Monday, April 15, 2013

Rockets @ Suns Game #81 Pre Game Thread

80 comments:

  1. I expect this game to be super competitive.

    Phoenix will be seeking to avenge the 30 point loss from last game. Plus it's the last home game of the season.

    I don't see either Houston or Phoenix resting their starters or taking it easy.

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    1. I'd like to see them blow out the Suns so that they can build up confidence and get the second unit some play time. Our first unit can hold its own against the best of them, even Denver. Our second unit is what worries me, but not because of personnel. Delfino and Anderson, with one of our 'big three' should get us enough scoring to keep us in the game. TJones with PBev has shown they can play some decent D, and not to mention Garcia. The second unit just needs some substantial play time together.

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    2. oops, bad memory from me.

      The Suns nearly won last game.

      I think the Suns can win. GO SUNS!

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    3. I'd also like to see a blowout by the Rockets so most Suns fans will go home early and I can move to closer seats to cheer comfortably! :D

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    4. hah, yes, and when you do move closer, please take some fan cam pics/vids, post them online at the far edges of internet land, have @via find them, and then post them here :)

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    5. yes wilc, we need to really test if via is truly a person or femalebot! haha

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    6. the indiana jones of the internet, or maybe laura croft would be more fitting

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    7. Lin will be exhausted (like the last game) chasing Goran around all night. Goran will get a million screens, like he did the last game, and he'll get easy assist from Scola bc our PF's can't guard him.

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    8. It'll be interesting to see who McHale will trust to guard Scola tonight. GSmith or TJones?

      I think it was TJones who guarded Scola when he was unstoppable in the 4th Q. Greg Smith came up huge in the end to grab the rebound but TJones has been playing better lately.

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    9. Dear psalm,
      Have fun at the game! ^^
      - via

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  2. Rockets won by a last second goal tend on a Harden shot that was going to miss. I have a bad feeling about this game, Dragic, Marcus Morris, and Scola are playing like they have something to prove. They do not want to tank. Rockets don't match up well with their post players, and the Suns can keep up in transition.

    The only X-factor in all this is having a healthy Parsons and Delfino who can carry some scoring load. Else this will be a tough game to win. I'm hoping for a W, so McHale can rest his starters vs. Lakers.

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    1. Lin had a rough offensive game, Harden had an even worse one, and Asik didn't do much on offense (unless you count 7 offensive boards) either. Plus without Parsons or Delfino, the Rockets also only played 9 guys and 2 of them didn't score a single point. It is games like that which show that the Rockets really didn't have much room for error this season.

      But now that Delfino and Parsons are back plus Lin can't be expected to play bad against them 2 games in a row, this should be a rout.

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    2. With Parsons/Delfino back, expect Lin's minutes to decrease. Now that our second scorer, Parsons is back (and our reliable vet Delfino), Mchale won't have to turn to Lin for offense in the 4th, like he did the last game.

      If the game is tight, expect Bev to close out the 4th.

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    3. Who knew, but this has become a MUST WIN game, because all the dynamics involved have changed, from which team the Rockets should play in the first round (it's now the Nuggets, also Pop said Parker is fine now) to the Lakers being right up on their heels for the possible 6th seed.

      If the Rocket lose the last 2 games and the Lakers win their last game (against the Rockets, which I expect the blood thirsty and ref favored Lakers to win), then the two teams will have the identical records and the Lakers would be ahead of the Rockets in the standing, because they would be even against each other BUT the Lakers have a better record against WC teams. I'm also rooting for the Spurs @ Warriors tonight because I suspect the Warriors will easily win their last game with the Blazers. Things are getting very tricky.

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  3. Just stay healthy.

    No last minute injuries (aka Kobe or Faried).

    If that happens to any of the major pieces (Harden, Lin, Parsons, Asik), McHale will have to answer for it.

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  4. All in all, this season has been a success for Lin: Improving one's game while playing a 2nd or 3rd fiddle to a perceived superstar, not getting injured and about to get playoff experience -- all while getting paid good money -- is darn good. Looking forward to seeing how hard Harden will try to look like a superstar rather than win and how Lin and Parsons will be content to play a 2nd fiddle even during playoffs. Or whether Mac will change his strategy and start putting some pressure on Harden to play more smart.

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    1. Success with the hands that he was dealt with. However, I can't help but commiserate over the fact that he could've been so much better. I think in some ways we have subconsciously lowered our expectation for him because of how McHale has continued to contain his development throughout the season.

      While my hope remains high, I have a feeling that we will be even more frustrated with McHale's lack of faith in Lin and carte Blanche to harden in the playoffs.

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    2. I have not lowered my expectations, but it could have been worse. All in all, it was good for him to get through this kind of experience. I don't know if too much playing might have led to injury for Lin. This was his first complete season, so that's something. But this season also showed the areas where he needs to improve or adjust himself mentally.

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  5. rox will get killed in 1st floor with denver. they need to lose the next 2 games to get a chance to play the spurs or okc.

    spurs - 40% chance upset
    okc - 30% chance upset
    denver - 0% chance

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    1. I agree with you that Spurs are a better match-up. If Rockets get lucky and Lin plays well, Rockets can beat Spurs. What worries me is Mac's coaching ability may cost Rockets one close game, thereby losing the Series.

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    2. I think OKC will be a tougher match-up because they will play better during playoffs, whereas with Denver, they played close to their max during regular season. However, it would be great if Rockets knock off Lakers from playoff, with Utah winning the last 2 games.

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    3. Parker was a shell of himself in the last Lakers game. He was slow, and missed many shots he'd normally make. Finished like 1-10 FG/FGA. His subs, who didn't do so well, played a lot in his place.

      Spurs don't care so much about the season record, they just want to rest their injured guys.

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    4. I'm not too sure that Denver will wipe Rockets. In the last game, it was a B2B, Asik and PF's produced zilch because of the tall athletic defenders like Iggy and it was a bad shooting night for Rockets.

      Rox may get one or two games if their 3 pointers go in, like the record they almost broke against Warriors. But unless McHale produces a miracle with the forwards and unless the refs give the team a fair go, it does look like a whitewash against the Nuggets.

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    5. The season record against Nuggets doesn't mean much. The first game was in Nov, when the team was just starting to play together, 2nd was in January. Lin didn't start playing well and learning/adapting to his role until after the All-Star game in mid February. Not to mention that the personnel was just different then, Morris and Patterson -- it was a different team.

      Chandler wasn't playing in the last game, and while he is not a good ball handler, the players who filled that vacuum were even worse and turned it over a lot.

      Then add to that the scheduling circumstances, the season record of 0-4 is not a meaningful stat.

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    6. I think Rox still have chance to beat Nuggets, just need to be more physical, and making shots.

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    7. I don't think a poor road team like the Rockets has any chance in a series against a home dominant team like the Nuggets. Rockets could steal a game or two in Houston with hot 3 point shooting though.

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    8. if i am mcHell, i will lose the next 2 games. what's the point to finishing high on regular season and gets wiped out in the 1st round in thin air city. this is not rocket science stuff, spurs will give rox the best probability to win 1st round.

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    9. I think Rockets has the best chance against Spurs, then Denver and then no chance against OKC; basically, OKC can play fast and are young enough to out run them. Spurs are old enough for Rockets to have an outside chance.

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  6. Dumb question: When does first playoff game for Houston start? All Houston games are on TV, correct?

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    1. http://www.nba.com/news/important-dates/index.html

      April 17 -- Regular season ends
      April 20 -- 2013 NBA Playoffs begin
      May 7 -- Conference Semifinals begin (possible move-up to May 6)
      May 22 -- Conference Finals begin (possible move-up to May 21)
      June 6 -- The Finals begin (possible move-up to June 4)
      June 20 -- Last possible date for 2013 NBA Finals (possible move-up to June 18)

      The exact date for first Houston matchup won't be finalized until the standings are finalized. AFAIK, all playoff games will be on League Pass regardless of whether they are nationally televised (unlike the regular season black out rules).

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    2. Really? the LP works for the playoffs? It did not for the last year.

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    3. Brent, you're right. I don't know where I got that idea.

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    4. Wow, almost no rest after the regular season ends. Playoff games are not available on LP.

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    5. LoL, I was hoping someone will jump out and provide a way to watch playoffs on LP.....

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    6. Why you want to watch it on LP when you can watch them on TV? All playoff games should be available on TV, on some channels.

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    7. eb5, I have a TV but no cable subscription. I watch all games streaming from laptop to TV screen.

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    8. I see. Now I am glad I have cable subscription; I thought it was only useful for my wife to watch House International and Cooking shows. I am sure you can find some people who have cables.

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    9. I try to watch Rox games live, but all other games I watch after downloading the files.

      I have buttons set for my mouse to jump forward at various intervals (to skip past free throws, skip past guards walking the ball up the court to set up, etc), a button for slow-mo, a button for jumping back to rewatch a segment, etc.

      Even when I can access games on LP Broadband, their interface is incredibly clumsy. For example, there's a button to jump 30 secs back, but no button to jump 30 secs forward. Also, 30 secs is just too long an interval for many instances. LP is just a badly designed product.

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    10. eb5attorney, because my place is doing foundation repair right now. I am living with my friends who do not have cable service at all. sigh....

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    11. @0ccupati0, and after 2 years, I still do not know how to disable the stupid CC when watching LP on a iPad.

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    12. @0ccuati0 - How do you download the files?

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    13. Brent, you need to get better friends. :) I keep on telling myself one needs to get ride of TV and cables to become a truly enlightened being, but so far, I have not been able to stop watching UEFA soccer or Lin games. That date might just be the day when I die. Since my other family members are not Lin watchers, I am on a lonely quest, which is one reason I visit this site. I will stop watching NBA once Lin achieves NBA Championship or quits NBA, whichever comes first. I have a different perspective than most American sports fans because I happen to think Messi is the greatest athlete on the planet right now. To win FIFA player of the year for 3 years in a row (and maybe 4th in a row) is unimaginable feat.

      More than anything else, I think my watching Lin games is a way to deal with stress.

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    14. @music, there are various private bittorrent trackers that include or specialize in NBA content, such sport-scene.net (which is occasionally open for registration). Chinese HD trackers also have Rox games too.

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  7. Hi everyone... huge fan of this site and JLIN from Toronto, Ontario Canada. I'm not sure if this was posted before but I had never seen this clip from Sports Net Centre.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ9rawAEm6o

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    1. Thank you! Haven't seen that before. I love that while he was at Harvard he was already saying it's not about him it's about the team. He said the exact same thing during Linsanity in NY!

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    2. His long hair almost during the interview makes him seem like another person. The composure and maturity was there even back in college. Thanks for the vid!

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    3. Good upload, PastyPete. He looked so young back then and skinny; at least, he seemed to be bigger now. He looks like a sleepy kid who just woke up to play BB. I have to say the kid has a real level-headedness about him. I bet all Harvard graduates will support him whatever he does in future; that's some backing he will have whatever road he takes. It may be premature, but I think Lin will garner a lot of votes if he ever runs for a political seat because he just doesn't talk; his entire career is being true to himself and his belief and making the team better. But in some sense, he's too good for the politics.

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    4. Glad to see you here pastypete.

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    5. Thank you! PastyPete.

      Nope, never saw this video either. A great find!

      So far, only 2803 views. We have have added about 100 views.

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    6. edit: we must have added.

      "have have" added LOL

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    8. 2803 "likes" - not vierwes. I have to say that not only JLin has changed. Carolyn Manno seems to have changed, too!

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4-xYeS4jYo

      Is that the same person?

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    9. Thanks for the link, did he have pimples on his face?

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    10. Hi Pete! [Looking forward to reading your posts.] ^^

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    1. #4 and #5 sound about right.

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    2. I really have a feeling that Lin will step up during playoffs. I bet some of the Afro-American Harvard teammates were thinking inside "Man, I thought I got discriminated against. Jeremy is called even worse names than me, and more often. Why is that when Bruce Lee is admired generally?"

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    3. "Beverley is a better perimeter shooter than Lin (38.4 percent on the season)."

      idk where the author got this stats. Lin's FG% for the season is 44.4% and Bev's FG% is 41.7% (2.7% better)

      The Post All-Star numbers are even better with 3.3% difference (Lin 46.5% vs Bev 42.2%)

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    4. 'perimeter shooter', refers to 3P%, not FG%.
      Bev's is indeed 38% for the season.
      Lin's is 38.6% post allstarbreak, and 34% for the season.

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    5. I'm not trying to be an ass, but Bleacher Report isn't worth reading even for FWIW value.

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    6. :) thanks, Occupati0

      This FG% certainly illustrates the worthlessness of B/R research. A conclusion is made without a thorough research.

      Bev's Post All-Star 3PT% is 39.7% vs Lin's 38.6% so it's definitely not as bad as the season numbers (38% vs 34%)

      If I were the writer, I'd look more into clutch numbers under 5 min to show who performs better against starters in the crunch time.

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    7. Bleacher Report is driven by page hits. Spewing garbage works just as well, if not better, for those purposes than responsible and informed writing. Any goof can write for BR.

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    8. I agree 100% with occupation. Please stop posting bleacher report stuff here. If you look at what they do, they just spray and pray. They get views because the amount of volume they pump out.

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    9. ok, I removed the link to prevent more page hits since the content is just trash.

      To be fair, so far we only saw 1 B/R author (Maxwell Ogden) who provide well-researched articles backed up with stats on Lin. The rest is just money-grabbers.

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    11. Thanks Psalms! Surprised no one has brought up Boston yet.

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  9. Wouldn't it be fun and crazy if Mchale changed up on his coaching a bit for the next two games, since they don't mean much? What I'd like to see: just focus on D ( no worries about the offense, more zone siphoning into traps, more full court pressure, more double teams, more communication ). On offense, make a rule to swing the ball around 3-4 times before a shot goes up ( I remember when dallas beat miami for the title that's what happened and that's how dallas beat miami), more of pick and roll with greg smith ( probably in the last game? greg smith did a double pick with Lin ending with a smith jam...perfection!), more threes ( i can't believe I'm saying this, but they have to sharpen their primary mode of operation), and of course set Lin free!

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  10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSdfxTv3h3E

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    1. Nice but should of ended with another Bruce Lee quote!

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  11. Man, didn't even know about the Boston marathon bombing. Cowards killing defenseless people and kids.

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  12. sick video of a sick Bball player

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  13. I'll enjoy the playoffs, but Houston has 2% chance on winning series against any team. 2/100 . Young, inexperienced and lack of talent....especially on the coaching side..lol

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    1. it's silly to quantify, in percentage no less, what is just a personal opinion.

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    2. ok..then I want to be silly. or perhaps I don't want to get too excited about thinking of a chance to win so I quantified it. We need an enforcer. Buck Williams, Tyson Chandler, Bill Lambeer, Dennis Rodman....

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  14. Anyone planning to go to Houston or Denver (assuming this is the team Rockets are up against) for the playoff?

    I'm planning to go to Houston, but the schedule is not out yet, it's very difficult to make the travel arrangement.

    Anyone of us are from Houston? If so, any advice on travelling to Houston?

    Any advice on how to buy tickets to the games? Do you guys know of anyone/any group organizing group tickets?
    Thx.

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  15. I need to stop going to Houston Rockets FB page. I have never seen so many twisted psychotic Lin haters in my life. It is also shocking that no one polices the sight. People pose as Kevin McHale (using his pic and name as their profile), and make horrible comments using disgusting language.How can the Rox organization permit this? They even post pornography on the page. I really think the Rox fans didn't want Lin and are angered every time he has a good game because they refuse to be proven wrong. The page is a real disgrace. What can be done?

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  16. Elias Sports Bureau ‏@EliasSports
    James Harden needs 19 points to become 3rd player to reach 2000 in his 1st season with #Rockets, who visit Suns tonite (9pm CT @CSNHouston).
    4:45 PM - 15 Apr 13

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