Huq’s Pen: Assessing the Houston Rockets’ Game 1 loss

  • If Patrick Beverley has been lost, you can kiss the Houston Rockets’ title hopes this year goodbye.  You can stick a fork in them.  They don’t have a chance in hell without Beverley.  I guess we will find out in a few hours.  When Red94 went to press, it was believed that Beverley had suffered a sprained knee with the fear being that the injury was serious.  He limped to the lockerroom at the close of things last night and it didn’t look good, but we will just have to wait a few more hours and see.  But I’m bracing for the worst.  The Rockets can still win this series without Beverley, but it will be tough doing anything else of significance.
  • Isn’t it funny how your whole world can change just at the drop of a hat?  One minute, the Rockets were coasting to a Game 1 victory, nursing a double digit lead with less than five minutes remaining, having absorbed a historic night from the Blazers’ best player while their own two stars didn’t have their best games…and the next, they are down 0-1, having coughed up the home court advantage and possibly facing the impending news that they have lost their starting point guard.
  • Dwight Howard might have had the most unimpressive game of anyone in the history of anyone who has ever scored 27 points and pulled down 15 boards.  The Rockets completely crumbled offensively down the stretch, as they have been prone to do, also making critical errors defensively…but make no mistake, that game completely turned when the Blazers went to the Hack-a-Howard, killing Houston’s momentum and obviously stopping the clock while the Blazers clawed their way back in.  There should be no question left: the next time Portland employs the strategy, Howard should be yanked immediately, unless he’s demonstrated a consistent stroke already at the line on the night.  Now is not the time to worry about hurt feelings.  If you can’t hit your freebies, you sit, because otherwise, you are hurting the team.  The problem for McHale is that, for his part, Howard was otherwise dominant protecting the paint.  With the big man out of the game, the lane looked like the Red Sea upon Moses’ arrival and the Blazers wasted no time taking the ball straight to the rim.

  • Offensively, Howard went 9-21 overall, facing single coverage from Robin Lopez and failing to capitalize.  He repeatedly missed gimmes at the rim or overall looked awkward upon seeing late double teams.  There really isn’t any point in wasting breath furthering this point as I’ve made it all year: Howard is who he is.  You hope, nay, you need him to destroy these types of fellas to the tune of numbers the likes of which Aldridge just put up when he faces single coverage.  We saw it all year.  He couldn’t dominate Steven Adams, DeAndre Jordan and of course, there was the Bargnani game which I’m still trying to erase from my memory.  In a playoff game, if a team is going to dare to put Robin Lopez on Howard without a double team, he needs to obliterate them.  But I sound like Shaq now because…he can’t.  That’s just not who he is.  And Charles Barkley is right.  This is who Dwight Howard is and we just have to accept that.  If we forget about the missed free throws (kind of hard to just brush under the rug, I know), this was a pretty good game for Dwight’s standards.  So I can’t really complain.  It sucks that that is where the bar has been set now but, what else do you want me to say?  
  • There was one thing I was sure of more than anything entering this series/the postseason and that was that Terrence Jones would have no business being on the court.  He really surprised me last night, scoring 12 points and pulling down 13 boards, energizing the team with some primetime hustle plays.  But despite the production, I’m afraid I may have been right regarding my earlier prediction as Jones just didn’t stand a chance against LaMarcus Aldridge.  I haven’t felt that hopeless about a matchup since a) whoever Chuck Hayes wasn’t guarding out of Bynum/Gasol (ie: whoever Luis Scola was guarding) and b) Kenny Smith on Kevin Johnson in the ’95 West semis.  Aldridge facing Jones was like watching some jerk taking candy from a small child and was what I had feared at the trade deadline when I said I didn’t trust the sophomore power forward.  As I’ve been saying all year, Jones, despite some tantalizing talents, just isn’t ready to play with the big boys.  He can feast on the Bucks of the world, but this is the f****** Western Conference playoffs, man.  Rebounds in traffic and those crossovers I vined for you all last night are nice but at the end of the day, you have to be a man to survive down there.  This point will be lost on all but the most diehard of observers, but I’d actually give Motiejunas a short look in Game 2 as, on the year, not only were his post-defense numbers tremendous, but so were the Rockets’ measurements as a unit with the Lithuanian on the floor.  It’s worth a look, I think.  Most people would laugh at that suggestion, given the stereotypes surrounding the foreigner, and his overall goofy tendencies such as tripping over his own legs, but most people didn’t really pay attention during the year.
  • The weirdest thing about Aldridge’s night was that despite the fact he wasn’t doubled, Blazers shooters always seemed open.  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by defensive miscues by the Rockets.  But why not give Aldridge a different look from time to time?  Send a late double or something the way everyone does to Dwight?  I know asking for that kind of creativity might be a bit much but we’re down 0-1 here.
  • There was one play on offense which was particular egregious and indicative of the Rockets’ executional deficiencies (okay, there were several plays in particular, but one is coming to mind right now) where Terrence Jones dribbled out like half the shot clock trying to get the ball to James Harden.
  • Despite a particularly embarrassing play where he kicked the ball off his own leg in a “that would happen” kind of moment late in the game, Jeremy Lin was solid, getting to the basket seemingly at will down the stretch when matched up with Mo Williams.  I would have liked to have seen Lin get more opportunities but I also can live with the decision to run everything through Harden: He’s James Harden and despite having a poor game, you have to live and die with him.  But Lin’s play was very encouraging as the Blazers didn’t seem to have many answers for the athletic guard.  I still hold my breath every time he dribbles though and I think that is what keeps him from getting more plays.  (Lin fans: stop.  Just stop.  I am more than aware that Harden had four turnovers to Lin’s two.  Harden also handled the ball twice as much and faced twice the amount of attention.)  One other note though: why was Chandler Parsons guarding Damian Lillard on that late possession after Beverley was lost?  I don’t get that.  I don’t think Lin is as good a defender as Beverley by any means, but he’s certainly better than Chandler Parsons.  Just a dumb, dumb, decision.
  • I just saw on my Twitter feed that the twenty shots Harden missed last night were the most he’s missed in his career.  I found that surprising.  But in any event, it was not the Beard’s best performance and I worry that the strategy of looking to Wes Mathews in the post as much as possible may have taken a toll.  It’s something to keep an eye on for the rest of this series.  Here’s that final play from Harden:

Here’s the freeze frame of the critical moment:

As Harden drives, he’s essentially bottled up by three Portland defenders.  The Blazers hedge enough to account for Harden while also giving sufficient attention to Garcia and Terrence Jones.  Perhaps Harden could have attempted to lob it over the top to Jones, but in that situation, I don’t know if you want to end the game with an alleyoop attempt.  I can live with a Harden midrange stepback, even against coverage – he’s been hitting those all month.  But I personally would have spaced the floor more keeping Jones out of the paint on that play because, he’s essentially useless in that spot.  There isn’t enough time for an offensive rebound and Harden isn’t going to pass it to him.  Why have him in there at all?

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Total comments: 35
  • thenit says 4 months ago

    If you read between the lines you would see that I'm not arguing that. Its about getting less touches because you can't rely on that production to be sustainable.

  • Buckko says 4 months ago Howard makes his money on defense and to expect him to carry a team for the entire game is nuts.
  • thenit says 4 months ago

    Benching Harden now wouldn't be optimal since he will be here for the next 3 years. I wouldn't mind expanding the rotation a little and spread out the minutes a little more. Example giving 5-10 min to Dmo just to give Aldrige a different look.

    People defend harden saying that he is saving himself, I rather him playing 30-35 min a game with full effort than 40+ with no effort on D. He wasn't terrible last night defensively but that's what I believe could be more optimal. As in Richard Li's graph in another post our bench is productive but we played it one of the fewest minutes.

    In game 2 all players except Howard was not in a shooting rhythm because we kept feeding him in the post for the first 2 Q. While it worked everybody else just stood in their corners and let Howard work in the Post. However we all knew it wasn't sustainable he shot poorly in the 2nd half with a bunch of turnovers, our players never really got into their rhythm. I can't believe I'm saying this but Barkley was right, Howard is a very good player but he is no Shaq or Dream. He doesn't have the finesse of Hakeem, and not the same Power as Shaq. We need a balance, when he does get the ball he needs to be aggressive but that's not our team. Howard did enough for us to win the game but everybody else was not involved.

  • timetodienow1234567 says 4 months ago What "should be" and what "is" are almost never the same thing .
  • Buckko says 4 months ago Well then why risk injury and play trash time the rest of the series. You put the best 5 in performance and match ups on the floor to give the team the best chance win and if harden isn't one of them, then it is the coach's prerogative to bench him. Hurting one's confidence shouldn't be an issue when they're a supposed "professional".
  • timetodienow1234567 says 4 months ago Even if, and I mean IF, Lin plays better this series at the helm, I don't think the Rockets will ruin Hardens confidence and psyche by benching him. I just don't see it and think its a waste of time to speculate.
  • thejohnnygold says 4 months ago

    I wonder if McHale would go for a Lin/Bev backcourt if Harden struggles tonight? I am more curious about McHale tonight than the Rockets players actually. Lin is the 3rd best defender on the squad with a ball dominant offensive game. That would be interesting to see for long stretches.

    I won't give you third best on the squad, but I thought he played pretty well on defense last night.

  • Baller93 says 4 months ago

    I wonder if McHale would go for a Lin/Bev backcourt if Harden struggles tonight? I am more curious about McHale tonight than the Rockets players actually. Lin is the 3rd best defender on the squad with a ball dominant offensive game. That would be interesting to see for long stretches.

  • uojoe82 says 4 months ago

    Before you all groan about another LOF post, hear me out - and true Rockets fans will understand what I'm saying here. Note - this is assuming he's good to go for game 2, as he sat out of today's practice with the flu.

    1. I don't have to talk about Jeremy's limitations on defense - enough has been written about that subject. The fact remains that Lillard and Mo Williams are both terrible defenders, as we saw in game 1 - Lin was able to get by both of them pretty easily. With Matthews and Batum bottling up both Harden and Parsons, respectively, Lin can disrupt the defense by going at Lillard and forcing the Blazers to help.
    2. While Lin is not the on-ball defender that Beverley is, he is actually a very good help defender - able to double the post while quick enough to get back to his man on the perimeter. This will be another key in disrupting Aldridge in the post.
    3. From my account of game 1, Lin did the best job of the guards in getting Dwight the ball in the post.
    4. I'd like to see more 1-2 pick & roll to get Harden matched up with Lillard.
    What needs to change from the rest of the team:
    1. Beverley needs to attack Lillard as much as Matthews is attacking Harden.
    2. Dwight needs to make quicker decisions in the post and pass the ball out as soon as the double comes.
    3. Too many quick 3's - and it's not just Harden.
    4. Ball movement needs to be much better. Too many late heaves due to dribbling out the shot clock.
    5. The entire team needs to BOX OUT, pretty simple concept - Lillard shouldn't have 9 rebounds.
    6. Like Huq mentioned, the possession in which Jones dribbled out the clock trying to get Harden the ball. Players need to move! Get the ball to the weak side and either attack or find a better passing angle to Harden.

    Rockets need to remember - the Blazers are NOT a good defensive team. However if you attack the double team instead of passing to the open man, and if you try to go one-on-one against their best defender, you are making it easy for them.

    Asking Beverley to attack Lillard on offense is just as futile as asking Parsons to stop Lillard. Beverley is the least talented PG in the NBA that plays minutes. He doesnt have the skills to threaten anyone on defense. The reason Lillard is a bad defender is because of matchups against skilled PG's like Dragic, Paul, Westbrook (plus many more). If Beverley becomes an offensive option this series is over.

    Lin is the far superior PG on offense and he should be an option against Lillard. Even Bill SImmons on his last Podcast with Zach Lowe said that Lillard can't guard LIn (and vice versa).

    Lillard is going to get his points. He's too talented. But if the Rockets can force him into a James Harden type of night (8-28) then they have a chance.

  • dbd says 4 months ago

    I want see more PNR between Dwight and Harden.

    So Dwight doesn't need to say he need more touches and Harden doesn't have to worry about ball-hogging.

  • Johnny33 says 4 months ago

    Before you all groan about another LOF post, hear me out - and true Rockets fans will understand what I'm saying here. Note - this is assuming he's good to go for game 2, as he sat out of today's practice with the flu.

    1. I don't have to talk about Jeremy's limitations on defense - enough has been written about that subject. The fact remains that Lillard and Mo Williams are both terrible defenders, as we saw in game 1 - Lin was able to get by both of them pretty easily. With Matthews and Batum bottling up both Harden and Parsons, respectively, Lin can disrupt the defense by going at Lillard and forcing the Blazers to help.
    2. While Lin is not the on-ball defender that Beverley is, he is actually a very good help defender - able to double the post while quick enough to get back to his man on the perimeter. This will be another key in disrupting Aldridge in the post.
    3. From my account of game 1, Lin did the best job of the guards in getting Dwight the ball in the post.
    4. I'd like to see more 1-2 pick & roll to get Harden matched up with Lillard.
    What needs to change from the rest of the team:
    1. Beverley needs to attack Lillard as much as Matthews is attacking Harden.
    2. Dwight needs to make quicker decisions in the post and pass the ball out as soon as the double comes.
    3. Too many quick 3's - and it's not just Harden.
    4. Ball movement needs to be much better. Too many late heaves due to dribbling out the shot clock.
    5. The entire team needs to BOX OUT, pretty simple concept - Lillard shouldn't have 9 rebounds.
    6. Like Huq mentioned, the possession in which Jones dribbled out the clock trying to get Harden the ball. Players need to move! Get the ball to the weak side and either attack or find a better passing angle to Harden.

    Rockets need to remember - the Blazers are NOT a good defensive team. However if you attack the double team instead of passing to the open man, and if you try to go one-on-one against their best defender, you are making it easy for them.

  • thenit says 4 months ago

    Haha Lin will play, no way he sits out with a flu. People will be all over him if he does that.

    In regards of Lillard, he is just one of many elite offensive PG in the West, you can only limit him and contain, they will get theirs. What is most concerning is that Lin only guarded Lillard a couple possesions and both Lin and Bev just ran into screens, the bigs has to be able to delay Lillard a little so the PGs can recover.

    The biggest issue is that you can't let Parsons guard Lillard, he doesn't even need a screen to just blow past him. basically creating a 5-4 situation. He did it everytime Parsons guarded him which was more than a couple when Bev sat.

  • Rockets911 says 4 months ago Well, I see there's a divide in fans as far as Lin fans, Bev fans. It's funny to me. One side you have the "Lin sucks" theory, which he doesn't, and Lin fans should stop praising him as if he's Jordan, which is comical. And then you have the whole "Beverley is Wolverine!" As if having Beverley in is really doing so much to affect Lilliards play. He still averages almost 23ppg on Beverley so I don't know where that excitement comes from, I guess being an energy guy on D makes it look like your affecting his production when all that on ball defense means nothing if you don't stop his production.

    I only make fun of this because it's so common. I support both players because this is my team and if they both are on it, I'll support them till they're gone. It's the fans with the problems. The truth always lies in the middle ground. FYI

    Anyways, Lin has the flu and is day to day. My guess is he's out tomorrow. I'm worried for the simple fact that we need his production, and if Bev tweaks his knee again, along with Lin having the flu? Seasons over.
  • rocketrick says 4 months ago

    Lin got to the rim late in the game because when they ran the 1-2 pick and roll up top the Blazers never left Harden. I think Portland will change this for game 2. Also for some parts of OT, Lopez had fouled out leaving no shot blocker. Earlier in the game Lin did struggle to finish over Lopez. I think the personel are ok but the coaching / defensive focus can tighten up a bit. Lillard was getting past Lin, Beverley and Parsons and only 1 play where Beverley did a insane ball denial did I think they played effective defense against Lillard.

    What i fear now is that offensively the Rockets only have 3 modes - Freelancing / Dwight Post up / Harden isolation. So far they have proven only truly comfortable with the Harden iso and freelancing as Dwight still seems to turnover the ball a bit too much and can be fouled to take away pt yield. Harden iso and freelancing will win us a few games when either Harden or team generally is hot, but this combination willl not enough to be meaningful in the postseason.

    On the bright side Portland did have to get some incredible circus shots and huge calls to win. So theoretically even if we don't improve we have a good shot to win game 2.

    Gosh that was a painful game to watch. Hope the guys bounce back and get over some of the nerves. Really REALLY don't want to be 0-2 down


    How many times did D12 supposedly turn over the ball in the second half? I know but I doubt that you do which is why I am questioning your post..........
  • rocketrick says 4 months ago Whoouups obviously a post from the other continent out you know there/........
  • linonlyfan says 4 months ago

    Lin got to the rim late in the game because when they ran the 1-2 pick and roll up top the Blazers never left Harden. I think Portland will change this for game 2. Also for some parts of OT, Lopez had fouled out leaving no shot blocker. Earlier in the game Lin did struggle to finish over Lopez. I think the personel are ok but the coaching / defensive focus can tighten up a bit. Lillard was getting past Lin, Beverley and Parsons and only 1 play where Beverley did a insane ball denial did I think they played effective defense against Lillard.

    What i fear now is that offensively the Rockets only have 3 modes - Freelancing / Dwight Post up / Harden isolation. So far they have proven only truly comfortable with the Harden iso and freelancing as Dwight still seems to turnover the ball a bit too much and can be fouled to take away pt yield. Harden iso and freelancing will win us a few games when either Harden or team generally is hot, but this combination willl not enough to be meaningful in the postseason.

    On the bright side Portland did have to get some incredible circus shots and huge calls to win. So theoretically even if we don't improve we have a good shot to win game 2.

    Gosh that was a painful game to watch. Hope the guys bounce back and get over some of the nerves. Really REALLY don't want to be 0-2 down

  • Willk says 4 months ago

    Best news of the day

  • Willk says 4 months ago

    There is a lot of takeaways from last night game, here are some that stood out:

    -Harden was bad last night. Yes he had 28, but it was a bad 28. 8-28 from the field, 3-14 from deep. A +/- of -8 (worst of any Rocket). He took so many bad shots. During the Hack a Dwight period of the game D12 had just missed both free throws and the Rockets got the offensive board and it was kicked out to the perimeter to Harden. The shot clock had reset and the Rockets were still nursing a small lead. Instead of using the clock or waiting for the Blazers to maybe foul D12 again (he had just missed 2, law of large numbers say he wouldve made at least 1 had he gone back to the line), Harden launched a long three over not just his man, but Lin's man as well since Lin was standing 2 feet from him. It clancked off the rim, blazers got the rebound, ran down the court and I think Lillard got a layup. Not only was this a bad shot but the timing was horrible as well.

    -Where was Parsons in the fourth and the 2 OT's? He disappeared. Maybe it was because the Blazers switched from Batum to Matthews on him. He also played 47 minutes last night. Why? Couldnt maybe 10 of those minutes go to Casspi or even Hamilton? The Rockets couldve used a perimeter shooter,

    -Aldridge is a beast. What was most impressive about his 46 points on 31 shots was that nothing looked forced or out of rhythm of the blazers offense (other than his second three). Harden shoot watch tape on Aldridge and learn that you can get your points/shots while still playing 5 on 5.

    -Beverley gave great effort but effort ins't enough. Its obvious that Lillard is super talented and offensively one of the better PG in the league. Chuck said it best last night on the TNT post show, great defenders are overrated, a great offensive player always beats a great defensive player. Lillard looked annoyed last night with Beverley but it didnt really effect his performance or production. Chuck also said that Beverley isnt a good PG and that Lin is better (but Lin's defense isnt as good). Beverley on offense was barely noticeable other than when he missed wide open three pointers. When he's in the Rockets were basically playing 4 on 5 on offense, it was obvious that Beverley was the least of the blazers concern.

    Watching Wes Matthews post Harden up early (and often) was interesting. Harden is notorious for hiding on defense (a new 11 minute video of his defensive blunders was posted on deadspin last week) and you cant hide if your man is taking you on the blocks. He had to exert effort on defense last night and I think it affected his offense. His shots looked short and when he did drive to the hoop he often pulled up rather than go all the way. If McHale was a better coach maybe he would do the same to Lillard and let Lin take a run at him on offense. Lillard not having to guard anyone led to him being a rocket killer in the 4th and in the 2 OT's.

    -Lin was great, his 2 TO's were classic Lin but it was only 2 TO's. He needs to look to score more and not just wait until late in games to look to score. I also wish the Rockets would give him the ball and let him be a PG when Harden is out. When both Lin and Beverley were playing (w/out Harden) Beverley still assumed the role of PG. Lin is a playmaker and he attacked the hoop better than anyone last night. Even his Defense on Mo WIlliams was great. Mo WIlliams was the only blazer to have a bad game, thanks to Lin.

    Chandler Parsons disappeared. Beverley was horrible. Harden horrible. Lin GREAT. Ok at the end of regulation Lin was 2-7 for 7 points. Horrible Beverley was 3-8 for 9 points. When Beverley was on the bench Lin was guarding Lillard. Lillard did not miss a shot. Lin even fouled Lillard when he was shooting a 3. Luckily Lillard missed the foul shot and did not make it a 4 point play. With 2:58 left Lin turned the ball over to Mo Williams. The Blazers scored and were fouled on the fast break created by that turnover. The score prior to the turnover 98-95 rockets. Yes, Lin played well in OT, but if he played Great in the 2nd half, OT would have not been necessary. Lin did play big part in the collapse in the 4th quarter. If we just look at the the OT we can use the word Great. If we look at the game as a whole, Lin was ok.

  • RocketMansinceStevieFrance says 4 months ago

    I honestly hate how we have to wait till WEDNESDAY to watch another Rockets game.. Truly feel like the team will correct some minor defensive and offensive mistakes and come out and get a W! I really feel like the Rockets need to win at least 2 of the next 3 to get the home court advantage back if I am not mistaken. Really hope to see some good things this next game.

    FEAR THE BEARD

  • PhillyCheese says 4 months ago

    Here's my takeaway - their top two had to play out of their minds and they did, and they won by 2. Can they do it for 3 more games? I think highly unlikely. Rox with a 6 pt lead in overtime and LMA hits that off balance three with the defender all over him - that will not happen again this series, I'll bet anything on that. Harden will also not take 28 shots to get 28 pts again - he will play with more focus now that he knows they are gunning for him and embarrassing him on defense. He can hide in the regular season but knows he cannot hide in the post season. I think harden will have enough pride to bring it Wed.

    Bottom line, I'm not too worried. This was never going to be a sweep anyways.

  • John P says 4 months ago

    Lets all breathe. In and out. Now relax. Its one game. It sucked to lose....for sure. ...but the upside is our best two players had bad games. For Harden really bad. So remember that usually things regress to the mean. We have 6 games left to win four of them. And the Blazers live and die by hot shooting. Lets hope they cool off.

    I will say this....I don't know if it was first game gitters or what but why does howard catch the ball and not go straight up. He thinks too much...too much all the time, too much when he catches it, too much with free throws. Just go up and dominate. OK...that horse has long ago been beaten to death.

    We will win the series.....just relax and let the team get back to true form. Merely average form would have won last night.

  • feelingsupersonic says 4 months ago Yesssssss! Beverley will be doing his hoodoo!

    http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2014/04/patrick-beverley-to-play-in-game-2/
  • uojoe82 says 4 months ago

    Thanks for your enthusiasm, uojoe82, in your response.

    I just would like to correct you on the fact the Rockets-Trailblazers unfortunately only played one overtime period last evening into very early this morning. I, along with every single Rockets fan in the universe, was hoping Harden's last shot would drop to force that second overtime. But it was not to be.

    By the way, if the game started about 8:50 pm Houston time and ended pretty close to 12:20 am Houston time, that means this NBA playoff game was longer than a typical NFL game. Just saying..................... Not sure the last time I remember witnessing in person a longer NBA game in my entire lifetime.

    Lastly, my opinion on probably why Beverley handles the ball at the top rather than JLin when both are on the floor together is probably because JLin has a better chance to find an open lane to drive to the basket in from the wing rather than at the top of the circle.

    Oops, my bad. Not sure why I though it was a 2 OT game. Maybe It just felt like 2 OT's because that last OT seemed like a time out was called after each possession.

  • Cooper says 4 months ago

    As good as Bev is on defense, he may become a liability. Not saying anything bad about his play per se but let's face it, he's injured and not 100%. It's painful to see him clutching his knee in pain. I've seen this twice already. There seems to be an "all or nothing" mentality regarding him playing (I suppose he can heal up in the off season). But think of this -- a Bev at 80-90% better than a Jlin at 100%?


    The thing is it isn't an either/or situation because Lin also has to play some 2 guard, they both get plenty of minutes and if one can't play it really hurts the team.
  • Alituro says 4 months ago

    Harden started the game shy. No drives in Q1 and only (2) in Q2 (one made and one stolen). Then we wonder why we never shot any freethrows in the first half. He didn't come ready to play last night and even admitted it himself. When he starts the game aggressive it sets the tone for the night, enables us to put our stamp on the game and keeps the defense on their heels form the get-go. When he is in full-on attack mode, there is no better, and everyone else's game gets easier. Make no mistake, whatever happens to Howard, Beverley, Parsons, Jones, Lin, or anybody else on this team, as Harden goes, so do we, and we always will. Melo is the only gent in recent hopeful-addition conversations who can make that statement untrue and he ain't here this season... so. If he settles for jumpers the whole night, then the rest of the team may as well mail it in too..

  • chantu says 4 months ago

    As good as Bev is on defense, he may become a liability. Not saying anything bad about his play per se but let's face it, he's injured and not 100%. It's painful to see him clutching his knee in pain. I've seen this twice already. There seems to be an "all or nothing" mentality regarding him playing (I suppose he can heal up in the off season). But think of this -- a Bev at 80-90% better than a Jlin at 100%?

  • rocketrick says 4 months ago

    There is a lot of takeaways from last night game, here are some that stood out:

    -Harden was bad last night. Yes he had 28, but it was a bad 28. 8-28 from the field, 3-14 from deep. A +/- of -8 (worst of any Rocket). He took so many bad shots. During the Hack a Dwight period of the game D12 had just missed both free throws and the Rockets got the offensive board and it was kicked out to the perimeter to Harden. The shot clock had reset and the Rockets were still nursing a small lead. Instead of using the clock or waiting for the Blazers to maybe foul D12 again (he had just missed 2, law of large numbers say he wouldve made at least 1 had he gone back to the line), Harden launched a long three over not just his man, but Lin's man as well since Lin was standing 2 feet from him. It clancked off the rim, blazers got the rebound, ran down the court and I think Lillard got a layup. Not only was this a bad shot but the timing was horrible as well.

    -Where was Parsons in the fourth and the 2 OT's? He disappeared. Maybe it was because the Blazers switched from Batum to Matthews on him. He also played 47 minutes last night. Why? Couldnt maybe 10 of those minutes go to Casspi or even Hamilton? The Rockets couldve used a perimeter shooter,

    -Aldridge is a beast. What was most impressive about his 46 points on 31 shots was that nothing looked forced or out of rhythm of the blazers offense (other than his second three). Harden shoot watch tape on Aldridge and learn that you can get your points/shots while still playing 5 on 5.

    -Beverley gave great effort but effort ins't enough. Its obvious that Lillard is super talented and offensively one of the better PG in the league. Chuck said it best last night on the TNT post show, great defenders are overrated, a great offensive player always beats a great defensive player. Lillard looked annoyed last night with Beverley but it didnt really effect his performance or production. Chuck also said that Beverley isnt a good PG and that Lin is better (but Lin's defense isnt as good). Beverley on offense was barely noticeable other than when he missed wide open three pointers. When he's in the Rockets were basically playing 4 on 5 on offense, it was obvious that Beverley was the least of the blazers concern.

    Watching Wes Matthews post Harden up early (and often) was interesting. Harden is notorious for hiding on defense (a new 11 minute video of his defensive blunders was posted on deadspin last week) and you cant hide if your man is taking you on the blocks. He had to exert effort on defense last night and I think it affected his offense. His shots looked short and when he did drive to the hoop he often pulled up rather than go all the way. If McHale was a better coach maybe he would do the same to Lillard and let Lin take a run at him on offense. Lillard not having to guard anyone led to him being a rocket killer in the 4th and in the 2 OT's.

    -Lin was great, his 2 TO's were classic Lin but it was only 2 TO's. He needs to look to score more and not just wait until late in games to look to score. I also wish the Rockets would give him the ball and let him be a PG when Harden is out. When both Lin and Beverley were playing (w/out Harden) Beverley still assumed the role of PG. Lin is a playmaker and he attacked the hoop better than anyone last night. Even his Defense on Mo WIlliams was great. Mo WIlliams was the only blazer to have a bad game, thanks to Lin.


    Thanks for your enthusiasm, uojoe82, in your response.

    I just would like to correct you on the fact the Rockets-Trailblazers unfortunately only played one overtime period last evening into very early this morning. I, along with every single Rockets fan in the universe, was hoping Harden's last shot would drop to force that second overtime. But it was not to be.

    By the way, if the game started about 8:50 pm Houston time and ended pretty close to 12:20 am Houston time, that means this NBA playoff game was longer than a typical NFL game. Just saying..................... Not sure the last time I remember witnessing in person a longer NBA game in my entire lifetime.

    Lastly, my opinion on probably why Beverley handles the ball at the top rather than JLin when both are on the floor together is probably because JLin has a better chance to find an open lane to drive to the basket in from the wing rather than at the top of the circle.
  • David says 4 months ago

    Howard was 9-17 on free throws, almost exactly what you'd expect given his career/season averages. Each free throw made was worth exactly 1 point regardless of when it was shot, what the score was, or how much pressure he felt shooting it. So these crazy free throw narratives should stop, since they don't even stack up to the most immediate game-level scrutiny. I'm only hoping they pulled Howard as a bluff, to encourage the Blazers to use that strategy again.

  • uojoe82 says 4 months ago

    There is a lot of takeaways from last night game, here are some that stood out:

    -Harden was bad last night. Yes he had 28, but it was a bad 28. 8-28 from the field, 3-14 from deep. A +/- of -8 (worst of any Rocket). He took so many bad shots. During the Hack a Dwight period of the game D12 had just missed both free throws and the Rockets got the offensive board and it was kicked out to the perimeter to Harden. The shot clock had reset and the Rockets were still nursing a small lead. Instead of using the clock or waiting for the Blazers to maybe foul D12 again (he had just missed 2, law of large numbers say he wouldve made at least 1 had he gone back to the line), Harden launched a long three over not just his man, but Lin's man as well since Lin was standing 2 feet from him. It clancked off the rim, blazers got the rebound, ran down the court and I think Lillard got a layup. Not only was this a bad shot but the timing was horrible as well.

    -Where was Parsons in the fourth and the 2 OT's? He disappeared. Maybe it was because the Blazers switched from Batum to Matthews on him. He also played 47 minutes last night. Why? Couldnt maybe 10 of those minutes go to Casspi or even Hamilton? The Rockets couldve used a perimeter shooter,

    -Aldridge is a beast. What was most impressive about his 46 points on 31 shots was that nothing looked forced or out of rhythm of the blazers offense (other than his second three). Harden shoot watch tape on Aldridge and learn that you can get your points/shots while still playing 5 on 5.

    -Beverley gave great effort but effort ins't enough. Its obvious that Lillard is super talented and offensively one of the better PG in the league. Chuck said it best last night on the TNT post show, great defenders are overrated, a great offensive player always beats a great defensive player. Lillard looked annoyed last night with Beverley but it didnt really effect his performance or production. Chuck also said that Beverley isnt a good PG and that Lin is better (but Lin's defense isnt as good). Beverley on offense was barely noticeable other than when he missed wide open three pointers. When he's in the Rockets were basically playing 4 on 5 on offense, it was obvious that Beverley was the least of the blazers concern.

    Watching Wes Matthews post Harden up early (and often) was interesting. Harden is notorious for hiding on defense (a new 11 minute video of his defensive blunders was posted on deadspin last week) and you cant hide if your man is taking you on the blocks. He had to exert effort on defense last night and I think it affected his offense. His shots looked short and when he did drive to the hoop he often pulled up rather than go all the way. If McHale was a better coach maybe he would do the same to Lillard and let Lin take a run at him on offense. Lillard not having to guard anyone led to him being a rocket killer in the 4th and in the 2 OT's.

    -Lin was great, his 2 TO's were classic Lin but it was only 2 TO's. He needs to look to score more and not just wait until late in games to look to score. I also wish the Rockets would give him the ball and let him be a PG when Harden is out. When both Lin and Beverley were playing (w/out Harden) Beverley still assumed the role of PG. Lin is a playmaker and he attacked the hoop better than anyone last night. Even his Defense on Mo WIlliams was great. Mo WIlliams was the only blazer to have a bad game, thanks to Lin.

  • goRockets says 4 months ago

    Part of the key to Blazers defense on Harden was to make him play defense. Rox need to employ a little bit of the same with Lillard. Lin is much better than PB at attacking the basket and is actually better finisher at the rim than Lillard. So while people can keep complaining that JLin's defense suck compared to PB, I think if he stays in attack mode against Lillard and try to draw fouls from him (or their bigs), it would be easier to play defense against Lillard. First, keep attacking Lillard on offense would tire him out, and if he is in foul trouble, he can't be as aggressive on the offensive end. Since neither Rockets nor Blazers are that great defensively, I think this series comes down to which team is more aggressive on offense and make more shots. Rox certainly has the fire power to be more aggressive and try to get Blazers in more foul trouble if Harden, Howard, Parson and Lin all attack the basket relentlessly, let your offense become your best defense.

  • chantu says 4 months ago

    I suppose if that last shot went down all would be forgiven. But really, that play was simply awe full. As good as Harden is, everyone in the world knew who the ball was going to. The coach/players have to have confidence in EVERYONE. Who the heck was the second option? Time was short, but still enough time to dish off. And the other guys have got to MOVE to get open. (Yeah, yeah, I know it's an "iso" play, but there were 3 guys on Harden).

  • Cooper says 4 months ago

    As awkward as the play went, that was a solid look for a final shot attempt just didn't go down. DMo might be worth a look on LA but it would have been tough to take jones out since he was doing well on offense. If Dmo went in and still got torched and could not do anything on offense either you're screwed. If Aldridge is gonna get his let him and stop giving open threes up and other action off his post ups. For as well as Dame and LA played and as poorly Harden and Howard did the rockets had several chances to close out the game and didn't capitalize.

  • rocketrick says 4 months ago On that last play of the game, T Jones had sit a pick for Harden at the top of the key and according to McHale in his post game interview, the play was for Harden to take the ball to the hole. T Jones was probably anticipating that and getting set for a put back in case of a miss which is why he drifted into the lane there.

    From my vantage point, it also appeared Harden considered passing out to Parsons or Francisco on the 3 point line as the play progressed but their defenders had already started hedging into the passing lanes. Leaving Harden with no other option but to take the off balance shot.

    In my opinion, the Rockets missed a lot of open shots and missed too many free throws (yep, Rocket fans, other Rocket players missed untimely free throws, too) which ultimately cost them the game.
  • dbd says 4 months ago

    Blazers screened Bev and let Lillard went wild. Teams are noticing Bev's great on-ball one-on-one defense and they countered with pick and screen. Not only Blazers, but other teams in the late season deployed same tactics.

    They will do the same on Lin or whoever guarding Lillard if Bev couldn't return. It is coaches and our Bigs' job to help Bev/Lin but I was seeing anything.

  • rm90025 says 4 months ago

    The Rockets will need Lin to look to score and put some pressure on Lillard. There is no such thing as a defensive stopper other than a shot blocking center. No defensive player can shut down a really good offensive player and Lillard basically got the better of Beverley the whole night. He was able to run the offense the way Stotts wanted and found his opportunities to rack up fouls on Beverley and get to the basket.

    The Rockets will be harder to guard with Lin on the floor and that should open things up for Harden. The question is defense, but here I think McHale has to leave Lin on an island to guard Beverley and focus more on getting defensive rebounds and playing defense without fouling. Lin has the size and skill to push Lillard to take lower percentage shots.