4/6 Rockets @ Nuggets [Game #77: Game Thread]

[phoenixx]

terrible on back-to-backs
http://stats.nba.com/teamStats.html?TeamID=1610612745

[inquisitive]

didnt see game till last 5 minutes...guess they ran us out of the building! glad we dont have to play them in the 1st round.

[TheChosen618]

If I was Houston, I would want the Spurs out of all the realistic teams in the 1st round. I think that is the team that Houston has the best shot at upsetting in the post-season. It will be tough, but it is doable.

I think Asik can contain Duncan, but the true catalyst of the series would be if Houston's backcourt can outplay San Antonio's. It is possible, but it is unlikely.

[panarama]

We had your number this year...4-0[/quote]

No doubt about it. And I have no hard feeling towards the Fans of Denver just the annoying commentators. lol
Also, I have no reason to not to believe you guys are really confident on meeting us in the playoffs because of the regular season record.
But I still believe our smart over your teams' athleticism over a 7 game series.

[inquisitive]

The Denvers' shot selection really doesn't impress me at all.

Their ability to put a bonafide ass-whomping on us does, tho!

I want no part of this team in the playoffs!

lol, Yes these guys are scary ass team to face in the playoffs for many teams out there.
But I think these guys rely too much on their athleticism for their success which I think we can easily over come in 7 game series.
We just need to have a fresher leg and stand in front of these (Please Use More Appropriate Word) fools and we'll be alight.

no we can't...i'm more scared of them than the spurs.

[panarama]

no we can't...i'm more scared of them than the spurs.[/quote]

The Denver's offensive scheme consists of driving straight to the basket without even considering the moving the ball at first and once that doesn't work they automatically kick the ball out to who ever is nearby 9 out 10 times.
We can easily deter that once we play a solid defense with again with some freshier legs which we did early part of our 1st qt on this game.
Yes, they beat us convincingly during the regular season but i fear a team who are known for sharing and playing the solid ball than a team mindlessly uses same tactic over and over to win a game which more than likely WILL not going to work in a seven game series.

[inquisitive]

McHale postgame:

McHale

“They’ve beaten us the same way all four times. We throw them the ball and they score.”

[The Rebel]

no we can't...i'm more scared of them than the spurs.

The Denver's offensive scheme consists of driving straight to the basket without even considering the moving the ball at first and once that doesn't work they automatically kick the ball out to who ever is nearby 9 out 10 times.
We can easily deter that once we play a solid defense with again with some freshier legs which we did early part of our 1st qt on this game.
Yes, they beat us convincingly during the regular season but i fear a team who are known for sharing and playing the solid ball than a team mindlessly uses same tactic over and over to win a game which more than likely WILL not going to work in a seven game series.

Nuggets were missing their top 2 scorers tonight, and still went up in the 2nd quarter.

As for the Nuggets offense, they have the 5th rated offense for efficiency and score the most points in the paint throughout the league. You don't think every team in the league has a game plan of keeping them out of the paint and staying in front of them? Their offense also depends on getting steals, and they are top 2 in the league at that.

Fact is the Rockets are a young team with a bright future, but right now they have some serious holes in the lineup, next year they should continue to improve as I think Morey is one hell of a GM, however let's not pretend like they are anywhere close to a favorite against the Nuggets.

Also I seen a post earlier that the Rockets were the youngest team in the league, and that is true, but the Nuggets are only a half year older on average. Take out Andre Miller and the teams are basically the same age. I hope to see them battle for the next several years as both teams fill the holes on their rosters and improve.

[kam_soluusar]

1. I think our best playoff matchup is against the Clippers. If we face any team in the 1st round, I hope it's them.

2. Denver are a dark horse team. I can see them in the WC Finals.

3. Denvers commentators suck balls. Seriously, could they have blown any more smoke up the collective arses of Denver?

4. We played really bad tonight. I turned it off after the 3rd, and started watching V8 Supercars. (I think they are going to be racing in Texas as part of the championship.) I highly recommend that you have a stickybeak at what real racing is, as in, not going round and round in a circle!!!!!!

5. I don't know who is more tired today, me or the Rockets.

[panarama]

no we can't...i'm more scared of them than the spurs.

The Denver's offensive scheme consists of driving straight to the basket without even considering the moving the ball at first and once that doesn't work they automatically kick the ball out to who ever is nearby 9 out 10 times.
We can easily deter that once we play a solid defense with again with some freshier legs which we did early part of our 1st qt on this game.
Yes, they beat us convincingly during the regular season but i fear a team who are known for sharing and playing the solid ball than a team mindlessly uses same tactic over and over to win a game which more than likely WILL not going to work in a seven game series.

Nuggets were missing their top 2 scorers tonight, and still went up in the 2nd quarter.

As for the Nuggets offense, they have the 5th rated offense for efficiency and score the most points in the paint throughout the league. You don't think every team in the league has a game plan of keeping them out of the paint and staying in front of them? Their offense also depends on getting steals, and they are top 2 in the league at that.

Fact is the Rockets are a young team with a bright future, but right now they have some serious holes in the lineup, next year they should continue to improve as I think Morey is one hell of a GM, however let's not pretend like they are anywhere close to a favorite against the Nuggets.

Also I seen a post earlier that the Rockets were the youngest team in the league, and that is true, but the Nuggets are only a half year older on average. Take out Andre Miller and the teams are basically the same age. I hope to see them battle for the next several years as both teams fill the holes on their rosters and improve.

I agreed. The serious line up deficiency is a key to our demised going forward for now.
And it's going to be a hell of up heel battle if we face the Nuggets but I would rather take a chance with them than either the Spurs or the Clippers.

[rocketsballin]

here's some good excuses for the game for those of you who wanna save face lol

- the last game of a 3/4, all on the road
- last game of having 4 games in a week twice, ending vs a good playoff team
- next week only 2 games
- went 3-1 this week and 2-2 last week
- harden should've sit this one out, 2-10
- the white lbj was absent
- still scored the ball well

this offseason we need to bring in some defense

[TheChosen618]

here's some good excuses for the game for those of you who wanna save face lol

- the last game of a 3/4, all on the road
- last game of having 4 games in a week twice, ending vs a good playoff team
- next week only 2 games
- went 3-1 this week and 2-2 last week
- harden should've sit this one out, 2-10
- the white lbj was absent
- still scored the ball well

this offseason we need to bring in some defense

Defense has more to do with the coach than it does with the players in my opinion.

It is why Scott Skiles and Erik Spoelstra's teams have always been great defensively even when they didn't have the players.

If you have a combination of a great defensive coach and great defensive players then the team is looking like greatest defensive team of all-time material.

[rocketsballin]

its the coach and the players. remember when we had jvg, one of the best defensive teams but the suns would torch us. i remember when we had to put wesley and padget on a prime kobe bryant, that was hard to watch

the coach and players to make a good defensive team. not that far off from doing that. just need a lockdown perimeter defender who can get 25mpg. asik and bev are really good defenders. lin and parsons have their good days and bad days. harden is capable of playing good defense. plenty of pfs im sure one of them can defend well. one year of chemistry in the season and playoffs, and some roster changes, we'll be a threat on both ends of the floor.

[spolgar]

The biggest draw of the Nuggets in offense, even in halfcourt, is that they can have 5 guys who can put it on the floor and drive, pass, and hit an open shot anywhere from 5 to midrange. They can play a sort of dribble-drive-motion that Calipari and co like to do when he was at Memphis. So long as the driver can create space for other people by collapsing the defense, the other 4 guys with have enough space to burn their defender when the rotation comes late. They are an aberration on current NBA trends that they don't need to make threes to make space and don't need to make a three to sustain a run. They have those options when Gallinari and Lawson are with them, but evidently, they don't need it.

The biggest issue with Igoudala and Andre Miller's game is that they have no range beyond 18 feet. Their long range shot sucks. I thought that if we could stop their dribble at the half court set, we'd be doing much better. As primary ball handlers who can pass amazingly, we could not hinder either one of them from setting up shop. Miller threw whatever pass he wanted against Jeremy Lin while Lin was instinctively contesting a shot that would never come. And Iggy was simply destroying whoever was Ding him up. Lacking Parsons and Delfino would do that. We couldn't make either player change their approach, and that destroyed us. They created all kinds of space and the other recipients of the pass got the space they want at the spots on the floor they prefer to get their looks at.

We got opened up, and I'm not even mad. If Lebron was at Iggy's spot, he'd pull Oscar Robertson numbers. On their best days, the Nuggets have a better offense than anyone else. Angry George might get his first ring yet.

[texasholdem]

Igoudala is the kryptonite to Harden's superman.

4 games this year vs Denver these are Harden's stats
18.3 ppg
4.5 apg
3.8 rpg
5.5 TURNOVERS PER GAME
38% fg
19% 3pt fg
82% ft

the 18.3 ppg is the lowest James has scored vs all opponents.
Against Memphis he only averages 18.7 ppg (Tony Allen is also a good defender)
3rd lowest is a tie vs Utah and Indiana at 19.5 ppg

[MKL]

Denver just rolled over us. Harden really struggled on his shot, I wonder if he's still hurt?

[Durant Durant]

Avoid 6th seed? Check

[texasholdem]

Rockets just beat the Clippers and stood up to Griffin and Jordan and shut them down.
But vs Faried and McGee they looked positively scared of their dunking and athleticism.

[inquisitive]

Igoudala is the kryptonite to Harden's superman.

4 games this year vs Denver these are Harden's stats
18.3 ppg
4.5 apg
3.8 rpg
5.5 TURNOVERS PER GAME
38% fg
19% 3pt fg
82% ft

the 18.3 ppg is the lowest James has scored vs all opponents.
Against Memphis he only averages 18.7 ppg (Tony Allen is also a good defender)
3rd lowest is a tie vs Utah and Indiana at 19.5 ppg

i thought iguodala and paul george played the best D on Harden all year.

[spolgar]

Igoudala is the kryptonite to Harden's superman.

4 games this year vs Denver these are Harden's stats
18.3 ppg
4.5 apg
3.8 rpg
5.5 TURNOVERS PER GAME
38% fg
19% 3pt fg
82% ft

the 18.3 ppg is the lowest James has scored vs all opponents.
Against Memphis he only averages 18.7 ppg (Tony Allen is also a good defender)
3rd lowest is a tie vs Utah and Indiana at 19.5 ppg

Corey Brewer is also a pretty good defensive matchup for Harden as well.