically good team on our way to a championship. It's a win-win situation!

 

It may have been mentioned already (apologies if so) but I think one major "X FACTOR" in the Rockets favor is playoff/finals experience: particularly the fact that the Rockets have five guys on the team with Finals Experience: Harden, Howard, Terry, Ariza, and Brewer (Prigioni on the International stage) while the Warriors have ZERO players that have gone all the way (at least from their core...maybe some back bencher has but I don't think so).

We know that pressure situations in the playoffs test great regular season players all the time so I don't think we can really underestimate the playoff experience/success factor. Not saying this sways the outcome but it sure helps the Rockets that guys like Ariza, Terry, Brewer (rings) and Harden/Dwight (appearances) know what it takes to get to the finals.

Admittedly the warriors coaches have finals experience which is a plus but then again, so does McHale!

 

Your post is on point. It's the warrior's year. The most we can do is mess it up a bit. That pressure is on them.

 

I guess a #1 defense in the league is overrated Lol

 

No they are not overrated and that is why this series will be great for the Rockets to Win since it will over the best D in the League this season and no one can question that or make excuses.

 

Gut is telling me we win one of these 2 road games. Hopefully its right

 

I'm expecting a blowout loss, because that's just how the Rockets lose.

If the Rockets are able to cause the upset, I'd guess game 5. The Rockets way seems to be grind it out, wear them down.

 

yeah, for some reason I feel like the Rockets match up better with the Warriors than the Clippers. Dwight & Smith should be able to go off in the paint (not really so against the Clippers) and Harden can match Curry 1 for 1. The X Factor truly are the role players --and which ones step up--after the rest cancel each other out IMO.

 

Has anyone seen a single writer, journalist, blogger or talking head outside of Houston choose the Rockets to win the series?

Someone should seriously off $100 to anyone who can find someone who has picked the Rockets.

Our backs are against the wall big time!

 

I wish you were right about Golden State next season, but I figure they'll match whatever offer Green gets this summer. That would put them in luxury tax territory(unless they somehow find a team to take Lee off their hands), but if they're coming off a title, they'll probably bite the bullet and eat the tax for one season til the salary cap goes way up the year after. Barnes will be a free agent then, and Curry, Bogut, and Iggy will be free agents the year after, but they cross those bridges when they get to them.

 

This guy is the only one I could find picking the Rockets and he's not a prominent figure:

http://sportschatplace.com/nba-pick...n-state-warriors-in-western-conference-finals

Oh nevermind, he's a Rockets fan (and probably on this board). Hahaha.

 

reggie miller picked us LOL

 

Let's go Rockets. I also got sense that we steal one over here...Rockets in 6.....

 

Then he's wising up.

 

Even if they do re-sign green and hit the luxury-tax, they will stay as is, we on the other hand have pieces to move and there's no way Morey doesn't find a starting caliber PG for next season (Ty Lawson?). I feel the Rockets will be better next season, plus I hate to say this but the law of averages will kick in for GS in terms of injuries, they were EXTREMELY fortunate this season (look at Portland).

 

If Rockets win Game 1 ESPN will implode with hate.

 

True. But just keeping that core together would be scary. Injuries may be a factor down the road for them(Portland sure did make up for last season, didn't they?), but the prospect of them having Curry, Thompson, Green, Barnes, Bogut, and Iggy locked up long-term is almost unfair.

I think they'll probably have to let one(and maybe two) of those guys go given the raises Green and Curry are due and Thompson's already scheduled to receive next season, but they'll almost certainly have this group back at least one more year.

 

Really? Wow. In how many games?