ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Warriors 5/20/2018 (Western Conference Finals, Game 3)

I thought I saw Capela was only -10 tonight, which was easily best on the team. Yet he had only 22 minutes. That’s just dumb. Gordon was at his worst ever. A crowd pleasing -33.

 

I half agree. We are at our best when he doesn't slow ISO EVERY play. We are at our best when we run and gun and play hard aggressive defense.

He doesn't need to let CP do that. He's fully capable of playing that way and showed it throughout the regular season. Playoff Harden is a different player. Playoff Rockets are different. We always slam on the breaks the minute the regular season ends in terms of the speed of game. I haven't checked the actual numbers, but I bet they'd show we play slower in the playoffs (particularly the games we lose).

 

Quote me where I was rubbing salt? Literally nothing I posted was anything but discussion as to why the game 2 version of your team is terrifying but the game 1 and 3 versions look like an incoherent mess.

 

Curry, although finally hitting shots because our effort waned and he got open looks, has looked like the worst player on the court for both teams.

He’s been baddddd....

 

You’re probably right. One of the biggest things I think that hurts harden in the playoffs is how the playoffs are reffed. He relies immensely on getting to the line and in the playoffs you’re only going to get 60% of those calls. I think all games should be reffed the same, from game 1 of the season to game 7 of the finals. When refs swallow their whistle, they’re fundamentally changing the game the people on the floor are playing.

 

Agreed. No excuses. To be honest, he only started hitting once the pressure was off and the lead ballooned. That confidence may very well carry over to game 4. Had tonight not been a blowout I think he would have been kept in the teens points-wise the whole series.

 

Yeah that’s a good point about it having less pressure. Personally, obvious, I hope it doesn’t carry over.

I think the problem is the refs, and not because of the refs.

Harden has such a bad rep for “flopping” because he whips his head back so much.

But the guy takes a LOT of punishment and gets fouled a LOT. His ability to keep the ball low and outstretched creates a shiit ton of contact and fouls.

They deservee to be called fouls, because they are fouls. But the refs don’t call all the contact in playoffs.

It’s frustrating and he’s gotten better trying to finish through it but it’s still bad.

 

Absolutely understand about y’all hoping it doesn’t carry over lol.

I think a lot of hardens flopping rep comes from the intent of his drives to the rim. A lot of times it appears as if he doesn’t have any intention of finishing and the purpose of the drive is to draw a foul. It’s a great strategy as it can get the other team in foul trouble, it can slow a run without having to take a timeout, and it can build his confidence by seeing some balls go through the hoop from the line. The drawback of that though is it makes the refs less inclined to give him that call as it appears that he’s not actually attempting to play the game and is trying to score by manipulating the rules. It’s a double edged sword though as players like Kyrie and Westbrook don’t go to the line nearly as much as harden and they are getting the same amount of contact. By trying to finish, you’re not making it easy for the refs to see the contact.

Regardless of Harden’s intentions when he drives, a foul should be called if it’s a foul.

 

I still cannot believe how little effort the rockets put forth tonight.

 

Um, when did the Rockets’ championship teams lose by 41 in the playoffs? Maybe this just won’t work?

 

why was it so hard to emulate their success from game 2? That was the formula to beating the warriors.

Also how can players play so careless when the stakes are so high? That moment when EG fumbled the ball in the backcourt in the first, told me it wasnt going to be the rockets night

 

Harden doesn’t drive with intent for being fouled anymore.

He absolutely does look to finish every time.

He is absolutely strong in his ability to absorb contact and finish.

BUT he does do what you are speaking of, which is flail his arms up in agony and complain looking for a foul, when. he. is. fouled.

As soon as he gets contact, and it causes the ball to pop out, he immediately tries to “sell” it and throw his arms up.

It’s a foul, and he has a right to be upsets, but he never tries to recorral the ball. He just lets it frustrate him.

Which sucks for us rockets fans

 

* Jumps onto opposition's forum immediately after a blowout playoff win by his team.

* Wants to engage opposition fans in "real" basketball talk.

* Can't fathom why fans on opposition forum are salty.

Seriously, "Chef Curry"? (and there's yet to be a lamer nickname given to a professional athlete). Why weren't you here trying to talk SERIOUS BASKETBALL after Game 2?

Anyway, congrats on becoming a huge NBA fan 4 years ago.

 

the warriors switch everything defense have completely taken away the capela lob which is actually a big part of the rockets offense.

d'antoni has still made no adjustment on our to counter that other than "let's get the switch onto curry and attack him over and over and over".

need to run some slip screen action if they're gonna flash so hard on the switch.

 

I joined here in may of 2015.

I don’t understand why your sodium levels are so high

Chef Curry is one of the best nicknames of all time. I wasn’t here for game 2 just like I wasn’t here for game 1. I started posting here to try and figure out wtf happened to your guys’ strategy that worked so well in game 2.

Thanks for the congrats.

 

Very accurate. When he flails, 90% of the time he was actually fouled. One thing I wish the NBA would adopt from the NHL is the penalty for diving. Even if you are legitimately fouled in the NHL, the refs can penalize you for embellishment, which makes it an offsetting minor penalty (4v4 for 2mins). If harden didn’t get rewarded for trying to sell the calls, I think it would actually improve his game as he would continue to play through the contact.

Then again...the NBA refs would actually need to not miss the amount of calls that they do.

 

Keep the faith. Game 4.

 

I enjoyed how when Curry was bricking for a couple of games the media was talking about him being injured. I guess he made a bunch of shots so he's not injured any more.

 

Warriors fan here some thoughts:

Curry Defense vs Harden Defense: Harden actually had one play where he stopped Klay from driving baseline. I think Klay stepped out of bounds on the play. IT seems to be that Harden is making more of an effort versus past years. But not having watched Harden regularly throughout the season, I don't know if he has the lateral quickness / foot speed to stay in front of quick folks. The reason why people roast Harden? When Livingston (or others blow by him), he reaches for the ball and then seem to gives up.

Having watched Curry play for so long, it's evident Curry is not particularly athletic or gifted in moving laterally. So yes he goes get burned by players but to me it seems like he makes an effort to stay with the player that beat him. Curry's defense reminds of an ex-Rocket Jeremy Lin. Lin was fast in a straight line but definitely not quick side to side.

Someone here asked "Why couldn't the Rockets replicate game 2 performance?" Well man, why couldn't the Warriors replicate their Game #1 performance? Each game is different and the Rockets looked out of sorts after a close first quarter. As a Warriors fan, I always thought if the Warriors played defense and got stops, the Warriors would run away with things. The Rockets missed a ton of layups that contributed to the loss.

The series isn't over. The Warriors have slacked off all throughout the season and sometimes lose focus. They'll have to be ready as I'm sure the Rockets will come out firing.

 

didnt you start a beef between harden cp thread with another account you stupid fool. You are so obvious . Stop trolling with ur alt accounts