I have been pooping on this team for the last 10 days. The effort and passion, the talent, and the utter domination the Clippers have been putting on us except for two stretches with Jordan being in foul trouble. Do I think we'll win tonight? Do we stand much of a chance? The truth is no. The truth is no one really expects us to win. The expectation in the NBA world is that Dwight's a loser, Harden's a phony, McHale's a lackluster coach, Morey has a Gimmicky offense, and the rest of the rooster isn't strong enough to take on a dangerous L.A. team. I turned off the TV after the 3rd quarter of Game 4. I thought back to the 94 series down 0-2 to Phoenix and somehow, as sad as that was, I still believed we could pull it out. This time, I didn't have that sense. But there's something compelling about a team that no one expects to win - when they know it. When Howard who has been in the NBA so long. When Harden the unproven MVP who took so much flak for being out played by Austin Rivers in Game 3. For all of these guys after being down 3-1. Did they really turn a corner? What made those 2 championships so sweet. Or even the first one. It was because I was from Choke City. It was being down 0-2 on the road to Phx. That pain only made it that much sweeter - how-sweet-it-is. If somehow, the Rockets do pull this game out. Just this game. It would be a shocker. An upset that would rock through the media. That would confuse people - "what just happened there". It would be shaking. And it would forever cement the Rockets as the home for Clutch City. A win tonight would be the greatest win in Harden, Howards, and McHale's career. Unlikely, unexpected...shocking. I think they know that. I think that's why they might just pull it off. Good luck tonight. I will be watching.
For all this "domination" talk, the series is 3-2 and at worst the Rockets lose in 6. The Clippers have had 2 dominant games and the Rockets 1. The Rockets clearly have flaws and things they need to work on, but if you went by the pulse on this board, you would think the Rockets were swept. I am expecting a Clippers win tonight, they are at home and want no part of a game 7 in Houston.... but we will see. The bad news is the Rockets have some nasty flaws. The good news is that many of them can be replaced. The Rockets have the pieces to get someone like Lawson if they want and also address other needs.
Why I will be watching tonight? Hopefully the rest of the board doesn't want to tell us their reasons for watching the game tonight. It's a Rockets playoff game.
You watch b/c you enjoy your team and the worst thing that can happen is they lose. Whether by 2 or 42, doesn't matter, right? A loss and we're out. And it's not like we're going to die if they lose. If they lose, you yell and blow off steam for about 10 minutes, and then you move on. You hope for better results next year. If they win, you hold out hope that they take Game 7. It seems like every single person feels like if we win Game 6, we have the series. Newsflash, everyone: there's no guarantee we win a game 7, even at home. Plenty of teams have won a game 7 on the road (cough, 1995, cough). I hope they win tonight, and I hope they win Game 7. A win tonight would mean zilch if they lost on Saturday. Let's hope for BOTH victories and not be so confident that all they have to do is win tonight.
Nah if they lose I'm going to b**** post none stop in the GARM and make people want to make more threads complaining about me complaining
Do I have much hope for tonight? No. But you know what? That makes watching the games bearable. I can't stand to put myself through such anguish, followed by insomnia, over and over. If I go into each game from here on with the mentality that we are dead men walking, that we are living on borrowed time, and that the most we can do game to game is simply appreciate the last basketball we have left in the year prior to 5 months of dead space--then that makes watching the game all of a sudden enjoyable again. I relish seeing the drives, the kickouts, the rebounds, and the passes from Josh Smith without getting too down about what the outcome happens to be. The score doesn't matter. I just enjoy it for what it is: one of the last games the Rockets will ever play with this roster. Which, when you think about it, is a pretty loveable one.
I'd sure like to have Bev and Dmo tonight...but isn't going to happen. To get this far without two starters is a testament to a great Rockets season. Win tonight...and they will make Rockets history. Regardless, it is has been a terrific season. Go Rockets!
Who thinks it is a guarantee the Rockets would win game 7? If anything people seem to think it is all but impossible the Rockets win the series... When a win tonight gives the Rockets momentum for the first time in the series and a viable chance to surprise. That is all pie in the sky at this point... Winning tonight will be very hard for a variety of reasons.
I am curious as to why the OP doesn't think the rooster is strong enough to take on a dangerous LA team.
Why I'll be watching tonight? Because it's a game 6 of the second round of the NBA playoffs and MY team is playing in it. That should be reason enough I would hope.
