if your definition of a choke is to not perform to a level you are expected to in a pressure situation....then we choked in games 3,4 and 7. if your definition of a choke is to lose when you are expected to win...then you could say we did not choke in the series because we were expected to lose this series....BUT we were up 2-0 and all expectations were that this series was over...we should have closed it out statistically. therefore, WE CHOKED imho. The Mavs were on the bubble after games 1 and 2 and we failed to perform to the level we were expected and capable for the remaining games. Sure the Mavs are more talented, but talent does not always prove out....mental toughness is the differential when you are up 2-0 and we failed miserably.... with this said...I hope we can find this mental toughness and one or two speedy, athletic 2 or 3 in the offseason.
Tell you what: If the Mavs go on to win the NBA championship this year, they have the right to create their own version of a Clutch City slogan. I hate to say it, but we choked in the the 4th quarters of Games 3 & 4. In Game 7, the Mavs brought their "A" game, we didn't, and the result was very ugly. I feel fatigue was part of the problem and it showed in our defense (T-Mac excepted).
There is a difference between choking in game 7 and being utterly and completely dominated by a team with a far superior lineup. We reached our potential guys, we maximized it, there are just too many damn unreasonable and unrealistic people here who are never satisfied.
You know, sometimes the opponents legs are just too young. We don't need a new moniker, thanks anyway.
There will always be posters looking to rile people up, there is apparently just no respect for good timing on this BBS. Too many posters don't think before they post. But if he wants to call us "Choke City", he is more than welcome to, but I can guarantee you he didn't watch the same team I did fight as hard as they could against a superior team.
We choked bigtime in the two home games when we had them on the ropes. I don't know if it deserves the moniker though as almost every prognosticator was picking the Mavericks before the series began.
I am a season ticket holder for 15 years and have been through the trenches with these guys....I have seen every expectation set for this team....denying the truth, is a discredit to this team. they all know it: they even admit it. they choked. I love this team, but they choked. here is the bottomline: if you believe this team did not choke, you are a fool. here is reality: We are up 2-0 and go back 2-2 and then completely no show for game 7. what fight was there in the 1st and 3rd and 4th quarter of this game...what game were you watching? give me a break. the game was over middle of the 2nd. every expert out there knew it too and said it. there is no doubt. dallas is a far superior team in talent. but, we proved that talent does not always win in games 1 and 2. we let them beat us! We choked in the mental department. We did not match intensity in game 7...how is this possible in a game 7? there is a crazy notion out there that we just got beat by a superior team when we did not even give ourselves a chance from the opening bell... had we lost this game in the 4th quarter..this series would not have been has much a choke, though....there would still be questions because you led it 2-0 and blew game 4 at minimum. but, we were finished after quarter 2...
"BUT we were up 2-0 and all expectations were that this series was over" No, your expectations were that this series was over, because as a fan, you deluded yourself into thinking that the rockets were the better basketball team after just 2 games. The Mavericks won this series cause they were the better basketball team. And their speed and athleticism proved to be the difference. A team's "mental toughness" doesn't look as good when the other team has better players. than you and imposes their will to take advanatge of that.
It would be a choke if we were favored and expected to win. We were great overall. Thank you Rockets!
clearly you are a new rocket fan and have NO IDEA where the choke and clutch cithy came from choking is when you lose games 1 AND 2 at home when you have a 20 point lead going into the 4th quarter in BOTH GAMES ... it is not not losing a 6 point lead in the 4th against a higher seeded, more athletic team that is picked to win the series. Go back and study your history I recommend watch this first
Clutch city came from facing elimination time after time, and WINNING (culminating with two victories against Patrick Ewing and Jeff Van Gundy) when their backs were against the wall.
clearly, I am not a new fan and have been paying my homage to the rockets for 15+ years. prior to that, I was not in a position to own season tickets....and yes, I own both championship videos. We have redefined choke compared to the early games in 1993... denial aint just a river in Eygpt this was a fun season, not great, but good. they were better than their record....I am not saying I do not appreciate their efforts through games 1 and 2, but efforts in 3,4,5,7 were lower than we all expected...everyone knows it... regardless of their Dallas' superior talent..these are the questions to ask.... did you expect them to lose like they did last night? did you expect them to lose both at home when leading like they did... did you expect Yao and tracy to miss free throws in game 4 like they did? did you expect Van gundy to miss the all the adjustments through game 7? did you expect the unbelieveable defensive lapses leaving shooters wide open? did you expect the unforced turnovers, missed fastbreaks opps? come one....lets face it... My only point is that we can make as many excuses as we want about hjow good Dallas is and how much better they played and how they are far more athletic.....we led the series, led late in games 3 and 4 and did not show in 7...... again, it comes down to your definition...but up 2-0, leading in the 4th quarter of games 3 and 4 and then not just getting beat, but having the worse loss in NBA playoff history in game 7...how can you even try to make an argument counter to a choke.....they clearly no showed last night, even if Dallas was a far superior team...this is not an excuse to get your #sses handed to you....embarrassing..make it a competitive game 7 and maybe, just maybe, you might be able to label it other than choke... I am proud of this team in one area: they did not rollover in game 6! But, not to compete in 7.... ask yourself this...are you really proud of their play last night? are you proud of their lapses? We beat ourselves, which by my definition is a choke...every expert is saying it....quit being a homer....call it and move on...to make other excuses is actually discreditting this team. In my business, I want employees who walk in my office and say, I just stunk today and did not perform to the level I was capable...this is accepting the truth...character building.....not: the competition is better, they have superior talent, they had home court, they had faster guys....if this is the case, how the heck did you win games 1,2,and 6 if they were far more talented? Luck? you proved you can beat them....so, throw out the line, we were even with them after games 1 and 2...this should have been at least a competitive game 7 and it did not even come close...
no edc you are WRONG... and mysteriously absent until now - it came specifically from the Suns series when they won games 3 and 4 on the road after game 2, the headlines in the Houston paper read "CHOKE CITY" - the team went to Pheonix and won two in a row and the papers then read CLUTCH CITY . Clutch city was already in effect during the rest of the playoffs. It stuck, BECAUSE the team kept winning.... and it was made pemanent by the play in 1995
