ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Mavericks 11/20/2013

Sooner or later, for better or worse, you reap what you sow.

 

The Rockets did stink in the first 4-5 minutes of the 4th quarter, but they scored enough to win the game. The problem is they gave up 36 points in the quarter. They used to have entire halves where that's all they allowed. You have to be able to get stops. I never saw any adjustment defensively by the Rockets late in the game. They kept switching on Dirk and had Bev on him. And Ellis continued to get into the paint uncontested and kick it out to shooters(usually Dirk). McFail's lack of creativity in drawing up offensive plays is bad enough, but is he this bad on D as well?

 

what he really means is 6th man is only technically a bench player, real top 6th men that produce like Lin are an extra starter and play big minutes and finish games...its tough that he gets no respect even with his excellent season so far

 

This one game doesn't prove anything, hater. He's been playing well all season.

 

Lin and Asik are getting shopped together. It's obvious from minute and ball distribution over the last two games.

 

I agree with this. You have to make shots, I understand, but some of those calls were hilarious. And then the missed fouls on Howard down low? Terrible. No place in the game for that crap.

 

yep..

if garcia is not hitting the 3, he is utterly useless. pretty much as big of a liability as you will find in the nba.

 

harden needs to make that free throw plain and simple

 

The D was broke from the start.

 

Damn, people still managing to talk about Lin tonight? He was a non-factor. Focus on the game.

 

Paul George has a way better supporting cast around him. And way better coach. Put Harden there and he would be excelling even more

 

Pretty interesting that there's a lot of blame on a dude that played less than 17 min.

He had an off night, but I've never seen unreasonable vitriol like this for an individual player...

Lin is either an all star on this board or a complete scrub...

Don't scream at me for saying this game is on McHale, but this game is on McHale. I noticed something that was super weird about his substitution. He does his substitutions like I do my NBA2K13 subs when I'm lazy. Literally having players do nearly quarters.

1) Players in the game are exhausted. This may contribute to defensive deficiency in the 2nd half
2) Players that do come in come in absolutely cold (Unless you are Harden, then you just come in dead tired). Lin couldn't hit anything tonight. Omer didn't even shoot. And Garcia continues his cold streak.
3) Look at our minutes distribution and look at Dallas's. Actually, look at our minutes distribution and almost any game we played.

I for one disagree with the back and forth with Lin and Bev. I actually am super worried for TJones and DMo. A lot has been made on this board about professionalism and chemistry, but it goes both ways. If someone has been playing well for you (Lin, Asik) and they have one cold start, you don't just bench them. This leads to passive play and diminishes the talent you have to go with. Tjones has been playing well, but I wonder what happens when he has a bad game and gets swapped out with DMo?

You might say they are getting paid bank to be professionals. But if you think as an elite basketball player (all NBA players), these guys aren't competitive, prideful bunches, you need to play a sport. Some things are as important as $. This is classic short-term wins alienating long-term strategy.

We should trade Lin/Asik for wing stoppers/picks. We have plenty of offense generation from Harden/Chandler. It's defense that matters now.

 

That is such a stupid post. You have to be a troll, I don't think anybody could really think that way.

 

Funny, anybody could see that Lin played like crap tonight and Harden didn't play too much better. But all the comments from Rockets fans are like "those damn refs! ", "I hate when this team chokes! ", "Dirk! Argh!" "Mchale can't draw up a good play! " All sorts of comments about the game and the team. But all the comments from the LOFs are "you can't blame this all on Lin! ""Lin should ask for a trade!" No comments about the team, just about their man.

 

Even Hubie Brown got of Dirk's jock for a minute to say, 'Man Dwight got hammered there with no call…'

He did whisper it though.

Terrible refereeing performance tonight. Yes we stunk it up, but when the ref's are calling phantom touch fouls against you, but then on the other end you are getting scratched, slapped & hacked with no call winning is tough.

Should never have let them back in, but that's not the point.

Also we need a 'goon' to come in and put someone like Ellis or Dirk on their backside when they get hot. I'll play for the minimum…I can guarantee that Ellis wouldn't be driving the lane on me after I send him to the hardwood a couple of times.

So frustrated right now.

 

demanding a trade is a little extreme. but you're right that he's still on a short leash. Holding calderon to zero last time means nothing.

tonight, before the first half was even over, both lin and bev had been scored on equally, with both of them missing assignments.

But also, lin could have taken it upon himself to even attempt a drive instead he just handed off.

 

Blame the loss on:

-Dwight stupid technical
-Harden bad 3 point shots
-Lin 0-5 and out of sorts
-Garcia terrible
-Parsons blown layup
-Casspi poor defense and trying to be a point guard

 

Paul George made 3 FT's to send the game to OT...

Harden couldn't make 2....

 

Lin was not playing well tonight - and it was not his shooting that was the issue. He just wasn't getting to the basket and doing much. After every PnR he'd drive five feet in and then pass it back out. His value is in breaking down defenses. If he is not doing that, then he's not really contributing. Combine that with his 3 point shot not falling tonight, and McHale went with Bev who was getting it done. I can't blame McHale for that.

The game came down to defense and decision making. We got unlucky with some shots that went in and out, but honestly, we lost this game on defense and decision making. Our shot selection was awful in the 4th quarter. Harden was throwing up some really horrid shots all night. But he wasn't getting help elsewhere. Down the stretch, no one could score. Parson, Harden - they couldn't get to the basket. Howard was getting tripled. The Mavs forced us to make long 3's. And we missed them. And on the other end, they played masterfully. Great passing and perfect offense. You see the difference. When Lin came off the screen and penetrated, there were two Mavs waiting for him. When their pg came off the screen he got to the basket. No help defenders to guard the paint. They broke us down and that led to jumpers all over the place. And we turned it over in crucial moments that led to fast breaks. You can blame Harden Iso all you want, but we really had nothing else going for most of the 4th quarter.

What does this mean? It means that Dallas is a very experienced team - they are stacked with vets who know how to win games like this. And we are not. None of our guys knows what to do in these kinds of situations. When you have guys like Dirk and Marion, Calderon and Ellis. those guys are all been in the NBA for long while, Ellis is the least experienced at 8 years - which is more than anyone on our team basically except for Dwight. So naturally in a close game like this, Dallas is going to be a better team and they know this kind of pressure. We don't. This was a playoff like 4th quarter. And goes to show what kind of team we truly are right now. The critique that we aren't built for the playoffs has some truth in it. But it comes down more to decision making and experience more than personnel.

Bottom line - we played like what we were - a really young team.

 

lol how you gona blame this on Lin when he didnt play the entire 4 quarter and the mav out scored rockets 36-19?