Sigh, Lin went to the bench leading by 6. When he came back, it's down by 4. It's like that every time. How could he play a good game if he needs to play catch up every single game.
Jrue is playing very aggressive and taking it to Lin/Dougie. Great offensive moves -- will not be surprised if Jrue ends with 30+ points with 7+ assists.
This rockets offense is like Jekyll and Hyde. Sometime its good and sometimes its terrible. Same with Lin's role in this team. He sometimes plays PG and sometimes no one knows what position he plays.
Today's offensive plan " Pass to Harden". Feels like they might lose this one.
hate this feeling... feeling scared that Rockets will lose but even more freaked out that JLin will be benched in crucial moments again :(
All the while I thought that Mc Hale has already seen the light (as to how vital Lin is on the team) esp after he kept Lin on the game even after getting a bloody head but this is early season all over again... sigh
Try to keep things in the long-term perspective: Lin's offensive performance is not going to change dramatically this year. I would say hopefully we see big improvements in his shooting during off-season and he comes back with an improved offensive mojo. And also, hopefully, Lin gets a taste of playoffs. However, one thing is clear: unless the Robin makes an impact offensively, Batman and Rockets are going nowhere.
When it comes to a moment like this, it is tough being a fan of a team that you don't like supporting bec it doesn't support jeremy.I wish that mchale be replaced sooner than later bec i don't think Jeremy will be playing for a different team in the next 2 seasons.
@jlin74ever Exactly. Honestly I am not yet a true convert (Rocket fan) so to speak because I have yet to see them fully respecting and supporting Lin and what he represents, thus, when Lin is benched I don't care if they lose the game :(
When will the Rockets learn that they will continue to lose game no matter how many points Parsons/Harden score and Lin is not involved in offense? Especially Parsons, drbbling around, jacking up shots and then turnovers and getting burnt on D is not winning basketball, no matter how many points you put up. And who gives this untalented player such green light?
Lin doesnt get to play that often. Look close - often - when Lin wants to attack - Harden would stand behind Lin. If Lin goes in the team is 4 against 5 cause Harden isnt with them. So - Lin passes to Harden for Hardens offense...
People would look at Lin's shooting % today and think he has a bad game. But the truth is that most of his shots are spot up shots off the great "playmaking" by the great Parsons and Harden. When will the coaches learn that Lin is better as a playmaker and Parsons and Harden are better as the spot up shooters?
I love how Parsons goes off but the team is still losing big. Check the stats, Parsons scored more in losses than in wins. This guy had zero impact on winning. Can't stand selfish players who are only concerned to "get his".
Stop blaming Harden, Parsons, or whoever. JLin cant buy a bucket. His missed like 50 layups today. Look at JLin before you you all start blaming. Geez for real.
chill the h.ell out. got damn. Everyone wants Lin to play well, obviously his shots aren't falling. No worries though, TD will finish the game, then you can b.itch some more tonight.
Who give a fuck what Harden or Parsons do? Just in case you forgot, this is a JLin's fansite. If you love Harden and Pansy then go to their fansites and drool.
Are u parsons/ harden fan and all the rest except jlin?I only have one thing to say, get a life and don't waste our time reading your garbage thought.I really can't stand you in this site.
I quoted you yesterday already. You said Harden played bad and blamed Lin for not stepping up Linsanity style when he was the most consistent player out there. Go back and read it. I swear - you are the craziest troll on this site. Number one JLin hater in disguise. Always nagging about Lins performance - even if you have to pull something out of your fat ass!
Go to previous page and read Rachas post. He claims that JLin is only mediocre. He thinks hes right on that. He also claimed we are all wrong. So - he wants to enlighten us.
@Racha:
Im a groupie and you are a hater on a fansite. Dont you have a life or do you simply think you are Jesus? You think you are here to safe us?
I thought u said u don't care about harden u only care about jlin that's why u only talk about jlin's flaws. So why u care now about blaming harden or parson or whoever? I guess we really can't talk about jlin without talking about his teammates. Aren't we? They are a team. All of them are to blame, how about that? Now we all good and happy.
He's mediocre at this point in his career. That ain't blame. That's the truth. You cant handle the truth? You need to seriously do something about your sensitivity. You're more sensitive than a damn clit fool.
Chillax..... how many games has the ROX played? Remember the last 4 games in 5 nights? This is a young team that struggles with good defense and length.... on the road no less where we are 7 - 11. Morris is struggling, Lin not playing Linsanity level so just relax and let the game unfold...
I have no problem with the truth. You are the one here who claims to know the THE TRUTH all the time. Sign of mental illness or stupidity -> go see a shrink dude!
Im not sensitive. You react sensitively like a girl on a ketchup day when people talk about Lin without bashing him.
I swear - you are the number one hater here! You cant handle it when people have a good time talking about Lin. You are running out of arguments (cause you have none). Thats why you call people names. Your mamma didnt love you enough?
willydilly you baby back bitch. yes, you're sensitive like a mofo. that's you. you respond to every minute thing and rage over it. if you're not sensitive, i seriously dont know what is. oh same old sheet, mama stuff. you mamma clit's is probably not as sensitive as you.
And stop deflecting. Im not claiming to know what you think. You are the one who claims to know what everyone else thinks - including JLin. You claimed on the other thread that people here are wrong and you are right. Thats worse dude. And dont think you can insult or upset me. You dont have what it takes to insult me. You are not in the position. I dont take retards like you serious.
Again - dont deflect. Im not the one wasting thoughts on a parents genitals. Thats all you. Your family matters are not my business dude. Just because you do nasty things that doesnt mean everybody does :)
I get it. You have a tough life. Thats why you are here - calling people fools and hate on Lin. But - just because you call me pussy face that doesnt make up for other people calling you pussy face. Stop it dude. You are out of control. Please see your shrink.
I didnt insult your mamma. Everybody knows that it takes at least one bad parent to screw up a kid. So - I simply guessed. Read your own comments -> quod erat demonstrandum!
Put it this way. If you dislike how people talk about harden , parson or whoever, at the same time, some also dislike how u talk about Lin too. So it's even Steven. No need to fire up or anything though. Try to make some peace here and hope everybody chill, watch the game and enjoy the site more.
why you back tracking fool. you try to act righteous but your the biggest dipshit here. aside for being hyper sensitive, you have a low EQ. I can trip you off just like that. clit face, now go suck on your thumb to ease the pain of reality. your mama needs to save her boy from being a crazy ass groupie.
yeah i'm a virgin, better than having a clit. you're so damn sensitive you cant handle a challenge. go play with you clit fool that's what you do best.
Errrr..u guys really should stop. It's getting too far. It's endless arguing. . Bring in anyone's mama is just too off, silly and disrespect to ur mama.
Not Jeremy's night from the field, but it's hard to score when you don't get any picks all game and aren't allowed to touch the ball for five minutes at a time.
I'm tellin you, Harden & Parson really have a knack or gift on defense. Guys literally help resurrected JRich from the dead and that is something special
Only in McHale's world a guy who got 5 turnovers should handle the ball, the guy with 1 turnover should not. Also only the PG with turnovers is constantly benched but the SF and SG and backup PG with turnovers are never benched.
Yeah but since Douglas' 1/5 shooting is still better % than Lin's 1/8, he will probably play the whole 4th quarter. And even Lin plays, he has to play off the great Parsons and Harden anyway.
This coaching staff is so stupid. TD is a spot up shooter and Lin is a better scorer off the dribble. But this dumb coaching staff keeps playing them the opposite.
Lin's a role player and has no plays run for him, that's why no one sets a pick for him. Picks are only set for star players and designated playmakers Harden and Parsons.
I don't think Lin played poorly. The only chances he got are off his own steals and fastbreak. Otherwise he only got to spot up shoot in half court. No PG would have a good game if his role is like that.
I also believe that Lin is not playing poorly even he is not active offensively (he's doing everything else) but i think he's the only guy on the team who cares about the team and not just padding their own stat
I don't believe that either. I just remember McHale saying something to that effect at the beginning of the season. That is my explanation for the crazy obsession with the three ball.
i'm confused...has Lin reverted back to his early season play? He seems more passive or maybe teams have figured him out? i.e., pack the paint/driving lanes, make him take the J??
Someone, help me out here. Not looking for homer answers either.
I firmly believe it's because dumb McHale's previous bitching about Lin's turnovers had its effect. Noticed that Lin had 0 and 1 turnover last 2 games but he did not play well at all.
Fucking dumb ass ballhog who made Melo look more like a team player. The game was in reach and they fucked it up with stupid coaching and selfish hero ball.
Sometimes your teammate hit the cold stretch, but if you are a true team player, you would encourage your teammate to keep shooting. On that airball that he forced up, Lin was right next to him by himself waving for the ball and Harden just ignored Lin. Wtf was that then?
its good to see JLin playing hard until the end, working with delfino to trap jrue. he just doesn't give up. that's something i really like about JLin.
Have a nice rest to all jlin fans. Tomorrow will be another day.let's get over this frustration.Racha dear,may your Brain have a good rest as well and start seeing the good side of our beloved jeremy.
Good luck Jeremy. Nothing more to say. Enjoy ur game and play ur best. Simply support is all what I can give u as a fan. Too much noise, too much criticism already out there. You don't need any of that from ur fans.
Ignoring the missed shots (which weren't bad shots) I thought Lin played pretty well tonight. Coaching must have too... he played the whole 4th quarter (or close to it)?
Nice keeping the steals streak alive. While I doubt Lin is into personal glorification, it's nice to see him on the leaderboards for something.
Did think it was pretty funny (or sadly ignorant) one of the announcers was saying something about Lin asking to sit so he could take a breather while TD subbed in... uh, is that how it's been working?
Well, we got the FT's figured out (nice going Omer!) maybe we can get the 3 pt shooting red hot again after a nice rest. Should we upset the Clips (and maybe have Lin outplay Paul?), these last three games will have been worth it, right?
Lin is coming along nicely. I wouldn't worry about Lin, he is use to fighting his way into something. Same thing goes for his place on the team. He will get his props eventually, which Lin doesn't really care, he just wants the team to win. people keep talking about Lin being traded,no I don't thinks so. Mchale will gone first if Rockets keep losing. Make no mistake, Les Alexander is a businessman first, and he wants to win, and now he has a young team that is good with a little grooming, could be champions, he will find the right coach for them.just sayin...
+/- for a player is the number of points scored by the player's team minus the number of points scored by the opposing team while the player is playing
PF is power forward e.g. Patterson's and Morris's position
FT% is free throw percentage e.g. free throws that go in divided by total three throws attempted
I think the problem comes from Asik. He just doesn't fit this offense since he can't contribute in the pick and roll.
Asik cant pick n pop and the high PnR puts him too far away from the rim to be an effective roller, so if you PnR with Asik, the defense will just switch to double Lin.
So they end up not using Asik to set screens and Asik's guy just clogs the paint.
The Rockets are not even playoff contenders. They are too inconsistent. They have no plays other shooting from the 3 point line, and when that doesn't work they go iso with Harden. They don't have the team mindset to win games. That is something that the coach should be preaching, but he is not, and they will go nowhere real fast. There is so much hate for Lin and I see the media and even the coaches trying to marginalize his game, but Lin will be the one with the last laugh when he ends up PG for LA Lakers in a couple of years.just sayin...
Why wait another two years when Lin could dominate for the Rockets now and Dantoni probably won't make it beyond next season?
All we need is a better fit for Lin and Harden. I'm not sure if McHale knows this but Morrey does. Asik is a good C that doesn't fit this team. We could trade him for something valuable and use someone like Smith as our C.
When we have Asik weighing down our offense and our F's can't hit three's everyone will gaurd the paint.
@blackflag, i agree with you, about Asik. i say lin will be in LA, because the reason they brought Datoni in is to rebuild the Lakers around Howard. The owner is waiting for Kobe to leave, and the team is just buying it's time until that happens.imo
Can someone help me im so depressed from watching this kind of game. It. Was a must win but now they are on a loosing streak...I dont know if they can recover..so sad, they need to wake up and play harder seems like they are playing so slow and passive.....
@john jun, this is on the coaches not the players. I think they will continue to loose until that set some game plans beyond shooting 3's and making Harden the PG and Harden being the only option after the 3's don't fall. so don't be depressed, i think the rockets will be fine.
It's really unbelievable how people here place the blame on Jeremy's misses, lack of aggression, turnovers on everyone on this team including its coaches. It's sad that for people who claim to be his fans, you are NOTHING like him. Zero responsibility, humility, team mindedness. It's all about Lin's stats so you can brag and lift your own self confidence. More selfishness and mememe than fandom and team support on this site.
I disagree. I think a lot what is being said here is spot on sometimes. I for one think that the last couple of losses was poor coaching. I personally don't think this team has the team mindset, as for Lin's stats, they are what they are. Also the same could be said when it comes to Harden. I was on twitter when they played NOH, where Harden played poorly until 4th quarter, and the only thing the I think the media and the fans were worried about was whether Harden was get his 20+pts,not caring about the win. So please don't preach to us about being a team fan. There is so much negative stuff written about Lin on the so-called Houston rockets fan sites, so please spare me the high horse attitude. It is what it is...
Leech off of the glory when he succeeds and deny any blame when he doesn't. Does anyone here give credit to coaching when Lin has an awesome game or when the Rockets win? Didn't think so. Lin's stats are all that matter here.. It is what it is, I got it.
Jonathan Feigen: Chandler Parsons ailed it w/ evaluation of Rockets defense: "Individually, everybody just got worked today." Transition defense no better.
Hou headed on road trip after 3-consecutive double-digit comebacks. Doesn't work so well on road. Another run keeps it close, but answered.
Harden w maybe his best move of season, has Philly fans oohing, ahhing. Between legs going forward, past Holiday, 3-point play, 3-pt game.
Lin 1 of 8 for 4pts in 25 minutes, but it's not the perimeter shooting this time. Most of misses from coming up short on drives.
Jason Friedman: Rough roadie for Houston ends 0-3 after Rockets fall 107-100 to Philly. Doesn't get easier with game vs. Clips Tues before 4-game road trip.
Been that kind of road trip for Rockets. Since 4Q in New Orleans, just haven't been able to put together consistent stretch of quality play
Transition D. Been a bugaboo all season. Just can't give up gimmes like that in tight games. Sixers up 7, 3:54 to go.
Lazy transition D ruining what has largely been a really good 1Q for Houston. Have to close out on Dorell Wright. Have to. 22-21 Rockets.
Jrue Holiday scored 30 points, Thaddeus Young had 18 points and 12 rebounds and the Philadelphia 76ers snapped a five-game losing streak with a 107-100 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night. Jason Richardson scored 16 points for the Sixers, who finally return home for a lengthy stint as they try to play their way back into the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Sixers opened a stretch of 12 home games in the next 13 and hope they can start to offset a miserable 2-6 road trip that stretched over the new year. They played 12 of 15 on the road dating back to Dec. 14. ''No excuses, you've got to play all 82,'' coach Doug Collins said. ''But when they're bunched like that, it's tough. Over the holidays. We spent Christmas on the road. We spent New Year's on the road. That's not easy. People forget they do have families and they have to give that up.'' The road woes are one reason the Sixers are only 6-16 after a nice 10-6 start to the season. But it's turned into crunch time quickly for the Sixers as they as try and get back to .500 in the next month before the hopeful return of injured center Andrew Bynum. James Harden led the Rockets with 29 points and Chandler Parsons had 23. Jeremy Lin missed 11 of 13 shots for seven points en route to Houston's third straight loss. ''Every team goes through some adversity and we're going through some a little bit right now,'' coach Kevin McHale said. ''We didn't win. We've got to find a way to win.'' Led by 24 points from Holiday, the energetic Sixers built a 14-point lead in the third quarter, and found an offensive touch they've missed for most of the season. The Sixers entered 27th in the NBA in scoring (92.2 points) and regularly failed to even reach 90 points over the last six weeks. Spencer Hawes hit a jumper early in the fourth to make it 91-82 - the first time in six games the Sixers had scored more than 89 points. The Sixers didn't break 89 in either of their two games before a 103-99 win over the Lakers on Jan. 1. The cushion almost wasn't enough once Harden tried to take over. Collins called Harden a legitimate MVP candidate and the Houston guard showed why in the fourth. He scored six straight points, including the play of the game, going between his legs in transition and drawing a foul on a bucket over three defenders. Harden's three-point play pulled Houston to 96-93.
For once, the stumbling Sixers didn't break in the waning minutes. Evan Turner, who scored 12 points, fed a long pass to Young for a big dunk on the break and a seven-point lead. The Rockets missed eight straight shots from the field to lose control of their comeback. Harden fumbled the ball with a minute a left and Young was there to pick it up and fire to Holiday, who took one look over his shoulder and put in the easy layup for a 104-94 lead. Holiday sank two free throws to hit the 30-point mark, falling three points shy of matching his career high set in November against Phoenix. He made 11 of 22 shots, sank all seven attempts from the free-throw line and had nine assists (with six turnovers). ''We needed it,'' Holiday said. ''Going into this home stretch, getting the first one is huge. Home court is big. It's crucial. On the road, we didn't do what we wanted to do. We've got to come here and try and win at home.'' Houston's cold stretch was uncharacteristic of a team that was second in the NBA in scoring (105.60 points) behind Oklahoma City. The Rockets only shot 30 percent from 3-point range (8 of 32) and had no answer to stop Holiday en route to their third straight loss. ''Teams are getting out to some good leads on us and we try and fight back,'' Harden said. ''We get it back to a two- or three-point game and then run out of energy.'' Collins has noted this team's missing energy to open second halves over the last month. Against Houston, they started slow, trailing by 11 before ending the quarter on a 20-6 run. Turner scored 12 points in the second quarter to help the Sixers take a 58-50 lead into halftime. The Sixers held on to avoid a season-high losing streak and win for only the fourth time in 17 games.
It wasn't easy. And after finding themselves down 20-9 midway through the first quarter, it looked as though the Philadelphia 76ers would extend their losing streak to a season-high six games. But strong performances across the board ultimately resulted in a 107-100 victory over the Houston Rockets at the Wells Fargo Center.
Oh... they tried to Sixer it away at times. A 14-point lead was cut to three with six minutes to go in the final period, but the Sixers made just enough plays down the stretch to put this one on the win column.
Jrue Holiday led the Sixers with 30 points and nine assists, while Thaddeus Young chipped in 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Spencer Hawes was classic Spencer Hawes: Solid play (10 points, eight rebounds) interspersed with bonehead decisions (including an ill-advised technical foul in the fourth quarter).
Like most teams, the Sixers had no absolutely answer from James Harden (29 points, nine rebounds, six assists), but they were able to keep Jeremy Lin in check all evening (seven points on 2-for-13 shooting).
For some reason, Synergy only has 12 of Lin's 13 FGA characterized tonight (I wonder which play is the discrepancy). Anyways, some of you might be interested in the breakdown:
3 ISO plays 1 PnR Handler 3 Spot up 1 Offscreen 1 Hand off 1 Offensive rebound 2 Transition
PHILADELPHIA – That cute little habit of falling behind by double digits and making a fast run was fun when the Rockets were on their winning streak. The road, however, does not play along.
The Rockets could still make runs. They did in Boston on Friday. They did in Philadelphia again on Saturday. But once again, with the game on the line, they seemed to empty the tank just to mount the comeback and faded badly down the stretch.
With the game on the line in the final six minutes, the Rockets fell apart again, clanging eight-consecutive shots – all from beyond the arc – when they had little margin of error left. The Sixers needed only a brief run to put the game away, taking a 107-100 win that sent the Rockets to their third-consecutive loss since heading out of town with a five-game winning streak.
The Rockets, however, could lament coming up short down the stretch almost exactly when they crashed the night before. They knew, however, that the problems were deeper than a stretch of missed shots or an unforgiving stretch of schedule.
The problem was not that they could not make the fourth-quarter runs last; it was that they had backed themselves into needing them to.
“That’s what happened the past couple games,” guard James Harden, who scored 29 points with nine rebounds said. “Teams get out to good leads on us and we try to fight back. We get back to a two- or three-point game and we run out of energy. We have to do a good job of sustaining it for 48 minutes.”
It’s one thing to score 15 points in a little more than three minutes as the Rockets did to close the gap to three. It’s a bit much to expect that kind of run to continue the rest of the night.
That, however, is what the Rockets have needed because for a second-consecutive night they had to be their best just to be in the game. In Boston, they had a 12-0 run to within two with 7 ½ minutes left, then made 1 of 4 shots with a turnover as the Celtics pulled away. In Philadelphia, they had an 11-3 run to within three with 6:11 left and then missed their next eight shots as the Sixers took control.
After scoring at the rim in four-consecutive possessions, the Rockets backed up to 24 feet and hit a wall.
“You have to value each possession,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. “Hopefully that goes without saying. You can’t just throw possessions away.”
That had been the problem throughout the road trip. They had so many wasted possessions through the games – with turnovers in bunches in New Orleans and defense every bit as sloppy in Boston and Philadelphia — they could hardly expect to correct everything in the fourth quarter. The Rockets, however, did not blame their failure down the stretch as much as their shortcomings throughout the game.
They struggled in several ways, from Jeremy Lin going 2 of 13 (his worst shooting in any game with 10 attempts other than the 1 of 11 against the Heat last season at the end of his run) to power forwards Marcus Morris and Patrick Patterson going a combined 3 of 10 with two rebounds between them. But the Rockets were certain they would have scored more than enough if they could have slowed the Sixers on the on the other end.
“We’re not getting stops,” Harden said. “In the five-game winning streak, we were getting stops, getting out in transition and scoring the basketball. If we don’t get stops, it slows us down so that’s key.”
The 76ers scored 15 points more than they average. Making 43.8 percent of their shots, they made 49.4 percent. The Sixers had averaged 84.2 points in the five-game losing streak they had brought into the game.
“Individually, everybody just got worked today,” said Chandler Parsons, who scored 23 points with nine rebounds. “Their players scored and did what they wanted to do. Individually, our defense could have been way better. When we’re not getting stops, it doesn’t let us do what we’re capable of doing.”
The Rockets gave themselves a chance to steal the win down the stretch, anyway. Instead, they returned home with another lesson. Mounting unlikely comebacks might work on occasion. It’s not built to last.
Rockets will win this. It's not hoping but claiming it!!!!
ReplyDeleteSigh, Lin went to the bench leading by 6. When he came back, it's down by 4. It's like that every time. How could he play a good game if he needs to play catch up every single game.
ReplyDeleteI guess that's how he can prove in the face of mchale how efficient he is
DeleteYeah - anouncers kept asking how that happened. I kept thinking it happened cause Lins out. He played well so far. Unfortunately missed his layups
DeleteHe has a cold start again
ReplyDeleteWhats with Asik? Making his fts - even making a jumper :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't know he can make jump shot lol
ReplyDeleteIve seen two great jumpers from Asik this season :)
DeleteJLin fouled twice on one drive... no call. Damn!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteLove that block on harden. Oops sorry
ReplyDeleteCommentators so far has given good commnets abt jeremy... First he is very quick and that he is a good rebounder.
ReplyDeleteWhen will ever McHale's love children Parsons and Harden be taken out because of their bad D?
ReplyDeleteLin super super passive. Needs to shoot the 3.
ReplyDeleteNo one is biting his long jumper fakes; they know Lin ain't going to shoot.
Deleteanyone notice that nobody is willing to pass to Lin unless they had to, this has been the trend for the past 3 games.
ReplyDeleteJrue is playing very aggressive and taking it to Lin/Dougie. Great offensive moves -- will not be surprised if Jrue ends with 30+ points with 7+ assists.
ReplyDeleteUgggh... Jeremy is sittibg again with 2 mins left in Q2. Whhhyyyyy?????
ReplyDeleteIf Lin doesn't get 15 or more points, Rockets are going to lose.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSame old, same old. The less Jeremy is involved on offense, the more they lose.
ReplyDeleteMcHale can't comprehend letting the PG run the offense and handle the ball.
Jeremy needs another coach or another team.
agree!
Deletebut it could have been a little better if Lin is more outspoken and isn't so timid.
DeleteHow come they are not running Harden to Lin screens anymore?
ReplyDeleteLin seems to struggle scoring on the 2nd night of B2B's
ReplyDeleteThis rockets offense is like Jekyll and Hyde. Sometime its good and sometimes its terrible. Same with Lin's role in this team. He sometimes plays PG and sometimes no one knows what position he plays.
ReplyDeleteToday's offensive plan " Pass to Harden". Feels like they might lose this one.
hate this feeling... feeling scared that Rockets will lose but even more freaked out that JLin will be benched in crucial moments again :(
ReplyDeleteAll the while I thought that Mc Hale has already seen the light (as to how vital Lin is on the team) esp after he kept Lin on the game even after getting a bloody head but this is early season all over again... sigh
Try to keep things in the long-term perspective: Lin's offensive performance is not going to change dramatically this year. I would say hopefully we see big improvements in his shooting during off-season and he comes back with an improved offensive mojo. And also, hopefully, Lin gets a taste of playoffs. However, one thing is clear: unless the Robin makes an impact offensively, Batman and Rockets are going nowhere.
DeleteWhen it comes to a moment like this, it is tough being a fan of a team that you don't like supporting bec it doesn't support jeremy.I wish that mchale be replaced sooner than later bec i don't think Jeremy will be playing for a different team in the next 2 seasons.
Delete@jlin74ever Exactly. Honestly I am not yet a true convert (Rocket fan) so to speak because I have yet to see them fully respecting and supporting Lin and what he represents, thus, when Lin is benched I don't care if they lose the game :(
DeleteAmen to that. I dont care what rockets fans say cuz im not sold to that team. All i know is i'm a hardcore jlin fan.
Deleteditto :)
DeleteOther teams don't need a game plan against the Rockets when Mchale sticks with Harden Ball, bad substitution, and 3 pt buffet. Self destruction.
ReplyDeleteLin & Greg Smith both are +3 at the half, the rest of the team are minus
ReplyDeleteI wish Lin drives, stops and takes those short jumpers more. He should really try.
ReplyDeleteHe's so passive, uninvolved and no one on the team seems to care. Including him!
ReplyDeleteWhen will the Rockets learn that they will continue to lose game no matter how many points Parsons/Harden score and Lin is not involved in offense? Especially Parsons, drbbling around, jacking up shots and then turnovers and getting burnt on D is not winning basketball, no matter how many points you put up. And who gives this untalented player such green light?
ReplyDeleteI AGREE.
DeleteLin with another steal and then battling 3 guy under the hoop :)
ReplyDeleteWHY IS HARDEN AND PARSONS GETTING SETS/RUNNING PLAYS? WTHELL HAPPENED TO LIN?????
ReplyDeleteLin doesnt get to play that often. Look close - often - when Lin wants to attack - Harden would stand behind Lin. If Lin goes in the team is 4 against 5 cause Harden isnt with them. So - Lin passes to Harden for Hardens offense...
DeleteI really hope Parsons gets traded so McHale can stop this irrational love fest with him and consider him as a "playmaker".
DeletePeople would look at Lin's shooting % today and think he has a bad game. But the truth is that most of his shots are spot up shots off the great "playmaking" by the great Parsons and Harden. When will the coaches learn that Lin is better as a playmaker and Parsons and Harden are better as the spot up shooters?
DeleteOmer with 3pt play!
ReplyDeleteI love how Parsons goes off but the team is still losing big. Check the stats, Parsons scored more in losses than in wins. This guy had zero impact on winning. Can't stand selfish players who are only concerned to "get his".
ReplyDeletethis shit is so frustrating.
ReplyDeleteOmg! 1/8 fg really!
ReplyDeleteStop blaming Harden, Parsons, or whoever. JLin cant buy a bucket. His missed like 50 layups today. Look at JLin before you you all start blaming. Geez for real.
ReplyDeleteSomebody has to blame Harden. Yesterday Harden didnt get it going and you still blamed Lin...
DeleteGo back and quote me how I blamed JLin. Show me before you open your big mouth.
Deletechill the h.ell out. got damn. Everyone wants Lin to play well, obviously his shots aren't falling. No worries though, TD will finish the game, then you can b.itch some more tonight.
DeleteYou all need to chill with the blame BS. I'm just talking about JLin no one else. So who needs to chill.
DeleteI bitch but your baby back bitch.
DeleteWho give a fuck what Harden or Parsons do? Just in case you forgot, this is a JLin's fansite. If you love Harden and Pansy then go to their fansites and drool.
DeleteRacha
DeleteAre u parsons/ harden fan and all the rest except jlin?I only have one thing to say, get a life and don't waste our time reading your garbage thought.I really can't stand you in this site.
No one gives a fuck about Harden or Parsons but you all bitch ass sure like bringing them up on this site more than anyone.
Delete@Racha:
DeleteI quoted you yesterday already. You said Harden played bad and blamed Lin for not stepping up Linsanity style when he was the most consistent player out there. Go back and read it. I swear - you are the craziest troll on this site. Number one JLin hater in disguise. Always nagging about Lins performance - even if you have to pull something out of your fat ass!
Quote me exactly. Not how you like to twist things.
DeleteRacha you mad?
DeleteI got a fat ass and you got a fat ass lip. All you sorry ass do suck on them JLin's ass. Damn groupie. You aint even a fan, you're a damn groupie.
Deleteslash29, that's how these fools want to talk so that's how i'm gonna respond.
Delete@JLinfan4ever and everyody else:
DeleteGo to previous page and read Rachas post. He claims that JLin is only mediocre. He thinks hes right on that. He also claimed we are all wrong. So - he wants to enlighten us.
@Racha:
Im a groupie and you are a hater on a fansite. Dont you have a life or do you simply think you are Jesus? You think you are here to safe us?
@Racha:
DeleteSo everybody is a fool except you? Muahahaha. You are sick dude. You need a shrink!
I thought u said u don't care about harden u only care about jlin that's why u only talk about jlin's flaws. So why u care now about blaming harden or parson or whoever? I guess we really can't talk about jlin without talking about his teammates. Aren't we? They are a team. All of them are to blame, how about that? Now we all good and happy.
DeleteHe's mediocre at this point in his career. That ain't blame. That's the truth. You cant handle the truth? You need to seriously do something about your sensitivity. You're more sensitive than a damn clit fool.
DeleteJlinfans
DeleteCan we file a petition that racha be banned from this site. This troll is such a distraction.can u not get it, we dont like you here.
Chillax..... how many games has the ROX played? Remember the last 4 games in 5 nights? This is a young team that struggles with good defense and length.... on the road no less where we are 7 - 11. Morris is struggling, Lin not playing Linsanity level so just relax and let the game unfold...
DeleteThat's what i said. Read below that's what i wrote. They're all to blame, period. Not just Harden or Parsons. EVERYONE. Including JLIN.
DeleteNo one saying Jlin needs to play LINSANITY mode fool. Just play above average. Stop acting like you know what people are thinking.
Delete@Racha:
DeleteI have no problem with the truth. You are the one here who claims to know the THE TRUTH all the time. Sign of mental illness or stupidity -> go see a shrink dude!
Im not sensitive. You react sensitively like a girl on a ketchup day when people talk about Lin without bashing him.
I swear - you are the number one hater here! You cant handle it when people have a good time talking about Lin. You are running out of arguments (cause you have none). Thats why you call people names. Your mamma didnt love you enough?
LOL Racha - OK I ll read your stuff later, rather watch the game before trolling Lin's fansite
Deletewillydilly you baby back bitch. yes, you're sensitive like a mofo. that's you. you respond to every minute thing and rage over it. if you're not sensitive, i seriously dont know what is. oh same old sheet, mama stuff. you mamma clit's is probably not as sensitive as you.
Delete@Racha:
DeleteAnd stop deflecting. Im not claiming to know what you think. You are the one who claims to know what everyone else thinks - including JLin. You claimed on the other thread that people here are wrong and you are right. Thats worse dude. And dont think you can insult or upset me. You dont have what it takes to insult me. You are not in the position. I dont take retards like you serious.
willydilly got his sensitivity for his mammma's pussy. you damn pussy face. go cry now before you start raging again.
Deletewillydilly eff you pussy face. go nurse your clit face.
Delete@Racha:
DeleteAgain - dont deflect. Im not the one wasting thoughts on a parents genitals. Thats all you. Your family matters are not my business dude. Just because you do nasty things that doesnt mean everybody does :)
Sheet, try to act righteous. You brought the mamma shit and now you try to back track. If you gonna talk shit i'm with you fool. Damn clit face.
Delete@Racha:
DeleteI get it. You have a tough life. Thats why you are here - calling people fools and hate on Lin. But - just because you call me pussy face that doesnt make up for other people calling you pussy face. Stop it dude. You are out of control. Please see your shrink.
you need change that willydilly name of yours. willydilly? wtf is that a sex toy lol. please. i beat your pussy ass down any day.
Delete@Racha aka low IQ dude:
DeleteI didnt insult your mamma. Everybody knows that it takes at least one bad parent to screw up a kid. So - I simply guessed. Read your own comments -> quod erat demonstrandum!
Racha getting owned.
DeletePut it this way. If you dislike how people talk about harden , parson or whoever, at the same time, some also dislike how u talk about Lin too. So it's even Steven. No need to fire up or anything though. Try to make some peace here and hope everybody chill, watch the game and enjoy the site more.
Delete@Racha:
DeleteYep - Im a sextoy. At least thats what the girls say. You of course - find that insulting. What are you? A 29 year old virgin?
You wanna challenge me? MUahahahahhahahahahahahhahahah
why you back tracking fool. you try to act righteous but your the biggest dipshit here. aside for being hyper sensitive, you have a low EQ. I can trip you off just like that. clit face, now go suck on your thumb to ease the pain of reality. your mama needs to save her boy from being a crazy ass groupie.
Delete@Racha:
DeleteTake a chill pill. I got your ass beat and english is not even my first language. Its my 4th language.
yeah i'm a virgin, better than having a clit. you're so damn sensitive you cant handle a challenge. go play with you clit fool that's what you do best.
Deletei can tell you're a fob. only fobs act like groupies like you.
Deletewillydilly is a damn fob and a clit face. Have you seen a walking clit speaking 4 languages? Damn I gotta be careful.
DeleteRacha, it's low IQ not EQ.... but given the quality of your posts so far, I will assume you didn't know any better.
Deleteslash29 you don't know what's EQ. Go look it up fool before you spew junk.
DeleteAnother groupie fob, LOL.
DeleteRacha and overly sensitive as well
DeleteEQ stands for emotional intelligence. if you still don't what it is, google it fool, LMAO. Trying to be a smartass.
DeleteEQ stands for emotional quotient which is the same as emotional intelligence.
Deleteslash29 you feeling stupid now huh? You know what' EQ yet?
DeleteErrrr..u guys really should stop. It's getting too far. It's endless arguing. . Bring in anyone's mama is just too off, silly and disrespect to ur mama.
DeleteRacha you realize what I am doing right?
Delete@willy
DeleteI am sorry I defended @Racha yesterday. Go keep him straight.
You're looking up what EQ means at this moment, right?
DeleteI don't need no defending. I can stand on my own fool. This is between me and willy keep out of it.
DeleteEveryone in rockets looked exhausted except Harden. I wonder why?
ReplyDeleteDEP in the mirror?
DeleteNot Jeremy's night from the field, but it's hard to score when you don't get any picks all game and aren't allowed to touch the ball for five minutes at a time.
ReplyDeleteHe missed a ton of shots at the basket. He got his shots but he's not making them, period.
DeleteIn traffic with no picks. You have to understand this.
DeleteDon't get me wrong, it's a bad shooting game. But it's not just a matter of "getting shots."
For example, Jeremy started last year's Philly game 1-11...and finished with 18 points?
DeleteHow you ask? Because he was allowed to play his game and get high picks.
Think about that.
@zxcvb:
DeleteDont bother. Hes only here to bash Lin.
also the refs are not making any calls in the lane....
DeleteI'm tellin you, Harden & Parson really have a knack or gift on defense. Guys literally help resurrected JRich from the dead and that is something special
ReplyDeleteYeah and the Rockets fans excused their bad D because they needed to shoot a ton on offense lol.
DeleteJlin's D isn't exactly stellar today either. The Rockets as a whole are playing poorly, period. Everyone is too blame.
DeleteDon't listen to HOU fans, they're idiots. They overrate Parsons.
DeleteYeah and Parsons' 5 turnovers are being praised!
DeleteOnly in McHale's world a guy who got 5 turnovers should handle the ball, the guy with 1 turnover should not. Also only the PG with turnovers is constantly benched but the SF and SG and backup PG with turnovers are never benched.
DeleteMan Jrue just dinning on Dougie
ReplyDeleteYeah but since Douglas' 1/5 shooting is still better % than Lin's 1/8, he will probably play the whole 4th quarter. And even Lin plays, he has to play off the great Parsons and Harden anyway.
ReplyDeleteThis coaching staff is so stupid. TD is a spot up shooter and Lin is a better scorer off the dribble. But this dumb coaching staff keeps playing them the opposite.
ReplyDeleteThis game is straight up laughable. Keep benching Lin until its too late
ReplyDeleteLin can't help this team anymore because they don't trust him and it's Harden that they care.
DeleteWOW PARSON REALLY!? Do you really think you're BBall God?
ReplyDeleteSmall ball genius is at it again. Delfino running a break is straight up laughable, he can't make accurate long range pass
ReplyDeleteAs the PG, it is his job to control the pace of the game. Harden has to do better.
ReplyDelete1/10 now the worst FG % for him.
ReplyDeleteAsik never sets a pick for lin but runs to half court to set a pick for Harden but end up blocking Harden who ends up throwing the ball away.
ReplyDeleteHey Jeremy got us closer again, lets make him look bad
ReplyDeleteLin's a role player and has no plays run for him, that's why no one sets a pick for him. Picks are only set for star players and designated playmakers Harden and Parsons.
ReplyDeleteSomehow Lin shot 2/11 but his +/- is still a team high +9. And the stars who score big are all negative lol.
ReplyDeletebecause those "stars" don't play hard on D, hence more energy on offense
DeleteWow... that last Harden drive was CRAZY!
ReplyDeleteSorry I am a newbie what does +/- means? and y is Lin +12 even if people are saying he's playing poorly?
ReplyDeleteI don't think Lin played poorly. The only chances he got are off his own steals and fastbreak. Otherwise he only got to spot up shoot in half court. No PG would have a good game if his role is like that.
DeleteAlso the worst thing happened to Lin is Parsons going off because then the limited opportunities left from Harden have to all go to Parsons.
DeleteI also believe that Lin is not playing poorly even he is not active offensively (he's doing everything else) but i think he's the only guy on the team who cares about the team and not just padding their own stat
DeleteHOU is probably showcasing Parson for a trade.
DeleteBut harden is the guy that can carry the team.
ReplyDeleteI know 14 turnovers are all Lin's fault, even he only committed 1.
ReplyDeleteThis loss is going to be tough to take.
ReplyDeleteWth was that awkward looking shot on that last 3pt attempt? Almost look lije a double pump. Arghhh
ReplyDeleteActually Lin's 12 shot attempts is more than what he usually takes, so it's not like he didn't take enough shots.
ReplyDeleteExcept for fastbreak, all of Lin's shots are spot up shots. He got zero plays in half ourt.
DeleteMeanwhile, Parsons and Harden think they are great iso scorers despite their 1/7 and 2/7 3 point shooting.
Still, those were makable shots, not bad shots.
Deletehahahahaha that is sooo funny
ReplyDeletethis is hilarious!
Deletewhoever makes highlights must include that sequence lol
Deletemust have been like 5 missed threes in one possession
DeleteIf only we can laughed it out hard on the coaches
Deleteand to cap it off, an air ball three!
Deletecoach would rather live by threes die by threes..."young team don't know how to run set plays"
McHale's brilliant rationale: let's shoot a lot of threes even we are bad at shooting threes.
Delete@wilc I don't believe "young" players can't run set plays. Either you're a good coach or a bad coach
Delete@Rikki M
DeleteI don't believe that either. I just remember McHale saying something to that effect at the beginning of the season. That is my explanation for the crazy obsession with the three ball.
Thank you Harden, thank you
ReplyDeletePhilly won despite themselves this game: they said "please take this game to Rockets", but Rockets didn't want to take the game.
ReplyDeletei'm confused...has Lin reverted back to his early season play? He seems more passive or maybe teams have figured him out? i.e., pack the paint/driving lanes, make him take the J??
ReplyDeleteSomeone, help me out here. Not looking for homer answers either.
I firmly believe it's because dumb McHale's previous bitching about Lin's turnovers had its effect. Noticed that Lin had 0 and 1 turnover last 2 games but he did not play well at all.
DeleteI would too if i was him. He stood there all by himself waving for the ball and they just ignored him.
DeleteFans here bitching about Lin's "dumb" t/o so he decided not to make play and not to make himself look dumb.
Delete@CE C
DeleteI see it as the coach complaining about Lin's TO and deciding to make Harden the PG again.
@wilc
Deleteok, I yield. It's the coach who complained. But Harden had more t/o > Lin yet he's made the pg?
@CE C
DeleteHah, very sorry. Not trying to make anyone yield. Just offering my explanation. :)
About why Harden is PG again, I guess one line of reasoning may be that Harden scores efficiently so coach wants the ball in his hands?
If Rockets play like this dumb, no playoffs.
ReplyDeleteFucking dumb ass ballhog who made Melo look more like a team player. The game was in reach and they fucked it up with stupid coaching and selfish hero ball.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it was hero ball. Harden was the only one scoring, playing effectively. Everyone else kinda sucked.
DeleteSometimes your teammate hit the cold stretch, but if you are a true team player, you would encourage your teammate to keep shooting. On that airball that he forced up, Lin was right next to him by himself waving for the ball and Harden just ignored Lin. Wtf was that then?
Delete@k.smith
Deleteit may also be that the team was sucking because the team deferred to him to score
you don't get teammates involved, they don't tend to play well
They are just either so good or so bad.
ReplyDeleteWell the all star announced next week. "They" will do everything to make Lin look bad and missed the all star
ReplyDeleteits good to see JLin playing hard until the end, working with delfino to trap jrue. he just doesn't give up. that's something i really like about JLin.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice rest to all jlin fans. Tomorrow will be another day.let's get over this frustration.Racha dear,may your Brain have a good rest as well and start seeing the good side of our beloved jeremy.
ReplyDeleteLOL McHale, the game is already lost and you're making plays now? Hilarious sheet tonight indeed
ReplyDeleteGood luck Jeremy. Nothing more to say. Enjoy ur game and play ur best. Simply support is all what I can give u as a fan. Too much noise, too much criticism already out there. You don't need any of that from ur fans.
ReplyDeleteI was late and watched 2nd half of the game. Can somebody confirm there was no plays/picks for Lin tonight?
ReplyDeleteOh boy that sucked.
ReplyDeleteIgnoring the missed shots (which weren't bad shots) I thought Lin played pretty well tonight. Coaching must have too... he played the whole 4th quarter (or close to it)?
Nice keeping the steals streak alive. While I doubt Lin is into personal glorification, it's nice to see him on the leaderboards for something.
Did think it was pretty funny (or sadly ignorant) one of the announcers was saying something about Lin asking to sit so he could take a breather while TD subbed in... uh, is that how it's been working?
Well, we got the FT's figured out (nice going Omer!) maybe we can get the 3 pt shooting red hot again after a nice rest. Should we upset the Clips (and maybe have Lin outplay Paul?), these last three games will have been worth it, right?
Lin is coming along nicely. I wouldn't worry about Lin, he is use to fighting his way into something. Same thing goes for his place on the team. He will get his props eventually, which Lin doesn't really care, he just wants the team to win. people keep talking about Lin being traded,no I don't thinks so. Mchale will gone first if Rockets keep losing. Make no mistake, Les Alexander is a businessman first, and he wants to win, and now he has a young team that is good with a little grooming, could be champions, he will find the right coach for them.just sayin...
ReplyDeleteI'm new at basketball. Can someone tell me what -/+ and PF means? What does FT% stand for? Thanks.
ReplyDelete+/- for a player is the number of points scored by the player's team minus the number of points scored by the opposing team while the player is playing
DeletePF is power forward e.g. Patterson's and Morris's position
FT% is free throw percentage e.g. free throws that go in divided by total three throws attempted
@wilc I think Robert is referring to Personal Foul instead of position
Delete@Robert Rhee
DeleteIn addition to the above, depending on what you are looking at (say, a stats table) PF can mean personal fouls.
also try wikipedia for the stat abbr.
Deletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball_statistics
hahah you guys are probably right. not thinking right. everything else is about stats.
DeleteThank you, guys.
DeleteI think the problem comes from Asik. He just doesn't fit this offense since he can't contribute in the pick and roll.
ReplyDeleteAsik cant pick n pop and the high PnR puts him too far away from the rim to be an effective roller, so if you PnR with Asik, the defense will just switch to double Lin.
So they end up not using Asik to set screens and Asik's guy just clogs the paint.
The Rockets are not even playoff contenders. They are too inconsistent. They have no plays other shooting from the 3 point line, and when that doesn't work they go iso with Harden. They don't have the team mindset to win games. That is something that the coach should be preaching, but he is not, and they will go nowhere real fast. There is so much hate for Lin and I see the media and even the coaches trying to marginalize his game, but Lin will be the one with the last laugh when he ends up PG for LA Lakers in a couple of years.just sayin...
DeleteWhy wait another two years when Lin could dominate for the Rockets now and Dantoni probably won't make it beyond next season?
DeleteAll we need is a better fit for Lin and Harden. I'm not sure if McHale knows this but Morrey does. Asik is a good C that doesn't fit this team. We could trade him for something valuable and use someone like Smith as our C.
When we have Asik weighing down our offense and our F's can't hit three's everyone will gaurd the paint.
@blackflag, i agree with you, about Asik. i say lin will be in LA, because the reason they brought Datoni in is to rebuild the Lakers around Howard. The owner is waiting for Kobe to leave, and the team is just buying it's time until that happens.imo
DeleteCan someone help me im so depressed from watching this kind of game. It. Was a must win but now they are on a loosing streak...I dont know if they can recover..so sad, they need to wake up and play harder seems like they are playing so slow and passive.....
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain.
Delete@john jun, this is on the coaches not the players. I think they will continue to loose until that set some game plans beyond shooting 3's and making Harden the PG and Harden being the only option after the 3's don't fall. so don't be depressed, i think the rockets will be fine.
ReplyDeleteIt's really unbelievable how people here place the blame on Jeremy's misses, lack of aggression, turnovers on everyone on this team including its coaches. It's sad that for people who claim to be his fans, you are NOTHING like him. Zero responsibility, humility, team mindedness. It's all about Lin's stats so you can brag and lift your own self confidence. More selfishness and mememe than fandom and team support on this site.
ReplyDeleteI disagree. I think a lot what is being said here is spot on sometimes. I for one think that the last couple of losses was poor coaching. I personally don't think this team has the team mindset, as for Lin's stats, they are what they are. Also the same could be said when it comes to Harden. I was on twitter when they played NOH, where Harden played poorly until 4th quarter, and the only thing the I think the media and the fans were worried about was whether Harden was get his 20+pts,not caring about the win. So please don't preach to us about being a team fan. There is so much negative stuff written about Lin on the so-called Houston rockets fan sites, so please spare me the high horse attitude. It is what it is...
DeleteLeech off of the glory when he succeeds and deny any blame when he doesn't. Does anyone here give credit to coaching when Lin has an awesome game or when the Rockets win? Didn't think so. Lin's stats are all that matter here.. It is what it is, I got it.
DeleteJonathan Feigen:
ReplyDeleteChandler Parsons ailed it w/ evaluation of Rockets defense: "Individually, everybody just got worked today." Transition defense no better.
Hou headed on road trip after 3-consecutive double-digit comebacks. Doesn't work so well on road. Another run keeps it close, but answered.
Harden w maybe his best move of season, has Philly fans oohing, ahhing. Between legs going forward, past Holiday, 3-point play, 3-pt game.
Lin 1 of 8 for 4pts in 25 minutes, but it's not the perimeter shooting this time. Most of misses from coming up short on drives.
Jason Friedman:
ReplyDeleteRough roadie for Houston ends 0-3 after Rockets fall 107-100 to Philly. Doesn't get easier with game vs. Clips Tues before 4-game road trip.
Been that kind of road trip for Rockets. Since 4Q in New Orleans, just haven't been able to put together consistent stretch of quality play
Transition D. Been a bugaboo all season. Just can't give up gimmes like that in tight games. Sixers up 7, 3:54 to go.
Lazy transition D ruining what has largely been a really good 1Q for Houston. Have to close out on Dorell Wright. Have to. 22-21 Rockets.
Jrue Holiday scored 30 points, Thaddeus Young had 18 points and 12 rebounds and the Philadelphia 76ers snapped a five-game losing streak with a 107-100 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.
ReplyDeleteJason Richardson scored 16 points for the Sixers, who finally return home for a lengthy stint as they try to play their way back into the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Sixers opened a stretch of 12 home games in the next 13 and hope they can start to offset a miserable 2-6 road trip that stretched over the new year. They played 12 of 15 on the road dating back to Dec. 14.
''No excuses, you've got to play all 82,'' coach Doug Collins said. ''But when they're bunched like that, it's tough. Over the holidays. We spent Christmas on the road. We spent New Year's on the road. That's not easy. People forget they do have families and they have to give that up.''
The road woes are one reason the Sixers are only 6-16 after a nice 10-6 start to the season. But it's turned into crunch time quickly for the Sixers as they as try and get back to .500 in the next month before the hopeful return of injured center Andrew Bynum.
James Harden led the Rockets with 29 points and Chandler Parsons had 23. Jeremy Lin missed 11 of 13 shots for seven points en route to Houston's third straight loss.
''Every team goes through some adversity and we're going through some a little bit right now,'' coach Kevin McHale said. ''We didn't win. We've got to find a way to win.''
Led by 24 points from Holiday, the energetic Sixers built a 14-point lead in the third quarter, and found an offensive touch they've missed for most of the season. The Sixers entered 27th in the NBA in scoring (92.2 points) and regularly failed to even reach 90 points over the last six weeks.
Spencer Hawes hit a jumper early in the fourth to make it 91-82 - the first time in six games the Sixers had scored more than 89 points. The Sixers didn't break 89 in either of their two games before a 103-99 win over the Lakers on Jan. 1.
The cushion almost wasn't enough once Harden tried to take over. Collins called Harden a legitimate MVP candidate and the Houston guard showed why in the fourth. He scored six straight points, including the play of the game, going between his legs in transition and drawing a foul on a bucket over three defenders. Harden's three-point play pulled Houston to 96-93.
For once, the stumbling Sixers didn't break in the waning minutes. Evan Turner, who scored 12 points, fed a long pass to Young for a big dunk on the break and a seven-point lead.
ReplyDeleteThe Rockets missed eight straight shots from the field to lose control of their comeback. Harden fumbled the ball with a minute a left and Young was there to pick it up and fire to Holiday, who took one look over his shoulder and put in the easy layup for a 104-94 lead.
Holiday sank two free throws to hit the 30-point mark, falling three points shy of matching his career high set in November against Phoenix. He made 11 of 22 shots, sank all seven attempts from the free-throw line and had nine assists (with six turnovers).
''We needed it,'' Holiday said. ''Going into this home stretch, getting the first one is huge. Home court is big. It's crucial. On the road, we didn't do what we wanted to do. We've got to come here and try and win at home.''
Houston's cold stretch was uncharacteristic of a team that was second in the NBA in scoring (105.60 points) behind Oklahoma City. The Rockets only shot 30 percent from 3-point range (8 of 32) and had no answer to stop Holiday en route to their third straight loss.
''Teams are getting out to some good leads on us and we try and fight back,'' Harden said. ''We get it back to a two- or three-point game and then run out of energy.''
Collins has noted this team's missing energy to open second halves over the last month. Against Houston, they started slow, trailing by 11 before ending the quarter on a 20-6 run. Turner scored 12 points in the second quarter to help the Sixers take a 58-50 lead into halftime.
The Sixers held on to avoid a season-high losing streak and win for only the fourth time in 17 games.
Jeremy's Spin Move on Jrue
ReplyDeleteFrom Sixer's blog site:
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't easy. And after finding themselves down 20-9 midway through the first quarter, it looked as though the Philadelphia 76ers would extend their losing streak to a season-high six games. But strong performances across the board ultimately resulted in a 107-100 victory over the Houston Rockets at the Wells Fargo Center.
Oh... they tried to Sixer it away at times. A 14-point lead was cut to three with six minutes to go in the final period, but the Sixers made just enough plays down the stretch to put this one on the win column.
Jrue Holiday led the Sixers with 30 points and nine assists, while Thaddeus Young chipped in 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Spencer Hawes was classic Spencer Hawes: Solid play (10 points, eight rebounds) interspersed with bonehead decisions (including an ill-advised technical foul in the fourth quarter).
Like most teams, the Sixers had no absolutely answer from James Harden (29 points, nine rebounds, six assists), but they were able to keep Jeremy Lin in check all evening (seven points on 2-for-13 shooting).
For some reason, Synergy only has 12 of Lin's 13 FGA characterized tonight (I wonder which play is the discrepancy). Anyways, some of you might be interested in the breakdown:
ReplyDelete3 ISO plays
1 PnR Handler
3 Spot up
1 Offscreen
1 Hand off
1 Offensive rebound
2 Transition
Can you give us Parsons and Harden's?
DeleteRockets can’t come back against the 76ers
ReplyDeletePHILADELPHIA – That cute little habit of falling behind by double digits and making a fast run was fun when the Rockets were on their winning streak. The road, however, does not play along.
The Rockets could still make runs. They did in Boston on Friday. They did in Philadelphia again on Saturday. But once again, with the game on the line, they seemed to empty the tank just to mount the comeback and faded badly down the stretch.
With the game on the line in the final six minutes, the Rockets fell apart again, clanging eight-consecutive shots – all from beyond the arc – when they had little margin of error left. The Sixers needed only a brief run to put the game away, taking a 107-100 win that sent the Rockets to their third-consecutive loss since heading out of town with a five-game winning streak.
The Rockets, however, could lament coming up short down the stretch almost exactly when they crashed the night before. They knew, however, that the problems were deeper than a stretch of missed shots or an unforgiving stretch of schedule.
The problem was not that they could not make the fourth-quarter runs last; it was that they had backed themselves into needing them to.
“That’s what happened the past couple games,” guard James Harden, who scored 29 points with nine rebounds said. “Teams get out to good leads on us and we try to fight back. We get back to a two- or three-point game and we run out of energy. We have to do a good job of sustaining it for 48 minutes.”
It’s one thing to score 15 points in a little more than three minutes as the Rockets did to close the gap to three. It’s a bit much to expect that kind of run to continue the rest of the night.
DeleteThat, however, is what the Rockets have needed because for a second-consecutive night they had to be their best just to be in the game. In Boston, they had a 12-0 run to within two with 7 ½ minutes left, then made 1 of 4 shots with a turnover as the Celtics pulled away. In Philadelphia, they had an 11-3 run to within three with 6:11 left and then missed their next eight shots as the Sixers took control.
After scoring at the rim in four-consecutive possessions, the Rockets backed up to 24 feet and hit a wall.
“You have to value each possession,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. “Hopefully that goes without saying. You can’t just throw possessions away.”
That had been the problem throughout the road trip. They had so many wasted possessions through the games – with turnovers in bunches in New Orleans and defense every bit as sloppy in Boston and Philadelphia — they could hardly expect to correct everything in the fourth quarter. The Rockets, however, did not blame their failure down the stretch as much as their shortcomings throughout the game.
They struggled in several ways, from Jeremy Lin going 2 of 13 (his worst shooting in any game with 10 attempts other than the 1 of 11 against the Heat last season at the end of his run) to power forwards Marcus Morris and Patrick Patterson going a combined 3 of 10 with two rebounds between them. But the Rockets were certain they would have scored more than enough if they could have slowed the Sixers on the on the other end.
“We’re not getting stops,” Harden said. “In the five-game winning streak, we were getting stops, getting out in transition and scoring the basketball. If we don’t get stops, it slows us down so that’s key.”
The 76ers scored 15 points more than they average. Making 43.8 percent of their shots, they made 49.4 percent. The Sixers had averaged 84.2 points in the five-game losing streak they had brought into the game.
“Individually, everybody just got worked today,” said Chandler Parsons, who scored 23 points with nine rebounds. “Their players scored and did what they wanted to do. Individually, our defense could have been way better. When we’re not getting stops, it doesn’t let us do what we’re capable of doing.”
The Rockets gave themselves a chance to steal the win down the stretch, anyway. Instead, they returned home with another lesson. Mounting unlikely comebacks might work on occasion. It’s not built to last.