The Daily Blast – April 10, 2013


 

The Clinch: Alternate Angles – Since NBA TV can snatch up any game for it’s Fan Night, eliminating the game from League Pass, I digested the game via ESPN Gamecast–one of the most ulcer-inducing sports media in existence.

But that also means I’ll remember the winning basket differently from most. It came across the feed as a cold-blooded shot from James Harden at the buzzer. Glorious. I saw the net flick, the bench explode, and the crowd lose itself in adulation…all in my mind’s eye. I patted the number 13 jersey on my chest and nodded as if there could have only ever been one outcome. A few seconds later the goaltending call floated across the feed, and I knew I was in for one heck of a replay, but I had no doubt the call would stand on account of referees being unfathomably stubborn creatures.

Given James Harden’s whistle-dependent style of play, it’s fitting that he clinched the Rockets’ playoff hopes on a technicality. Still, I can always remember that play as I saw it in my head: the archetypal triumph of the Hero and his Moment.

Super 8 – James Harden is the 8th best player in the universe (assuming that the NBA is the highest level of competition anywhere), according to ESPN’s #NBArank. The players ahead of him: LeBron, Durant, Chris Paul, Kobe, Westbrook, Wade, Parker. A few notable names below him: Carmelo, Duncan, Dwight, Kyrie Irving, Dirk, Blake Griffin, Chris Bosh, Injured Derrick Rose.

In other words, a bunch of guys who the Rockets would have coveted as a team cornerstone less than a year ago would be the second-best player on the team now.  Read More »

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Houston Rockets 101, Phoenix Suns 98: Playoffs. At last.

Okay, perhaps it’s not quite at the level of one of the most famous moments in sports history, but for the first time since the Yao Ming era, the Houston Rockets are returning to the playoffs.  Three years of above-average basketball while still missing the playoffs, of three straight 14th picks, of a team in flux and “competitive rebuilding”, of going after Chris Bosh, then Carmelo Anthony, then Andre Drummond, then Dwight Howard, and finally a player who many doubted would be the star the Rockets needed, but instead surpassed all of our expectations.  It’s all over, as this signifies the birth of a new era, of a young, exciting team that has plenty of avenues of improvement.

We’re back.  And the Houston Rockets returned to the playoffs tonight by barely defeating the worst team in the Western Conference with the strangest, and arguably the stupidest ending to a basketball game I have ever seen.

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On the NBA: Let them play!

Right before Kevin Ware’s tragic injury, he closed out on a three-point shooter like a champion—it was unlikely that he was going to effect the (made) shot of Duke’s Tyler Thornton too much. But, he closed out anyway. That’s because he’s a hard-playing player on a hard-playing team; the only kind that can make it through all rounds of the NCAA bracket. And it’s only hard-playing players like Ware that make it possible for his coach Rick Pitino and his college colleagues to make millions of dollars per year (Pitino’s base salary is $3.9 million dollars). No coach’s tutelage and system is good enough to overcome lack of talent. None. Yet, Ware and all of his teammates (and the rest of all NCAA athletes, combined) are paid exactly $3.9 million less, per year, than Mr. Pitino.

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The Daily Blast – April 9, 2013

Weird – There were no NBA games last night. I guess they wanted to give all those guys a much-earned rest or something. We really get spoiled by getting to watch basketball being played on the highest level night after night. Not last night, though.

All That Power – The Rockets held steady at no. 9 in Marc Stein’s ESPN rankings, same story in John Schumann’s rankings on NBA.com. Cool nugget from Schumann’s rankings: Jeremy Lin averaged 19.8 points and 9.3 assists over the last four games. BalLin’.

Tweet That – Jeremy Lin just broke the #humblebrag scale.

Whoaaa 1,000,000 followers...THANKS to you guys!! Next up...lets get the beard man @ there!
Screen shot 2011 10 05 at 2.27.45 PM normal The Daily Blast April 9, 2013
@JLin7
Jeremy Lin

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Carlos Delfino vs Francisco Garcia – Which Wing Will Win?

Since making a roster-shaking trade just before the trade deadline, the Houston Rockets have had a number of new players to work into their rotation. Thomas Robinson may have headlined that trade with Sacramento, but another ex-King has had just as much of an impact of the team. Francisco Garcia has begun to see meaningful minutes for Houston, which could have major repercussions for another Rockets bench scorer, Carlos Delfino. Of these two men with similar skill sets, which, if either, is the long-term option for Houston? Read More »

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