Two class acts of the game. Hornacek is doing a great job in his first season has Phoenix Suns head coach.

Did you know John Stockton holds two of the NBA "all time" records? Stockton has more steals and assists than anyone NBA player who has ever laced them up. Now the assists can be contributed to Karl Malone, which is why Malone is the number two scorer in NBA history......but Stockton being the all time steals leader is solely based on his tenacity, determination and hustle.

Not sure if you get to see many NCAA games, but John Stockton's son is having a big year playing for, Gonzaga.

Miami Heat At Houston Rockets tonight......Heat are favored by -1.

LeBron had 61 points last night on 22-33 from the floor and hit his first eight 3s.

Should be a good game.

Also last night, the Trailblazers help the Rockets cause by losing the the Lakers = crazy!

In the entire history of their rivarly, the lakers have only 8 wins in Portland, out of 35 games played there.. However it should be noted that 4 of those rare wins have come since the arrival of Pau Gasol..

Oh yeah, y'all should watch out for the Heat, Lebron took that KD mvp shit to heart and has decided to destroy teams for the rest of the season, meanwhile quietly Dwyane Wade is both actually HEALTHY and playing 100% (for once!!!) and sat out last night, so expect him to be the bigger threat, especially considering Harden's ..coughs.. err.. defense ;)

Harden = ZERO D

Dwayne Wade will be playing with motivation!

hahahahahaha.. I had totally forgot about that! I think that Heat-Thunder has evolved into something like the Bulls-Jazz rivalry.. these dudes are making each other better competing against each other all year long even when never playing against each other but 2 times a year, with the strong possibility of meeting in the Finals every year having already done it once. Thunder are the NBA's anti-Heat team, one just as popular but NOT the Heat. So the Heat naturally focus in on them, because the Heat LOVE the spotlight..

Love that my Rockets catch the Heat on the second night of a back-to-back.

^^^such is life in the NBA.

After the All-Star break, the Rockets opened with a five game West Coast swing that included two sets of Back-to-back games. The Rockets lost two of those five games, each being the 2nd night of the B2B.

Numbers to consider from last night:

Rockets Starters: 91 points, 38 rebounds, 24 assists.

Heat Starters: 56 points, 16 rebounds, 14 assists.

The Rockets led the game wire-2-wire.

LeBron James two game point total is 93. James only needed 32 points last night to set a new two game point total for himself, however, LeBron only scored 22 points last night......only three points in the second half!

Wilt Chamberlain is still the ONLY NBA PLAYER to score 60+ points in consecutive games......LeBron had a shot at that last night.

wilt averaged 50 pts one season. that is sick! LeBron is so BORING.

at least Jordan was fun to hate on.

For what, being able to do EVERYTHING??


That is true because he was such a villain, and Lebron is really just a likable guy with superhuman powers on the basketball court.



Wilt played in an era where dudes were shorter, had no hops, and no defense.. We really shouldn't even use his stats to compare against contemporary players. Its a different NBA out there... Also. Rockets, slow your roll.. Y'all just BARELY won, on your own floor, well-rested, against the defending champs coming in back-to-back after playing a lights out game the night before... Meh. James Harden STILL can't play defense ;)

Because the liocal network that carries Rockets/Astros games in Houston (CSN) is not carried by Direct TV, I have not been able to watch any Rockets games.

The shit last night was on the nBA network, which I get, but it was blacked out. FUCKERS

Wilt would cream any team in the nBA today. There are no Centers capable of dealing with the Stilt. he'd fuck up everyone.

That is just not true.. We are judging the guy based on stats and achievements playing in a boring, no-talent era where essentially it was Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor. THAT WAS IT, period. I'm not one of those NBA nostalgists, fuck that. The 1960s SUCKED. Wilt would NOT dominate the current NBA, he'd be spaced out by stretch-centers like Tim Duncan and Chris Bosh, dominated by aggressive and quick bigs like Howard and Hibbert, and just be plain out-gassed by rim attacks by players like Lebron. Trust me. The NBA is 5-on-5 now, even JORDAN wouldn't thrive as well as he did in the 1990s. The defense is SO MUCH BETTER than it was even from the 1990s let alone the 1960s.. Plus the floor spacing offenses challenge lumbering bigs. Why do you think there aren't as many bigs in the NBA as there were even 10 years ago? Bigs are just less relevant than they used to be, the speed, athleticism, and ball-moving teamwork have made them much less effective. Sorry to burst your bubble, but its a small ball league for the next ten years at least.. Look at "big teams" like Detroit? Playing like shit. Even Indiana, they are longer than they are big, and some of their most effective offense is driven by small-ball strategies. If anything, their offense is a hybrid between "big" inside-out b-ball and quick, small-ball attacking.

Also, really, believe it or not the Heat play this same kind of strategy of hybrid ball. They are not a purely "small" team (i.e. jump shooting, catch and shoot, 3-pointers), that if anything has been Houston's strategy or the Knicks last season. No. LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR MIAMIA LED THE NBA IN POINTS IN THE PAINT. Wade is the most successful attack-guard in the history of the NBA. He and Lebron combined for the most effect tandem in-the-paint both last season and this season, and last season bordered on the best combo in the paint ALL-TIME. Surprising isn't it? One of the smallest teams in the NBA leads the leage in a "big" stat? Oh yeah. And Lebron is the ONLY non-"big" player to shoot above 57% for a season. He is the only non-"big" to lead the NBA in shooting percentage under the rim (he is currently shooting above 70% in the paint), IN ANY SEASON IN NBA HISTORY, and he is doing it TWO CONSECUTIVE SEASONS. So much for all that "big" ball and all that "Wilt" bullshit ;)

There are no BIGS nowadays, which is why LeBron can dominate the post.

If BronBron played in late 80's-early 90's he would be forced to play only outside game. Ewing would have broke his face.

Bullshit. Again. Bigs are myth. They dominated in an NBA era of 1-on-1 defense, and no surprise their size as an advantage. Now? Smaller, quicker, more athletic line ups will simply move the ball so fast so as to confuse a big, then either sink the jumper or drive and attack. Its basic b-ball. Sorry to hurt your guys old-man NBA nostalgia, but those days of bigs are over, and they were overrated. There are only TWO bigs in NBA history who had the athleticism, speed, and skill to dominate in the modern era, Hakeem the Dream and Big Diesal Shaq daddy. Period. Even Kareem probably would get out-gased in today's NBA.

Also, you guys seem to forget that in today's NBA one guy can score 50-60 points and their team STILL LOSE THE GAME. That is what would happen to Wilt style players. They may possibly have great stats, but their entire team would suffer. The current NBA is about help-defense, floor spreading, up-tempo pace, and 3-point shooting. Sorry. Bigs are out-dated and over-rated

Maybe you underestimate Lebron. Hakeem didn't. Hakeem is the one who taught Lebron to actually be more effective in the post than just as a rim attacker. Now? Lebron only attacks the rim to open up shooters for the pass. Also, you think that those supposed "NBA tough guys" would beat up Lebron? Lebron is big, fast, strong dude. I wouldn't be surprised if Lebron would be the one breaking their faces driving to the basket. Fuck that. "Tough guy" NBA was a joke. Its basketball, not a school yard fight. That is why I liked Showtime Lakers. In the era of "tough guy" basketball they were the Heat of their era, instead of getting caught up "tough guy" feuds on the court, they let their game do the talking. Fist fights are for bar room brawls, the basketball court is for basketball. If anything, that era of "big black guys fighting on the court" was just a manifestation of America's racist desire to watch black men be ignorant. Fuck that. The one good thing Stern did for the NBA was shift it away from a league full of "niggers acting like their in the circus" to a bunch of professional black business men who focus on their talent, not their machismo.

There is no roll to slow.

A game was played and they won. It's as simple as that. Winning last night has NOTHING to do with the post season and I would say the same if the Rockets had lost last night. Rockets play in Miami a week from this Sunday and we will see what happens then.

As a Rockets fan, there are a few encouraging things to consider: A) Rockets have the leagues best record since January 1st. B) Dwight Howard has played in EVERY game this NBA season.

After playing in Orlando tonight, the Rockets are starting a tough stretch in the schedule: Indiana, Portland, @OKC, @Chicago, @Miami, Utah, Minnesota......all of these teams will make the playoffs.

Ain't hating on the Rockets. They're surprisingly a top-10 defense this year. HOWEVER, they are essentially playing the EXACT same basketball that the Knicks rode to a 54 win season last year... when you live by the 3, you die by the 3. Also, if your top-player has ZERO defense, you don't get far in the playoffs where defense trumps offense.

I again, I ain't hatin on the Rockets in the slightest, in fact, I kind of like them dudez, but it is what it is. The Heat can lose, in fact, its really 50-50 for them, but, all things considering its clearly theirs to win. ALL the teams, repeat ALL the teams in the NBA have the same flaws they had the last few years when they couldn't win it big. The Warriors still rely on lucky shots. The Spurs are still boring as ever. The Thunder still rely too much on iso plays. The Bulls still can't shoot. The Pacers still have too many turnovers. The Rockets are interesting, but relying on gimmick basketball which 20 past years of playoffs have proven is an ineffective strategy. The Trailblazers are hanging in there, but are essentially last years Nuggets. Fun to watch, really just winning lucky games they shouldn't even be winning. The Clippers are developing, but really, they're the same old Clippers. The Raptors are playing great, but not quite playoff great. The Suns are fun, and they should be excited, but not quite a playoff team yet either. The Mavs? Meh. See... its the Heat's to lose.. If Wade AND Bosh are actually healthy this year? Nobody stands a chance. If the Heat lose I'd be the first to congratulate the winner, but the first also to suspect rigging ;)

In NO WAY was I comparing eras or players.

Last night, LeBron had the opportunity to do something in Houston that hasn't been done since Chamberlain did it many years / eras ago.

It's just an odd and meaningless statistic that may never be broken.

Lebron didn't have a chance at that. He was clearly exhausted from taking a career high in FGA while also getting a handful of hours of sleep from traveling...


Wilt did it because the NBA sucked in his era, and he was feasting on its suckiness. Ever wonder why Wilt looked like he didn't give a flying fuck in that famous picture of his 100 point game? Ever wonder why Wilt clearly just didn't ever even give a flying fuck about basketball most of the time? Simple. 1960s NBA might have well been the 1860s, it sucked. Also, this whole 1980s/90s "tough guy" basketball also sucked in comparison. All guys could do was shove each other around a bit more, now? Even if guys wasted their time trying to be "tough guys" and started shoving and playing "more physical" they'd just get burned by a quick pass and wide open elbow jump shot or catch and shoot 3 ;)

Literally, I believe that if you put some 1990s NBA players on the court today they'd look lost on defense, and get harassed into an inefficiency whole like **coughs** #StayMelo

Pacers may still have the best record in the NBA but after a totally shit-kicking
February I'm glad the NBA talking-heads have finally got back to their senses! Roy Hibbert
is an offensive liability, the tallest dude in the NBA yet averages 11pts and 7 boards with a 15.4 PER.... not even
top 20 centers in the league. Also, when the refs actually call all the bullshit "verticality" fouls
and 3-second violations the guy becomes ineffective and hits the bench, much like
he has for most of his career. People were just pumping up the Pacers to Heat hate, just like they pumped
up the Thunder in 2012, and the Spurs last year, when in actuality, neither of these 3
teams are really favorites, popular, or truly capable of beating the Heat in a 7 game series.
As to Paul George, all the quasi-MVP chatter has finally died down as the guy regressed
back towards the mean, shooting a measly 40% since January and generally slacking
in all offensive stats. Quietly David West, much like he did in New Orleans, has been
carrying this team through. Simply put, their win-record in 2014 has been predicated more on
lucky breaks than improvement from last season, so I predict a serious regression in the playoffs.
Shit, these dudes may not even get past the Bulls if they don't get back up on their game, let alone
challenging Miami for the ECF ;)

Always give 110%

Here is a picture my brother took from our court side seats last night. I was there and still can't believe the game James Harden had......this morning I found out exactly great it was:

Per ELIAS: since 1973, James Harden joins Dr. J, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan as the ONLY players to record: 40+ points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 rebounds.

James Harden is the ONLY Houston Rocket to win Player Of The Week in consecutive weeks.




Dating back to January 1st, 2014, the Houston Rockets have the NBA's best record:

January 10-4
February 8-2
March 5-0

@OKC tomorrow night, @Chicago (Thursday) and @Miami (Sunday) are the next three on tap.

Behold the Eastern Conference.

The Atlanta Hawks are 1-14 in their last 15 games......and still have a 3 game lead for 8th.

 

This is what the Moon looked like over Houston last night after the Rockets beat the San Antonio Spurs (season sweep) and secured home court for the first round of the playoffs:

Isn't it surprising how not only has the Eastern Conference evened out to have almost identical win-records as last year's 8 playoff teams, but between the Bulls, Nets, and Raptors ALL combined for the three best teams in the NBA since the beginning of 2014..

This is a beautiful moment of a team that has entirely lost
its chemistry.. Watch the ball just STOP for several seconds..
priceless!! Sorry to the Rockets, but they'll win the series, quite literally Portland got lucky, well, capitalized on good luck, as they had
several times earlier this season. Luck runs out..

^^^that lost chemistry = big bucks for me. $50 paid $250 on Game One and I have the same odds on the series. However, tonight, I'm taking Atlanta and the 7 points.

The Rockets blowing the lead is nothing new. Better to get something like that out of their system now than later. Coach McHale made some horrid decisions in the final minutes of the game. I believe that will improve too! IF the Rockets blow it tomorrow night, then it will be time to hit this:




Let me add......Aldridge was awesome......his box score was Olajuwon like.


So much for home court in the first set of games with the home team going: 3-5

dwight howard is crying about touches again, meanwhile he had 21 of them and 19 free throws in that game... HAHAHAHAH.. I am SO FUCKING glad we don't have to put up with that dude here in LA anymore.. ;)

Howard hasn't been crying about touches.

After discussions with Coach McHale and Olajuwon, Howard mentioned a refocused effort him receiving more touches......he wasn't crying!

Howard has been everything the Rockets wanted. Other than a ankle cyst that wouldn't properly heal, Howard stayed healthy, played meaningful minutes and was very productive.

The Rockets find themselves in deep doo doo headed to Portland for Game Three tomorrow night. So far, I haven't seen one thing from the Rockets that gives me hope they can win one game.

If you care to take the time to watch, here is ELEVEN minutes of six to eight second clips of JAMES HARDEN NOT PLAYING DEFENCE.

What I don't understand is why Coach McHale didn't make any adjustments (double team) on LaMarcus Aldridge......because of this, I'm guessing Kevin will be on the "Hot Seat" if the Rockets don't return to Houston for a Game Five.

If the Indiana Pacers don't win tonight in Atlanta, building on their Game Two win, I do believe the Hawks will win the series. Also pulling for Memphis just to make that match-up interesting.

While normally this would sound like a classic case of a quote to a media source taken entirely out of context, but you might be forgetting that Dwight Howard played here in Los Angeles for year, I heard shit like this from him every week. He is always demanding touches, but in LA it was more reasonable, he was getting under 15 most games.. 21 is fine. With 21 shots, HOW MUCH MORE DO YOU REALLY NEED THE BALL?? Besides, Its not how many times you touch the ball, its how much you do with it. (Lebron vs KD, efficiency vs volume) And yes, the real problem was James Harden, who instead of getting pissy with sports reporters should be trying to shoot better than 29% over two games where the opponent put up literally Michael Jordan numbers. Only three players have had back to back road wins with 40 or more points..

Did it look like eleven minutes of this?




Oh.. we've joked about this before. If anythings its what made me laugh about Howard going to Houston to play the EXACT kind of high speed offense, middle of the pack defense that D'Antoni was running for the Lakers. James Harden is just Kobe Bryant with a lower shooting percentage, less defense, and a kick ass beard. His defense is NOTORIOUS and now players are attacking it on the court for easy lay ups. Really, I think its why OKC let him go because they've clearly focused on being a defensive team over the past two years (they've been in the top 5 defensively consecutive years now)

Well, the first three minutes do.

If memory serves, Howard agreed to be traded to LA because he wanted out of Orlando. His entire time in LA, Howard lived in a hotel. Howard chose to leave LA and come to Houston and became a homeowner.

Yes you understand correctly, but regardless the situation remains the same, Houston plays the same style of basketball that Howard was playing for the Lakers. Believe me, its not kind of sour grapes thing, Howard walked and he's free to go, and y'all are free to enjoy him. I ain't a b-ball hater BUT I have gotten to know Dwight Howard a little bit better, and after a season and two playoff series, he looks, sounds, and acts a lot like the Dwight Howard y'all are having in Houston after a season and a first round in the playoffs. Dwight is a good player, but his game doesn't make the team around him better. Interestingly, Houston should be humming like the 2008-9 Orlando Magic which was essentially Howard and a bunch of 3 point shooters BUT that doesn't seem to be the case. Howard is like Carmelo Anthony, a great talent but not necessarily a great player in the team sense. 0-2 on your own court in the first round I think y'all might get to understand a bit better ;)

Time to send it back to Portland!

Tomorrow, there will be THREE Game Sevens.



Here is hoping the Rockets can force another on Sunday.

Before last night, the last buzzer beater to win an NBA playoff series was by John Stockton in 1997 to knock out the Houston Rockets.

Whoa.. y'all got that Denver Bronco's stink yo! Hey, at least you got those back to back championships with perhaps the most skilled big man of all time?? Got to count for something the Suns, Pacers, or the Jazz surely don't got ;)

I really thought that Rockets had it when Parsons made that shot with 4 seconds left.. Unfortunately the Rockets also thought they had it, so they took their foot off the gas and in the playoffs EVERY SINGLE possession counts, especially the final shot! Instead of pushing to a record sixth game seven (record for the playoffs alone and its just the first round!!!) they gave Lilliard a place in NBA all-time history. There have only been a handful of buzzer beaters to clinch a series PERIOD, and now Portland has added to the list.

This is me watching basketball, including tonight's heats-nets game!!

Don't feel so bad, look at it this way, in the past 17 seasons they've been eliminated THIRTEEN TIMES!!!!! Lets always keep that in perspective, with the Spurs, its almost better the higher they get because it only means the inevitable forthcoming defeat to the better team is all the more painful and embarrassing for them to lose ;)