ClutchFans Game Thread: Nuggets @ Rockets 3/28/2019

Over the last 15 games including tonight’s gem we are 2nd in defensive rating. Pretty huge turnaround.

 

Listening to Clint's post game interview, Rockets coaching must preach < 25pts/quarter allowed defensively.

Rockets executed that tonight.... very almost (25-pt 1st)

 

wow. that's a big deal

 

It's similar to last year where we could turn on the D on demand.

 

Had to watch this one on DVR and just finished it. Nice game.

 

If we had Austin Rivers in his current form all year, we'd have a better record than the Bucks.

 

Is Austin Rivers finally healthy 100%? I’m not entirely sure who we witnessed last night. Hope that Austin sticks around.

 

He was just brilliant. I hope this will not be a mirage.

 

Rockets' Rivers: We can win title if D keeps up


HOUSTON -- Through the historic scoring season James Harden has put together, the Houston Rockets know their turnaround -- and potential -- resides on the other end of the floor. And it was on full display against the Denver Nuggets in a dominant 112-85 win Thursday, a performance coach Mike D'Antoni called their best defensive effort of the season.

"If we play defense like that, we can win the title," guard Austin Riverssaid. "That's what we believe around here."



The Rockets have had the NBA's second-best defense since the All-Star break, posting a 105.3 defensive rating. Before the break, they ranked 25th with a 112.2 rating. The Nuggets, who have been struggling offensively of late and haven't cracked 100 points in their past three games, were held to a season-low 85 points and hit only 4 of 24 from 3.

"It's not difficult, it's not difficult at all," Harden said of producing consistent defensive efforts. "I think since the break we've been top five in defensive. We have the ability to do it. We just have to do it."

The Rockets have stabilized after their bumpy start and have turned their attention to tracking down the Trail Blazers (one game back in the loss column) for the 3-seed. For one, the Rockets would avoid a likely second-round showdown against the Warriors, but on top of that appear to match up well with the Nuggets. Houston won the season series 3-1, and has both an offensive and defensive scheme that gives Denver problems.

The Rockets weren't shy about saying they are trying to nab the 3-seed in the West but wouldn't go so far as to say it's because they want the Nuggets in the second round.

"We do that, I don't care who's out there," D'Antoni said of the Rockets' defense when asked whether the matchup against the Nuggets was favorable. "It just happened to be Denver. This is by far our best effort defensively and it's been coming. The guys got after it. If we do that, then whoever it is, it is."

The Rockets are one of the best takeaway teams in the league, leading the NBA in steals per game (9.3) and turnover percentage (16.0) since the break.

The Rockets switch on defense constantly, but the Nuggets weren't able to exploit any mismatch with Nikola Jokic on Harden. Harden, who finished with 38 points in 32 minutes, has always been an elite post defender, using his strength and size to hold off bigger players, and his excellent hands and instincts to be disruptive.

"James switches on all the bigs," Chris Paul said. "Every night. He's been doing that all season long so it ain't no surprise for us."

Jokic, though, is better than most bigs. No matter, Paul said.

"James is better than a lot of people too," he said.

 

Capela set the tone, and it was really nice to see Rivers and Gordon having a good game together.

 

Rivers, Shumpert, and House all playing well.
I wonder if MDA will just rotate all 3 along with Green and go with who's hot.
We could very easily go 10 deep.

 

My whole point was that we need to do more than rely on 3 PT shots to fall. We had no defense or rebounding in that game on Feb 1st. We only had 30 rebounds that game when Faried was playing Center. He played 31 minutes and had 6 rebounds no steals and no blocks. Hartenstein came in after we were getting blown out and in 8 minutes got 3 rebounds a steal and a block. Yes, that frustrated me. That led to my comments, which I still believe are true.

We didn't win last night because of our 3 PT shooting. We were 15/40 last night and 16/44 the previous game. That's not much difference. The big difference was our rebounding, team dynamics and defense. Compare 46 rebounds last night to only 30 the time Denver beat us. Big difference!

Clint does make a difference in our dynamics. He had 17 points, 15 rebounds, a steal and a block. We also didn't have Shumpert last game, and last night his 8 rebounds was more than anyone on our team had last time we played Denver. Nobody even had more than 6 rebounds that game, which led to my frustration and comments back then.

When our guys get in there and fight for rebounds and play better defense it makes a difference! When we play like last night I believe we can beat anyone.

Go Rockets!!!!

 

Clint all of a sudden wakes up in a game against his friend. I call bullshit you need to play this hard every game to win a championship.

 

We lost 40% of our games when he was out this year. We won 9 and lost 6. He does make a big difference, and yes, he and everyone else need to play hard to win a championship.

 

Who is his good friend again?

 

Bucks game showed the D is still inconsistent and up in the air but they did lots of good work.

And they play consistently better at home than on the road with couple of exceptions.

 

Is it the last 15 or since the All-Star Break? I've heard the latter mentioned by some reporters.

 

Yeah, for seeding, that scenario is by far the best, since it gives us Tie-Breaker on Denver, which they lock up had they won, in a Beat Bucks -- Lose to Den scenario. That was effectively two losses for Denver wrt us catching them.