When Rockets lost to Thunder in the final regular season game, they dropped from 3rd to 4th. That single loss might have made a huge difference. That loss would have had Rockets and Trail Blazers swap seeds. Now Rockets have a cakewalk to Conference Finals facing Thunder and Nuggets. Meanwhile, Warriors have two tough matchups facing Clippers and Blazers. If both get through, Rockets will face a worn out Warriors team. Worse case, even if Warriors defeat Rockets in Conference Finals, it will still be seen as a more successful season than going out in the Second Round.
The Warriors never wear out. They have supreme talent, an ironclad system that's designed to get the most out of their players, a roster that is mentally tough, a team that capitalizes on every single mistake you make, and a home court that's second to none in terms of energy and vibrancy. Whether the Rockets would have lost in the 2nd round or the 3rd round really wouldn't have made much of a difference. In terms of perception it might have mattered, but at the end of the day the final result would have been the same.
Anyone who thinks a loss to the Warriors in the WCF would constitute a better season than losing to them in the 2nd round is just foolish. Yeah, maybe if you’re a team like the Nuggets who’s just looking to go as far as possible and will be happy with saying that they made a conference finals then maybe that’s the case. In any case, Harden plus a bunch of role players will NEVER win a title, so as long as he’s the only star on this team, set your expectations accordingly. The chance of 1 star leading a team to a title in today’s NBA is incredibly low, especially when that team plays in the WC going through all these really good teams just to make the finals.
Who the hell cares? They've lost to the Warriors 4 of the last 5 years -- in the first round, the 2nd round and the Western Conference Finals. Who the hell cares when you lose to them? There is no moral victory for losing to them in the WCF or a participation ribbon making the WCF and losing. Who the **** cares? Just like those now cheering the Warriors on to another championship because that'll somehow make the Rockets look good. LOL GTFO! I'm not here for moral victories. "Oh, we lost to the Champs in the 2nd round!" Like really? Go get your moral victory ribbon off the wall.
I think it was a harbinger of defeat. Our inability to get over the hump against OKC who were clearly a matchup problem for us, led to greater problems against GSW.
It set a bad tone for the playoffs. We had a lot of momentum that took us from the 6th seed with a chance at the 2 seed and we coughed it up.
Not to me. I made decent money selling playoff tickets. Another round would HC have been an extra $150 in my profit. At least we took this series to 6. I made $500 selling tickets.
It helps us long term. Now Tilman and Morey can’t tell us how everything is fine as a 2nd seed and another WCF appearance. Tilmans goal was to either beat or get knocked out of the WCF by GS. He would have been fine with that outcome and his luxury tax savings. Now they have to acknowledge we aren’t a WCF team and there were several teams ahead of us in the standings. We took several steps backwards. Run it back didn’t work. Luxury tax savings didn’t work. They don’t get to hide behind a WCF appearance this year.
It was no more or less consequential than any of the other huge leads that we blew or the games we choked to inferior opponents in the regular season.
Explain to me how okc would have been a cakewalk for us, using evidence compiled during the 2018-2019 season that involves both rockets and OKC
Simple. Blazers blew away Thunder despite the regular season H2H results. This tells me the Rockets would have done the same.
yet the rockets play vs the actual team doesn't tell you anything? you take how another team plays vs them as more evidence. well that's mighty strange
