we still aren't favored to win this series because getting game 6 will be a near impossible task. especially if both harden and mchale don't wake up. this game came down to the final minutes because yet again we were unable to maintain healthy leads. there are systemic/structural problems with both our offense and defense, and this is preventing us from becoming true contenders. some rockets fans are content with where we've come now compared to previous seasons, which is fine. me, i want what's coming to us. the world championship, chico, and everything with it.
You want the title with a team which can't win it( at least this year)? I can't understand. If you believe that this team is ready, you need a reality check.A lot of people here create high expectations so as to criticize the players afterwards.
Well said. I've been frustrated with the roller coaster ride our team has given us this year and in the playoffs, but being overly critical (agenda or not) is such a downer after a win. We're not dead yet. Damn the torpedoes!
And you have been here since 02? What about when we lost to 6 against the jazz on that ak flop the year we won 22? We got screwed and the refs bought every flop the jazz committed. It was crazy how one team can flop their way to victory for an entire series. Then there was last year. Point is, clutch city is dead. Go down 3-1 and it is over according to stats. Less than 1% of teams have ever pulled off the comeback in our situation. That is 2 teams out of the 150 who had home court advantage and went down 3-1.
I love this website..obviously. But I'm thankful online forums weren't really a "thing" when the Rockets were winning titles in 94 and 95. I don't have any real memories of people dividing over the players on that team. I can imagine there would have been a pretty big divide over Kenny starting over Sam. Made it a lot more fun when it felt (even if it was illusion) like the entire city/fanbase was rooting for the entire team. By the way...this narrative that winning game 6 is some impossibility is a joke. Every one of these games has been close, and the Rockets have already stolen a game in Portland. It's not even remotely a stretch to suggest that the Rockets can win that game.
Exactly. There is *huge* pressure on Portland to close it out, right after they saw a different Rockets team last night. Portland has to be thinking WTF was that defense we saw late in the game? What team was that? I'm very happy to see this thread and also to see the OP call out Asik's game. His 15 boards and his D were huge last night. 10 points always a big bonus from him as well. One reason a team has to have multiple superstars is so that you can ride one in some games and some series, and ride another in others. So happy to see Dwight thriving in the intensity and am choosing to enjoy that maximally.
It's still an uphill battle, but Portland does not have a "must win" and we do in game 6, so that's a little edge for us.
People are just exhausted from this series, there have been so many unfortunate things happen to our emotional investment. Things like Harden not showing, phantom calls, no calls, turn overs, the opposition having an endless amount of difficult and open shots go in. We are pretty much just tired. BUT I feel like there one factor that can regenerate our emotions and help a lot of people regain their trust. James Harden finding a way to kill Portland the same way he murdered many in the regular season. The moment James Harden is unstoppable again is the moment Portland wakes up and figures out they are in big trouble. Hate people saying its unlikely we win game 6, it was unlikely for them to take two game at Yota Center too but that happened. It was unlikely for Aldridge to have two monster nights against us and that happened. It was unlikely that Daniels would win game 3 for us and that happened. Anything can happen, even a blow out win coming back to Houston. Instead of trying to figure out the future with stats and analysis lets sit back and watch the games.... I believe... Why do I believe? Because I have to....Because I rather believe than give up. I hope The Rockets feel the same way.
But it kind of is a must win. They don't want to come back to Houston with momentum against them. I will go as far as to say that if they lose Friday they pretty much threw away the season. There has to be some sort of pressure...
I don't know why I come on here after wins and expect more positivity. Most message boards become swamps of negative energy you have to wade through to find useful information or entertainment. I guess all you can do is laugh about it. I appreciate threads like this, though! <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/sTbTOkhjOhc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Home court aside, I believe it's closer to 5% of teams that were down 1-3 have come back to win. And home court clearly doesn't mean what it used to mean. I'm pronouncing us dead until there is no pulse. The fat lady is warming up but she's not on stage yet.
Yes, you gave 2 examples...wow. How long have you been watching basketball? Your post made it sound like we lose in 6 games every year- that's all I responded to. I've been watching games since 1984, sir. Every playoff game, literally. We've been in more game 5 wins/losses and game 7 wins/losses that game 6s. Maybe that's a good thing, maybe not. That's all I responded to: here's your exact quote: "How many times have we seen this story? Rockets go down 3-1 then lose game 6." And my response is "Umm, not that many, actually." 1980: Lose in 4, Eastern Conference semifinals (yes, we were in the Eastern Conference then) 1981: Lose in 6, NBA Finals 1982: Lose in 3, First Round 1983: No Playoffs 1984: No Playoffs 1985: Lose in 5, First Round 1986: Lose in 6, NBA Finals 1987: Lose in 6, WC Semifinals 1988: Lose in 4, First Round 1989: Lose in 4, First Round 1990: Lose in 4, First Round 1991: Lose in 3, First Round 1992: No Playoffs 1993: Lose in 7, Semifinals 1994: Championship 1995: Championship 1996: Lose in 4, Semifinals 1997: Lose in 6, WC Finals 1998: Lose in 5, First Round 1999: Lose in 4, First Round 2000: No Playoffs 2001: No Playoffs 2002: No Playoffs 2003: No Playoffs 2004: Lose in 5, First Round 2005: Lose in 7, First Round 2006: No Playoffs 2007: Lose in 7, First Round 2008: Lose in 6, First Round 2009: Lose in 7, WC Semifinals (we beat Portland....in 6) 2010: No Playoffs 2011: No Playoffs 2012: No Playoffs 2013: Lose in 6, First Round 2014: ??????? So, I would say 6 out of 33 really wouldn't fit that narrative. However, you do have a point in that, since 2007, we have had 2 series in which we have been down 3-1 only to win game 5 and lose game 6- 2008 and 2013. So, 2 in the last 6 years... that makes your statement fairly accurate, more than mine. I stand corrected.
I appreciate the positivity but it's highly unlikely we win this series. We don't deserve the moniker clutch city because that time passed long ago. Hardens age is a good point and something I tend to forget- his best years are ahead of him. I hope his shortcomings in this series make him improve over the summer and become a better rounded player.
Clutch City stands. We're on a website called Clutchfans after all. If Portland can still wear Rip City jerseys for a championship in the 1970's, our back-to-back moniker gets to stick around. I still relate Clutch City to the Rockets...I'm sure I always will.
The team with the most recent, successful adjustment to win a key matchup battle always has the upper hand ... to rock n roll ... in the next game. Like by 30 points.
It's awesome that there are still some threads on Clutchfans that make me feel happy instead of upset. This is one of them!
