Series Thread: 2nd Round Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers

[bksballer89]

Deandre 10-28 from the line...in the 1st half!

I guess 40 isnt enough. He will have 50 at least.

That was a NBA record too

This game will be the reason why they change the rule

 

[Heatles84]

This is why I said the Clips were the favorite right now in another thread and the Rockets were near the bottom next to Atlanta. Houston is imploding, and after they lose this game, they'll be down 3-1 and be pretty much done.

 

[trojanfan12]

The Clips are just embarrassing the Rockets. They're going to be clearing the bench and pulling fans out of the stands to play.

 

[trojanfan12]

I see that Dwight Howard pulled his patented "getting himself kicked out of the game like a bitch" move on the Rockets just like he did with the Lakers.

Anyone still questioning why Lakers fans pretty much reacted to his going to Houston with a collective

Of course, the fact that I'm a Lakers fan and saying that just means that I'm butthurt because he didn't stay in L.A.

 

[bksballer89]

I thought making it to round 2 would be good enough for Mchale to keep his job but if they lose another game like this he may be jobless. This is a joke

 

[bksballer89]

This was the Rockets 9th game in the playoffs. They have allowed 128, 121, 117, 109, 124, & 128 in 6 of their 9 games

 

[trojanfan12]

This was the Rockets 9th game in the playoffs. They have allowed 128, 121, 117, 109, 124, & 128 in 6 of their 9 games

They are a defensive juggernaut.

 

[Kold]

The Clips are just embarrassing the Rockets. They're going to be clearing the bench and pulling fans out of the stands to play.

The more I see of Dwight, the more I think we dodged a bullet, only from this standpoint. I thought that he was good enough to attract other players, and that that other player(s) would lead the team...but everytime I turn around I see someone chewing him out, so I don't know how likeable he is around the league. He's still a really good player, but if our draft goes as good as we expect it, with us landing a name or 2 either next year or in future years when the cap gets RIDICULOUS, then I'll be satisfied with how all of this turned out.

 

[trojanfan12]

The more I see of Dwight, the more I think we dodged a bullet, only from this standpoint. I thought that he was good enough to attract other players, and that that other player(s) would lead the team...but everytime I turn around I see someone chewing him out, so I don't know how likeable he is around the league. He's still a really good player, but if our draft goes as good as we expect it, with us landing a name or 2 either next year or in future years when the cap gets RIDICULOUS, then I'll be satisfied with how all of this turned out.

I agree about dodging a bullet. I was off the Dwight bandwagon when he intentionally fouled himself out of game 4 vs. the Spurs. Now he's done it to the Rockets. Don't want anyone like that on the Lakers.

Even if the Lakers got players that could lead instead of him, I think he'd just become a cancer.

 

[Kold]

I agree about dodging a bullet. I was off the Dwight bandwagon when he intentionally fouled himself out of game 4 vs. the Spurs. Now he's done it to the Rockets. Don't want anyone like that on the Lakers.

Even if the Lakers got players that could lead instead of him, I think he'd just become a cancer.

And that's fair....from what I've seen over the years, Dwight just hasn't been the same since the "DwightMare" started with Orlando. His game and attitude were so much different around 2009. He was a monster until the back injury, and the whiny attitude didn't start until the trade me, don't trade me stuff in Orlando....and it only got worse when he took the public outlash in LA. Be that as it may, I'm looking forward to this rebuild. We got Clarkson, Randle, possibly 2 draft picks in the first round this year, and money galore for future years

 

[trojanfan12]

And that's fair....from what I've seen over the years, Dwight just hasn't been the same since the "DwightMare" started with Orlando. His game and attitude were so much different around 2009. He was a monster until the back injury, and the whiny attitude didn't start until the trade me, don't trade me stuff in Orlando....and it only got worse when he took the public outlash in LA. Be that as it may, I'm looking forward to this rebuild. We got Clarkson, Randle, possibly 2 draft picks in the first round this year, and money galore for future years

Yep. Too bad too. He could have been an HOF'er with his talent.

 

[GenJac]

Several things ought to by now be abundantly clear to anyone not encumbered by blind loyalty to team or player. The most obvious is that Dwight Howard is finally being exposed as substantially less than the hype has portrayed him. When he arrived in L.A. a few years back, talk was him being the heir to the legacy of Lakers big men Mikan, Wilt, Kareem and Shaq. He was an upgrade over Bynum, but that doesn't say much. DeAndre can't shoot from the stripe, but in every other way he has outclassed Dwight in this series.

Second is that the San Antonio series made the Clippers better. They are playing within themselves yet with en edge.

Third, Blake Griffin has arrived. I mean, if you have been among his doubters, okay. But he is doing it all well right now. When he gave up a dunk to dish to Dre in the 3rd for a monster jam, that was beauty.

Also, McHale has no faith in his guys. How else do you explain his "game plan" this evening?

Finally, James Harden is a tremendous player, but never should have been in the conversation for league MVP. Frankly, you have to wonder why Griffin was not in that conversation?

Very intriguing.

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

Kevin McHale will be in the unemployment office soon.

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

I am starting to think Popovich resting players like crazy in November cost him a title.

Outside of Memphis (who the Spurs own completely), nobody has looked like true deep title contenders outside of the Clippers/Spurs.

Pop cost his team about 4 or 5 games by using the "save it for the playoffs" healthy scratch losses.

Watching this Clippers series gets me so angry about playing game 7 on the road...when it did not have to be a road series.

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

I am starting to think Popovich resting players like crazy in November cost him a title.

Outside of Memphis (who the Spurs own completely), nobody has looked like true deep title contenders outside of the Clippers/Spurs.

Pop cost his team about 4 or 5 games by using the "save it for the playoffs" healthy scratch losses.

Watching this Clippers series gets me so angry about playing game 7 on the road...when it did not have to be a road series.

I was thinking the same.

 

[trojanfan12]

Several things ought to by now be abundantly clear to anyone not encumbered by blind loyalty to team or player. The most obvious is that Dwight Howard is finally being exposed as substantially less than the hype has portrayed him. When he arrived in L.A. a few years back, talk was him being the heir to the legacy of Lakers big men Mikan, Wilt, Kareem and Shaq. He was an upgrade over Bynum, but that doesn't say much. DeAndre can't shoot from the stripe, but in every other way he has outclassed Dwight in this series.

Second is that the San Antonio series made the Clippers better. They are playing within themselves yet with en edge.

Third, Blake Griffin has arrived. I mean, if you have been among his doubters, okay. But he is doing it all well right now. When he gave up a dunk to dish to Dre in the 3rd for a monster jam, that was beauty.

Also, McHale has no faith in his guys. How else do you explain his "game plan" this evening?

Finally, James Harden is a tremendous player, but never should have been in the conversation for league MVP. Frankly, you have to wonder why Griffin was not in that conversation?

Very intriguing.

1.) Yep. I agree with Kold, the Lakers may have dodged a bullet when Dwight left. Sure, it has sucked being lottery bound for the past 2 seasons, but in the log run, it probably saves them a 5-7 year run of being a middle of the pack Western Conference team followed by a re-build like we're seeing now (basically, the 90's Lakers).

2.) It's looking like the Clippers may have grown up. They had plenty of opportunities and excuses available for being "the same ol' Clippers" and didn't take them.

3.) Been a Griffin doubter, his head and heart, not his talent. This is the Blake Griffin people have been waiting to see. One of the biggest criticisms of the Clippers has been that their point guard and coach are the toughest guys on the team. I don't think that's true anymore.

4.) Yeah, I don't know if he's "lost the team," but they really haven't given him much reason to have faith in them.

5.) He deserved to be in the convo because he really did carry them for long stretches and they got a good seeding because of it, but we are seeing why he didn't deserve to actually win it.

 

[logic]

I am starting to think Popovich resting players like crazy in November cost him a title.

Outside of Memphis (who the Spurs own completely), nobody has looked like true deep title contenders outside of the Clippers/Spurs.

Pop cost his team about 4 or 5 games by using the "save it for the playoffs" healthy scratch losses.

Watching this Clippers series gets me so angry about playing game 7 on the road...when it did not have to be a road series.

This theory doesn't really hold water. The Spurs had the chance to close out at home: they were up 3-2 with game 6 at home and lost.

 

[trojanfan12]

I am starting to think Popovich resting players like crazy in November cost him a title.

Outside of Memphis (who the Spurs own completely), nobody has looked like true deep title contenders outside of the Clippers/Spurs.

Pop cost his team about 4 or 5 games by using the "save it for the playoffs" healthy scratch losses.

Watching this Clippers series gets me so angry about playing game 7 on the road...when it did not have to be a road series.

Yes and no on Pop. It's a strategy that has worked for him for several years. This just happened to be a weird season where literally one loss dropped them from the 2 seed to the 6 seed and the deciding game was against a team that had to win just to get into the playoffs.

It was more bad timing and facing a very talented Clippers team that decided it was finally time to put on their big boy pants. If not for that, we are probably watching the Spurs dismantle the Rockets and talking about how "Pop has done it again."

 

[Mecca]

I see that Dwight Howard pulled his patented "getting himself kicked out of the game like a bitch" move on the Rockets just like he did with the Lakers.

Anyone still questioning why Lakers fans pretty much reacted to his going to Houston with a collective

Of course, the fact that I'm a Lakers fan and saying that just means that I'm butthurt because he didn't stay in L.A.

The Lakers dodged a bullet.

They didn't sink money into this turd-bird, got a 1st rounder and Tarik Black all because the Rockets signed Dwight Coward.

Sometimes the best moves are the ones you don't make.

 

[lakersrule]

Big props to the Clippers. I thought they'd struggle with a gimpy CP3. Not the case. Role players stepping up big time. Who would have thunk kid Rivers plays this well? The Rockets, on the other hand, don't seem interested in winning a title.