Thunder is the rocket's kryptonite. No chance of beating them this year.

We play them and Clippers one more time it's not over... C'mon guys. You want to be at your best going into the playoffs like the last few weeks of April. Okc played their hardest last night we just won the most important game which was against Portland. We need homecourt in the first round. Our history shows we have been dominated by teams during the season and beat them in the playoffs. It's about shining at the right time. For all we know it's not guaranteed we even play certain teams in the playoffs ala Seattle in the mid 90's granted we beat them with Barkley lol

 

The Thunder are arguably the second best team in the NBA. The Thunder were coming off of a terrible loss and were focused. The Rockets played poorly early in the game and were still in it at the end.

Guess what? Most teams struggle against the Thunder. I am not overly worried about it. I don't think they have the Rockets figured out, and if they meet in the playoffs it will be a 6 or 7 game series.

 

The Thunder may be a better team, and they will probably be favored to beat us in the playoffs if we play them. But, to say we have no chance of beating them is just wrong.

You can look at past Rocket teams and see that anything can happen in the playoffs. In 1987 the rockets were big underdogs against the defending champion Lakers in the Western Conference finals, but the Rockets won 4-1. In 1995 the Rockets had only the 6th best record in the Western conference, and never had the home court advantage during the playoffs, but still won a championship. Right now OKC looks to have the Rockets number, but the season is a long way from being over.

 

Give their coach some credit, when we started coming back ( down by 5 points), he called time out to cool us down and made adjustments. The guy can coach.

 

No team is unbeatable. OKC was humiliated by the Lakers (the Lakers!) just a couple of nights ago. They seem to really get up for us. I think we scared them in the first round last year. Potentially, I think we can beat them in seven, but Howard has to be on top of his game, not the "wussy" Howard that showed up last night. Not sure we can really succeed with a defensive only starting point guard. T. Jones has to show up for "every" game. Last night he seemed lost. Asik needs to elevate his game, still seems like he is coasting. Our bench, which I thought was a strength, is performing below par. Overall, Rockets are exceeding expectations, but can't quite match up with the Clippers and Thunder. Yet.

 

Enough with the F-ING Thunder threads please.... Its one team in the league that is a match-up nightmare for the entire league.

The Lakers beat them the other night with small ball(OKC's weakness is mostly Scott Brook's un-willingness to play small), and the Rockets have beaten them before with it as well. The Rockets are capable of beating OKC, but there is a reason why OKC is a top 2 or top 3 team in the league.... They are really, really F-ING good, and are freakishly athletic.

The Rockets just need to worry about what they do and improving their players. Let OKC be OKC, and worry about matching up with them when they actually have to play them. They are just one team in a league of 30 that dominates nightly.

Stop the obsession folks.

 

They relish proving themselves against harden. It's like an older brother syndrome.

 

We should just tank and go for a mid draft pick

No chance? Seriously?

 

And even though Fisher is old. WE CAN'T LEAVE HIM OPEN.

 

feel free to not believe in this Rockets team. I'm going to keep believing in these guys. They've proved non-believers wrong before, and can do it again.

Even if you're right (which you aren't), you don't win a prize. You get nothing for doubting the team you're a fan of being right, so it just seems more fun to believe that the Rockets can do it. They've been on an amazing stretch lately and have played with heart, and beaten some of the best teams in the league.

 

Wishful thinkin of you.

The Rockets looked intimidated out there except for Bev. That's a little disturbing given we're supposed to be a contender. How do we put up the best record since January, then become passive & timid? Nobody seemed pumped and ready to fight except Beverley. This is a concern for playoffs

 

We are 3-0 against the Spurs but that doesn't mean we are their kryptonite and that they have no chance of beating us in the playoffs.

 

As much as I like how Morey built our team, Thunder IMO is the best team in the NBA. The scary part is their core haven't even hit their prime yet(all big three are under 26 years old), and they have very promising and rapidly improving younger players on the bench. They are the best team with most potential.

They are building a dynasty, and it's unfortunate to have a rival team like that. But I'll enjoy our journey nevertheless.

 

We didn't give them our best shot and were in the game in the last 3 minutes. I don't think they are kryptonite. We need a tweak to our defensive scheme and over a long series we will be more competitive.

 

I used to think everybody else was over listed in height but I know have come to terms that Durant is at least 6'11" barefoot as most analysts have said. He sees eye to eye with Dwight and has even more length. Westbrook is just a slightly slender version of Wade and will play just like that once he gets older and gains more weight. Back to Durant, he just freaking shrinks the court. Makes it seem like the little tykes or nerf hoop set you set up on your bedroom door. A guy that long and that gifted makes the game unfair to others.

 

More like KD = Every team's Krytonite

 

Dwight didn't show up, but given his play overall this season I don't believe that will be a trend. Harden came to play, so did Cisco. Parsons was getting to his spots and had good shots but couldn't knock them down. Basketball is a rhythm sport and it just wasn't our night. No more, no less.

 

Why do people get so mad when you're honest about your team? Admitting that we can't beat the Thunder doesn't make you worse as a fan. They're a match up nightmare for us and our team doesn't play the same against them

 

We will beat them at home.

DD

 

Not sure. I dont know why people cant realize that you are playing against a pissed off and motivated Durant and Westbrook almost every time you play against the Thunder which is enough to bring down anyone... then you add in what they can do from a defensive standpoint with Ibaka & a "Hockey Goon" packing the paint and its a surprise that the Rockets have ever beat them in the past two years.

They are a very, very good team. Its basketball, you aren't going to matchup and dominate every team every single game. It wouldn't be a very fun game if that were the case.

Look at the 93 through 97 Rockets vs. Sonics years for a frame of reference. That matchup was so bad for the Rockets that they traded two key cogs in their offense in Horry and Cassell to match up to them, and it ended up really hurting the effectiveness of Hakeem later on in the playoffs that caused them to lose out eventually anyways against the Jazz.