ROCKETS @ BLAZERS - GAME THREAD - 11/05/13, 7:00 PM, TUESDAY

[FromWayDownTownBang]

I'm worried James Harden will be on fire tomorrow night. 6-16 for 15 points is not good. He will be very aggressive. Hope Matthews is ready.

 

[Natebishop3]

I'm worried James Harden will be on fire tomorrow night. 6-16 for 15 points is not good. He will be very aggressive. Hope Matthews is ready.

We need Nic to punch him in the balls right away.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I'm worried James Harden will be on fire tomorrow night. 6-16 for 15 points is not good. He will be very aggressive. Hope Matthews is ready.

Yeah no way he will have back to back bad games. It wasn't just his shooting. He just never got going tonight. I was hoping he would go for 40 against the Clips.

 

[FromWayDownTownBang]

If Wes Matthews picks up a couple quick ones, they would probably slide Batum over on him. The best way to slow him down is do what the Clippers did tonight, make him hustle on defense. JJ Reddick went off on him.

 

[magnifier661]

It would be nice to get a win against these guys tomorrow and send them off with their first losing streak! It will be tough. We are gonna see what this team is all about tomorrow night.

 

[magnifier661]

If Wes Matthews picks up a couple quick ones, they would probably slide Batum over on him. The best way to slow him down is do what the Clippers did tonight, make him hustle on defense. JJ Reddick went off on him.

Does Matthews have a three great games in a row in him?

 

[FromWayDownTownBang]

I haven't been able to catch any games but this past one, but he looked amazing. If he can make threes like last game that will put a lot of pressure on Harden.

 

[magnifier661]

I don't know why I want to see Houston fail so bad. I must be the ultimate hater. I want too any teams to fail

 

[VanillaGorilla]

I don't know why I want to see Houston fail so bad. I must be the ultimate hater. I want too any teams to fail

Right there with you on that. If everyone else fails, we win!

 

[magnifier661]

Right there with you on that. If everyone else fails, we win!

Yeah dawg!!!!!!!!

 

[SheedSoNasty]

I don't know why I want to see Houston fail so bad. I must be the ultimate hater. I want too any teams to fail

Hate to admit it, but me too. It even trickles to individual players for me now... I don't wanna see MCW blow up just because we could have had him even if he said he didn't want to come here.

Pretty much any team or any player that isn't on this roster is hard for me to like. Its not a very good way of thinking.

 

[Strenuus]

I don't play that "Oh they should have been on our team" crap. That's for trolls and media.

 

[BigGameDamian]

This game is on channel 8 not just Comcast

 

[mgb]

134 posts and the game hasn't even started.

 

[SheedSoNasty]

I don't play that "Oh they should have been on our team" crap. That's for trolls and media.

Guess that makes me a troll.

 

[BlazerBeav]

Are the Rockets wearing the throwback red and yellow jerseys permanently now, or was last night a random occurrence?

 

[illmatic99]

136 posts and 12 hours before the game even starts? Jeez. Is this just a product of early season enthusiasm, or a genuine reflection of more interest in the team?

Or perhaps it's just increased popularity of this site?

 

[Pinwheel1]

136 posts and 12 hours before the game even starts? Jeez. Is this just a product of early season enthusiasm, or a genuine reflection of more interest in the team?

Or perhaps it's just increased popularity of this site?

My guess is early season enthusiasm. Hopefully they will continue to get better, and stay away from injuries, and the enthusiasm will last.....

 

[magnifier661]

136 posts and 12 hours before the game even starts? Jeez. Is this just a product of early season enthusiasm, or a genuine reflection of more interest in the team?

Or perhaps it's just increased popularity of this site?

It's probably because "the hcp" is gone.

 

[BBert]

Rockets are going to be looking for redemption after that embarrassment last night. Howard got too much rest. Hardin will be on fire. Good thing we had a couple of days off.

 

[Draco]

My guess is early season enthusiasm. Hopefully they will continue to get better, and stay away from injuries, and the enthusiasm will last.....

I believe its the 2 game winning streak.

Haven't had one of those in about 8 months.

 

[magnifier661]

It would be soooo nice to smash this team. It will take national notoriety because 1.) Win Streak against quality opponents, 2.) 2 wins against contenders, 3.) Houston just came back from a loss and will come out swinging.

This will be a good sign on how "relevant" this team truly is.

 

[BrianFromWA]

4) the last time we'll be over .500 all season. Year over.

/mixum

 

[mook]

I'm not really sold that Asik and Howard can really co-exist. Pau Gasol and Howard couldn't really make it work, and Pau at least had a midrange game and passing skills. Imagine last year's Laker offense with Gasol's arms taped together unless he's under the basket. Yuck.

I expect Lopez to get in early foul trouble, forcing us to go small ball with LMA at center. We might even run Batum at PF--he can guard Omer. Hell, any play Houston runs to expose that matchup is a play Harden and Howard aren't scoring.

We're going to get our asses handed to us on rebounding anyway. It's the best rebounding team in the league. However, Portland is 6th in the league in scoring (!) so we might as well make it a track meet. I think this is what all the teams are doing against Houston, which is probably why Asik is only playing 23mpg so far.

The real issue with Houston isn't the twin towers. It's that they've got 6 guys who score in double figures, and one of them is Harden (and Asik isn't). They've got such a great passing back court that everybody is a scoring threat.

 

[Boise Blazer]

Chris Haynes @ChrisBHaynes
Hmm. Opponents shooting 56.8% at rim on Rockets Dwight Howard. #Blazers Robin Lopez holds them to 51.7%. Small sample size, but interesting.

 

[FromWayDownTownBang]

Chris Haynes @ChrisBHaynes
Hmm. Opponents shooting 56.8% at rim on Rockets Dwight Howard. #Blazers Robin Lopez holds them to 51.7%. Small sample size, but interesting.

Have the Rockets played more up tempo fast paced teams than us? That would surely affect that number.

 

[dviss1]

I hate the "Dame" nickname but deal with it, do the same

Dame gave himself that nickname. Forum weirdos invented "Rolo". Big diff.

 

[Draco]

Have the Rockets played more up tempo fast paced teams than us? That would surely affect that number.

I watched some of the Clippers game last night. I think they are giving up easy buckets at the rim before their defense gets a chance to get in place. Once their defense is properly setup with Asik and Howard in position its much more difficult to score inside on them.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I watched some of the Clippers game last night. I think they are giving up easy buckets at the rim before their defense gets a chance to get in place. Once their defense is properly setup with Asik and Howard in position its much more difficult to score inside on them.

Hopefully the Blazers can exploit this. They're going to need to push tempo and hopefully generate some easy buckets by playing the passing lanes. Getting suckered into a slow, deliberate pace isn't going to do us many favors.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Hopefully the Blazers can exploit this. They're going to need to push tempo and hopefully generate some easy buckets by playing the passing lanes. Getting suckered into a slow, deliberate pace isn't going to do us many favors.

Not that I trust the Clipper announcers....but surprisingly they said last night that Houston prefers an uptempo game. (And that the Clippers were happy to run with them) Last night it sure looked true. So maybe we will not have to worry about a slow deliberate pace.....