Salman Ali (@RedNationHoops) previews Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals and discusses Chris Paul's hamstring injury.
Listen to The Red Nation Hoops Podcast on iTunes, Google Play Music, and Stitcher.
Showing posts with label NBA Playoffs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA Playoffs. Show all posts
Ep. 80: Game 7 Preview
Salman Ali (@RedNationHoops) previews Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals and discusses Chris Paul's hamstring injury.
Listen to The Red Nation Hoops Podcast on iTunes, Google Play Music, and Stitcher.
Report: Chris Paul Out for Game 6 With Hamstring Strain
By Matthew Cardenas on May 25, 2018
Embed from Getty ImagesShams Charania of Yahoo Sports has reported that guard Chris Paul will miss Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday after suffering a hamstring strain at the end of Game 5. Paul finished the game with 20 points (18 in the second half), 7 rebounds and 6 assists. He is currently in his first ever Conference Finals as the Rockets are up 3-2 on the Golden State Warriors.
Rockets star Chris Paul will miss Game 6 of West Finals with a hamstring strain.— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 25, 2018
This is where the hamstring strain occurred for Paul. Notice how he grabs his hamstring immediately after falling down. Paul was unable to finish the final minute of the game.
According to Ben DuBose of SportsTalk790, Paul is expected to travel with the team to Oakland for Game 6. Eric Gordon will start in his place. Paul's status for Game 7 (if possible) is currently unclear.
Injuries keep getting in the way for Paul. He has worked tirelessly to finally reach the Conference Finals, and now this injury occurs. It has been a fantastic first Conference Finals for Paul as he has been able to take over the workload while James Harden has struggled from the field in recent games.
Paul has worked through a hamstring injury before. He suffered the same injury during Game 7 of the first round of the 2015 Playoffs against the Spurs and was able to finish the game. Games 1 and 2 of the second round against the Rockets is when Paul missed time. If the Rockets are able to finish the series in Oakland on Saturday, that takes some pressure off the situation as Paul would have time to recover until the beginning of the NBA Finals on May 31st.
Luc Mbah a Moute was a DNP for both Games 4 and 5. Look for that to change in Game 6 with Paul's absence. Although the shoulder injury is still lingering, his production will desperately be needed if the Rockets want to close this series out.
Rockets 83, Kings 96 - Onward
By Forrest Walker on April 11, 2018
Follow @DUNOTS
It's fitting that the Houston Rockets began their season by playing against the Sacramento Kings on the second night of a back-to-back, and finish it in exactly the same fashion. This time, however, the result was very different, though Chris Paul did miss both games. Despite this loss, the Houston Rockets will end the season with a 65-17 record, the best in the history of their franchise, and the only 60-win record in the NBA this season. It's onward to the playoffs, now.
Follow @DUNOTS
It's fitting that the Houston Rockets began their season by playing against the Sacramento Kings on the second night of a back-to-back, and finish it in exactly the same fashion. This time, however, the result was very different, though Chris Paul did miss both games. Despite this loss, the Houston Rockets will end the season with a 65-17 record, the best in the history of their franchise, and the only 60-win record in the NBA this season. It's onward to the playoffs, now.
Rockets 125, Spurs 104 - Doing it Our Way
The Houston Rockets have evened up the series with the San Antonio Spurs, and they've won their two games in exactly the fashion they wanted to. While the Spurs have bogged the game down in games two and three, the Rockets found a way to break the chains that bound them and run loose in game four. In a series with this many twists and turns, sometimes it really is just as simple as playing your game and hitting shots.
Rockets 118, Thunder 87 - Rockets Emphatically Take Game 1
[embed align="center"]http://gty.im/647021418[/embed]
The Houston Rockets faithful inside the Toyota Center was rocking in anticipation of Houston’s first exciting Playoff basketball game in two years (let’s throw last year out the window, shall we?). The crowd was wearing red, the Rockets donned their beautiful black uniforms, and the Oklahoma City Thunder wore their neon orange getups – making for the worst aesthetic for a television viewer in all of this weekend’s action. But, I digress…
In a matchup featuring the two likely finalists for this season’s Most Valuable Player Award, it was the role players who made the first major impressions on this game. For the Rockets, none other than Patrick Beverley imposed his will on both ends of the floor, hitting his first two threes and picking Russell Westbrook’s pocket to get himself an easy dunk.
Beverley’s impact would be felt all over this game. He was, expectedly, a thorn in Westbrook’s side, and his constant energy translated to 11 points on 80% shooting and seven rebounds in the first half.
On the other hand, Andre Roberson was really OKC’s only significant contributor not named Russell Westbrook on both ends of the floor. He played James Harden extremely well in the first quarter, not allowing the ‘Beard’ to find any space on the perimeter – forcing Harden to airball two threes early. The other end of the floor saw Roberson nail a trio of three-point attempts in the first half, which was frustrating for Rockets fans because he was only a 24% shooter from out there during the regular season.
Houston saw incredible contributions from their big men, namely Clint Capela, Nene, and Ryan Anderson. Capela and Nene contributed a combined 17 points, but, more importantly, they helped control the glass against one of the best rebounding teams in the league. Houston held a six-rebound advantage on the offensive glass, which helped lead to a 21-0 advantage in terms of second chance points. Ryan Anderson couldn’t buy a basket from downtown, but he did haul in seven first half rebounds – always a good thing for the Rockets.
Oh, and also, WHAT IS THIS CLINT CAPELA SORCERY?!?
Despite starting this game hitting just one of his seven field goal attempts (credit Roberson for making him uncomfortable on the perimeter), James Harden hit eight of his next eleven by attacking the rim. Harden’s first step was just too much for Roberson to handle at times, and he absolutely DESTROYED any defender that switched on him. Houston held a 59-54 lead going into halftime.
The Rockets shot just 19% (3/16) from the three-point line in the first half, but finally started to find their range in the third period – hitting four from beyond the arc. Unsurprisingly, Beverley was responsible for two of these makes, but they came after he was hit with a shoulder block that J.J. Watt (who was supporting the Rockets from the first row) would be proud of.
Beverley was understandably rattled for a second after that hit, but he shrugged it off, drained two threes, and galvanized the Rockets into putting this game away much earlier than people expected. The Rockets held a big lead by the end of the third (89-74), but it was the early fourth-quarter minutes that Harden rested that were truly crucial. Thanks to Beverley’s continued brilliance (and unbelievable defense), the Rockets managed to build the lead up to 22 before Harden even checked back in.
Defensively, the Rockets were incredible in Game 1, specifically with regards to Russell Westbrook. Sure, he posted a nice stat line of 22 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, but he only shot 26% from the field and forced nine turnovers. And not only did Westbrook struggle, but only two other Thunder players managed to score in double-digits – and no one else got double-digit rebounds.
On the other hand, the Rockets had outstanding games from Harden, Beverley, Capela, and Nene. Throw in Lou William’s (inefficient) 11 points, and the Rockets had five double-digit scorers. Also, despite his poor shooting, Ryan Anderson hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds. Considering Anderson’s, Williams’, Eric Gordon’s, and Trevor Ariza’s ineffectiveness offensively, this blowout win has to be viewed as a statement game for the Rockets – a statement that displayed just how much firepower this Rockets team really has.
Game 2 is on Wednesday, and you can bet OKC will be better prepared to retaliate.
Game Ball
This is a segment of the game recaps that will give the proverbial game ball to a player that proved to be most valuable to the Rockets on a given night. This award won’t necessarily go to the player that puts up the best numbers, but to the player that made the greatest impact on the team – tangible or intangible.
The first game ball of the postseason goes to Patrick Beverley.
In a game that saw James Harden put up insane numbers (as we all expected), it was Patrick Beverley that led the way for this to happen. Harden really struggled to start this game, but Beverley didn’t. In fact, for the first few minutes, it felt like Beverly was the only Rocket who remembered that this was a Playoff game. His efficient shooting from all over the floor, incredible defense, and never-ending enthusiasm set the tone for this game – and, hopefully, for this series.
Where would the Rockets be without Patrick Beverley?
The Houston Rockets faithful inside the Toyota Center was rocking in anticipation of Houston’s first exciting Playoff basketball game in two years (let’s throw last year out the window, shall we?). The crowd was wearing red, the Rockets donned their beautiful black uniforms, and the Oklahoma City Thunder wore their neon orange getups – making for the worst aesthetic for a television viewer in all of this weekend’s action. But, I digress…
In a matchup featuring the two likely finalists for this season’s Most Valuable Player Award, it was the role players who made the first major impressions on this game. For the Rockets, none other than Patrick Beverley imposed his will on both ends of the floor, hitting his first two threes and picking Russell Westbrook’s pocket to get himself an easy dunk.
That @patbev21 hustle on both ends. #RunAsOne 🚀 pic.twitter.com/1MZyev6S49
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) April 17, 2017
Beverley’s impact would be felt all over this game. He was, expectedly, a thorn in Westbrook’s side, and his constant energy translated to 11 points on 80% shooting and seven rebounds in the first half.
On the other hand, Andre Roberson was really OKC’s only significant contributor not named Russell Westbrook on both ends of the floor. He played James Harden extremely well in the first quarter, not allowing the ‘Beard’ to find any space on the perimeter – forcing Harden to airball two threes early. The other end of the floor saw Roberson nail a trio of three-point attempts in the first half, which was frustrating for Rockets fans because he was only a 24% shooter from out there during the regular season.
Houston saw incredible contributions from their big men, namely Clint Capela, Nene, and Ryan Anderson. Capela and Nene contributed a combined 17 points, but, more importantly, they helped control the glass against one of the best rebounding teams in the league. Houston held a six-rebound advantage on the offensive glass, which helped lead to a 21-0 advantage in terms of second chance points. Ryan Anderson couldn’t buy a basket from downtown, but he did haul in seven first half rebounds – always a good thing for the Rockets.
Oh, and also, WHAT IS THIS CLINT CAPELA SORCERY?!?
Clint Capela finds a way on @NBAonTNT! pic.twitter.com/wmNCGsBYVI
— NBA (@NBA) April 17, 2017
Despite starting this game hitting just one of his seven field goal attempts (credit Roberson for making him uncomfortable on the perimeter), James Harden hit eight of his next eleven by attacking the rim. Harden’s first step was just too much for Roberson to handle at times, and he absolutely DESTROYED any defender that switched on him. Houston held a 59-54 lead going into halftime.
The Rockets shot just 19% (3/16) from the three-point line in the first half, but finally started to find their range in the third period – hitting four from beyond the arc. Unsurprisingly, Beverley was responsible for two of these makes, but they came after he was hit with a shoulder block that J.J. Watt (who was supporting the Rockets from the first row) would be proud of.
Oh my lord Steven Adams just flattened Pat Beverley pic.twitter.com/cFeQKKiVgA
— 🐰Easter Wobby🐰 (@World_Wide_Wob) April 17, 2017
Beverley was understandably rattled for a second after that hit, but he shrugged it off, drained two threes, and galvanized the Rockets into putting this game away much earlier than people expected. The Rockets held a big lead by the end of the third (89-74), but it was the early fourth-quarter minutes that Harden rested that were truly crucial. Thanks to Beverley’s continued brilliance (and unbelievable defense), the Rockets managed to build the lead up to 22 before Harden even checked back in.
Defensively, the Rockets were incredible in Game 1, specifically with regards to Russell Westbrook. Sure, he posted a nice stat line of 22 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, but he only shot 26% from the field and forced nine turnovers. And not only did Westbrook struggle, but only two other Thunder players managed to score in double-digits – and no one else got double-digit rebounds.
On the other hand, the Rockets had outstanding games from Harden, Beverley, Capela, and Nene. Throw in Lou William’s (inefficient) 11 points, and the Rockets had five double-digit scorers. Also, despite his poor shooting, Ryan Anderson hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds. Considering Anderson’s, Williams’, Eric Gordon’s, and Trevor Ariza’s ineffectiveness offensively, this blowout win has to be viewed as a statement game for the Rockets – a statement that displayed just how much firepower this Rockets team really has.
Game 2 is on Wednesday, and you can bet OKC will be better prepared to retaliate.
Game Ball
This is a segment of the game recaps that will give the proverbial game ball to a player that proved to be most valuable to the Rockets on a given night. This award won’t necessarily go to the player that puts up the best numbers, but to the player that made the greatest impact on the team – tangible or intangible.
The first game ball of the postseason goes to Patrick Beverley.
In a game that saw James Harden put up insane numbers (as we all expected), it was Patrick Beverley that led the way for this to happen. Harden really struggled to start this game, but Beverley didn’t. In fact, for the first few minutes, it felt like Beverly was the only Rocket who remembered that this was a Playoff game. His efficient shooting from all over the floor, incredible defense, and never-ending enthusiasm set the tone for this game – and, hopefully, for this series.
Where would the Rockets be without Patrick Beverley?
Sizing Up Houston's Playoff Possibilities
[embed align="center"]http://gty.im/577858822[/embed]
Whither the playoffs? As the NBA season approaches the end, playoff seeds and matchups loom large. For the Houston Rockets, their location in the mix is nearly ironclad: they sit in the third seed, and there they shall remain. The rest of the Western Conference, however, is a swirling sea of uncertainty, leaving Houston’s destiny and matchups a question mark. What scenarios might play out? Which ones are more likely? Which ones should Houston prefer? Let’s look at each opponent, and when the Rockets might have to face them, starting at the top.
Whither the playoffs? As the NBA season approaches the end, playoff seeds and matchups loom large. For the Houston Rockets, their location in the mix is nearly ironclad: they sit in the third seed, and there they shall remain. The rest of the Western Conference, however, is a swirling sea of uncertainty, leaving Houston’s destiny and matchups a question mark. What scenarios might play out? Which ones are more likely? Which ones should Houston prefer? Let’s look at each opponent, and when the Rockets might have to face them, starting at the top.
Rockets Clinch Playoff Berth for Fifth Consecutive Season
[embed align="center"]http://gty.im/577858816[/embed]
With the Portland Trail Blazers losing to the New Orleans Pelicans Tuesday night, the Rockets have officially clinched a playoff berth with 15 games remaining in the regular season. This will be the fifth consecutive season that the Rockets have reached the postseason.
Rockets fans can take a sigh of relief. It is nice to know their team has a guaranteed spot in the Playoffs this early into the season. Last season, the Rockets didn’t clinch a playoff berth until the final game of the regular season. To put things into perspective, the Rockets currently hold a record of 46-21 through 67 games while they were just 34-33 at this point last season. The turnaround that the team has had over a short period has truly been remarkable to see.
As of right now, it looks like the Rockets will stay locked into the 3rd seed in the Western Conference. They currently have a four-game lead for the spot over the Utah Jazz. The Rockets will probably face either the Memphis Grizzlies or the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round, which would be a winnable series with either opponent.
All the Rockets need to focus on for the rest of the regular season is staying healthy and making sure they are playing their best basketball heading into the postseason. At their best, they can compete with anyone and have a legitimate chance of making a deep playoff run with championship aspirations.
If they are able to clinch the 3rd seed with a few games left, Mike D’Antoni should consider resting James Harden. He has logged plenty of minutes and could use a few days off. He has already done enough to make his case for the MVP.
With the Portland Trail Blazers losing to the New Orleans Pelicans Tuesday night, the Rockets have officially clinched a playoff berth with 15 games remaining in the regular season. This will be the fifth consecutive season that the Rockets have reached the postseason.
Rockets fans can take a sigh of relief. It is nice to know their team has a guaranteed spot in the Playoffs this early into the season. Last season, the Rockets didn’t clinch a playoff berth until the final game of the regular season. To put things into perspective, the Rockets currently hold a record of 46-21 through 67 games while they were just 34-33 at this point last season. The turnaround that the team has had over a short period has truly been remarkable to see.
As of right now, it looks like the Rockets will stay locked into the 3rd seed in the Western Conference. They currently have a four-game lead for the spot over the Utah Jazz. The Rockets will probably face either the Memphis Grizzlies or the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round, which would be a winnable series with either opponent.
All the Rockets need to focus on for the rest of the regular season is staying healthy and making sure they are playing their best basketball heading into the postseason. At their best, they can compete with anyone and have a legitimate chance of making a deep playoff run with championship aspirations.
If they are able to clinch the 3rd seed with a few games left, Mike D’Antoni should consider resting James Harden. He has logged plenty of minutes and could use a few days off. He has already done enough to make his case for the MVP.
Warriors 115, Rockets 106 - No Curry, No Difference
The Rockets and their fans have something in common.
They're both ready for this season to end.
Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors – Game 1: David, Meet Goliath.
By Taylor Pate on April 15, 2016
On Saturday, the Houston Rockets will begin the opening round of the 2015-16 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors, fresh off of their record-breaking 73rd victory. The odds are stacked against the Rockets. They’re 14 point underdogs and the only bigger spread is the 14.5 point spread between the Spurs and Grizzlies (who are just short of a D-League team). Golden State finished 39-2 at home this season, with their two losses coming to Boston and Minnesota. The Rockets finished 18-23 on the road, which almost feels like a victory considering their overall record of 41-41.
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