[Bytor Peltor]

Rockets WIN Game 4......series tied 2-2

 

Pop said both teams went small but Rockets played very well with their three-guard unit.

"We started the game really without an edge," said Pop of the Spurs' start.
Houston led 17-9 early.

The Spurs are now 1-4 in the playoffs when their opponent has scored over 100 points on their defense.

Skip Bayless: As much as I've long loved the Spurs, I must admit, last night was a bad sign.

Mike D'Antoni: "I don't believe that much in momentum."

Gasol postgame: "We need to limit their chances of making threes & taking easier shots"......of course, this could've been said after any game.

It's a make or miss league......Rockets missed 21 open 3's in Game 3. Got the same shots last night in Game 4 and went 19-43 from downtown.

Eric Gordon : 22 points on 8-13 shooting & 6-9 from 3 in 32 minutes off the bench

 

James Harden against Spurs:

Game 1: 20/14

Game 2: 13/10

Game 3: 43:5

Game 4: 28/12

 

Second half stats

Harden:
14 PTS
5 AST
1 REB
50% FG (4/8)
+18

Kawhi:
2 PTS
0 AST
2 REB
25% FG (1/4)
-10

16 points will be a playoff low for Kawhi Leonard in scoring during this 2016-17 playoff run......had 18 when SA was blown out by Memphis.

The Rockets topped their game 1 performance. Offensive rating by game against the Spurs this series:

1. 123.0
2. 110.0
3. 96.6
4. 126.4

Rockets small-ball dominated......Spurs didn't have a huge rebounding edge. Going small makes Spurs pay for over-helping on the roll-man.

The loss of NeNe is looming very large with every offensive rebound the Spurs grab.
Clint Capela playing like a skinny Shaq on this dunk.

 

[Bytor Peltor]

Golden State Warriors SWEEP:

 

Messed around & got a triple-double

 

Stephen Curry has tallied his third 30-point game of this postseason (23rd playoff career) with 30 points.

 

Warriors have trailed for 11 minutes total in the last five games.

Warriors have led by at least 20 points for 67 minutes this postseason.

Warriors have swept consecutive postseason series for the first time in franchise history.

Warriors earn their third-straight appearance in the Western Conference Finals, a franchise-first (sixth overall).

 

Warriors would have 82% chance to beat Spurs in Conference Finals according to BPI; 89% chance to beat Rockets.


Warriors in the playoffs: 8-0, wins by 12, 29, 6, 25, 8, 11, 11, 26

Cavaliers in the playoffs: 8-0, wins by 1, 6, 5, 4, 11, 22, 21, 7

[Bytor Peltor]

ONE GAME A NIGHT THE REST OF THE NBA SEASON!

If Spurs-Rockets ends in 6, Western Conference Finals starts Sunday.
If it goes 7, winner of that only gets a day off before Game 1 Tuesday.

 

^^^at the VERY least......the Rockets will be playing this Sunday at 2:30 because they're not losing both of the next two games!!!

 

Five players in NBA postseason history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 400 assists & 200 blocks:

Duncan
Kareem
Shaq
Olajuwon
PAU GASOL


A good deal of NBA rumor mill saying Blake Griffin to OKC next season.

[Bytor Peltor]

Spurs WIN - Lead 3-2

 

Rockets lead by 2 at half-time, score the first five points of the 2nd Half. A hushness falls over the Spurs home crowd.

All-Time BAD 2nd Half for Harden

OVERTIME --- last six points scored by:

 

Harden played worse in OT......he was so gassed, had no lift at all......made such horrible decisions......turned the ball over FOUR TIMES.......Harden choked before our very eyes in the most important game of the Rockets season.

Harden blocked by a 50-year old to lose the game......most fitting ending possible to that game......ROCKETS had a timeout.

Didn't even get a shot off.

 

Tim Cowlishaw: Spurs may win because Kawhi had better OT than Harden...

Rockets 16 of 47 from 3

I'm guessing Leonard will be back for game 6, but it was odd to see him on bench most of last 10 minutes of the game......receiving NO treatment of any kind......post game Pop hinted at a "injury."

 

[Bytor Peltor]

Game 5 Continued......The Game Harden Couldn't Finish

 

James Harden: "For sure, we let one slip away."

James Harden on final possession: "Something was supposed to happen. It didn't happen. Just tried to make a play."

Rockets offense = Harden stalled big-time late......misfired after halftime badly (10 of 35 on 3s.)

NOTE: all I've shared above is true......but who else in the NBA, out of ALL Point Guards, would be bashed for 33/10/10 on 24 shots and guarding the team's best big to less points than shots?

 

Entire Rockets team revolves around Harden driving and finishing or guys knocking down shots......Rockets hit just 33% of their 3's and Spurs shot 17 more shots.

If the rockets made 2 of the 20+ wide open 3s we missed we would've won!!!

Rockets are 1-4 in close games against San Antonio this season. 4 losses were all late game failures = Rockets are better, but Spurs execute-finish!

SPURS were 6 of 24 in fourth quarter, 2 of 7 in OT. Had nothing to do with stops.

Last night, Kawhi Leonard became fourth Spur ever with 20+ points and 15+ rebounds in a playoff game (David Robinson, Dennis Rodman, Tim Duncan)

Kawhi: "Spurs won't feel like they're in control of the series unless they close Game 6."

Now the question for San Antonio is: Do you hold Kawhi out of a Game 6 to buy him an extra few days to heal that ankle for a possible Game 7?



14 lead changes in Game 5.


The Rockets won't practice Today, a rarity for a Mike D'Antoni team. With a 7-man rotation, they need the rest!

 

 

[Bytor Peltor]

Manu Ginobili: 4 career blocks of a game-tying/go-ahead shot in the final minute......last night may have been the biggest!

 

"Russ never would've" = SHUTUP!!!

 

Are Kylie and tyga done......what's he saying to her?

 

 

[Bytor Peltor]

How WRONG was I - - - - - - sort of wish suchfriends was around to give me a slow clap

Originally Posted by Bytor Peltor

^^^at the VERY least......the Rockets will be playing this Sunday at 2:30 because they're not losing both of the next two games!!!

Series OVER = total EMBARRASSMENT

 

Consider this......James Harden didn't take his first shot until 6:00 minutes remained in the First Half.

At Half-Time, Hardens points = Hardens turnovers!

James Harden’s disappearing act in the Rockets’ exit was inexplicable to all

Watching ESPN low-lights, you can't see Harden in the picture......spent most of the game 30-40 feet from the basket.

 

SPURS held Rockets to 11 points in the 4th Quarter

Hello DARKNESS my old friend, Popovich has beat you once again

 

Popovich: “Tonight was one of those nights where we’re not as good as we looked and they’re no the team they were."

Popovich: "It was a total team effort... we're thrilled to win the series."

Popovich: "I want to congratulate the Rockets on a great season. We're not as good as we looked. They were not the team people are used to seeing."

Pop and his staff coached a great series. Starting Pau was the right move, found a formula to contain Harden.

Spurs' Gregg Popovich improves to 20-6 versus Rockets' Mike D'Antoni in playoffs. 5-0 in series......NEVER needed Game 7.

The Spurs beat the Rockets two games in a row after each Rocket victory.

D'Antoni: "I don't have any reasons it happened. We'll look at it. Try to figure it out. Some nights, life hits you in the face."

D'Antoni: "We didn't have the juice, didn't have the stuff. We'll figure that out, get better this summer and do it again,"

Harden: "I don't know what it was. We just didn't play well. Give them credit,"

The Rockets were 9-37 (24.3%) on 2-pointers, the worst percentage by any team in a game this season.

The Spurs won 61 games and were the 2nd seed and somehow the Rockets still managed to make losing to them feel embarrassing = rough but true!

Rockets average a 105.1 offensive rating, which isn’t good for this season, but is probably livable. Gave up a 110 defensive rating.

To sum it up = The San Antonio Spurs FOREVER changed the Houston Rockets logo:

 

[Bytor Peltor]

 

According to TMZ - After Going 2-11......the beard went to a Houston Night Club......Travis Scott was performing and Kylie Jenner was there

 

May have looked a little like:

 

[Bytor Peltor]

Tonight, John Wall became President......forced a Game 7

 

 

 

^^^check out the dude in the pink shirt

 

[Bytor Peltor]

Things were going one way at half-time:

 

But Pop reminds us their are two halves (and two Kawhi ankle rolls)

 

Zaza Pachulia explains what happened on play that injured Kawhi Leonard, calls malicious intent "stupid" http://

 

Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant combined for 74 points, their most as teammates

And the Dubs take Game One

 

[Bytor Peltor]

 

Lot's of discussion about this today......

 

 

Can't wait to take on his former team in the NBA Finals:

 

[Bytor Peltor]

Number 1 vs. 2 in the East & West

It's not how you start a race......but how you finish:

John Wall Last 19 Minutes = OUCH!
Points 0
FG 0-11
3-pt FG 0-7


Celtics who have scored more than 25 points in a Game 7 since 1965:
Havlicek, Sam Jones, Cowens, Bird, McHale, Pierce, and......Kelly Olynyk

 

[Bytor Peltor]

Game 2

 

Last night was the warriors’ largest playoff win in 69 years.
(largest: 39-point victory on 4/6/48, Philadelphia at St. Louis).

Warriors, who have won 10-straight in the playoffs, are the ninth team in NBA history to post a double-digit postseason winning streak.

Warriors' bench scored 63 points in Game 2, a season-high (regular season or postseason).

The Warriors have won each of the last 4 quarters by at least 11 points each.

Golden State has earned its fifth wire-to-wire victory of this postseason.

 

 

Spurs: 136 points is most allowed by a Gregg Popovich-coached team in a playoff game.

Spurs have their largest playoff deficit under Gregg Popovich (41 points)

Largest 1st Half Deficits - Spurs Under Gregg Popovich

Tuesday 31 at Warriors
May 1, 2017 30 Rockets
March 6, 2011 29 Lakers

Wow Wow Wow = Pop rarely says anything about scoring, but concerning Aldridge he said, "He's got to score for us."

Gregg Popovich: "LaMarcus has got to score for us. He can't be timid. He turned down shots...He's got a major responsibility in Game 3."

LaMarcus Aldridge has $42 million left on his deal through 2019.

I doubt you her Popovich going "full court" about this last night:

 

[Bytor Peltor]

Eastern Conference Finals Game 1

 

James 8th 30-plus point game of the Playoffs: 34pts, 13-21FG, 8-9FT, 8reb, 7asst......James didn't finish the dunk, but this picture is representative of how the night went:

 

Since Dray called LeBron a bitch:
41-16-7
41-8-11
27-11-11
36-6-13
25-10-7
41-13-12
33-10-4
35-10-4
39-6-4
35-8-7
35-9-6
38-9-7

12 W's & 0 L's


All Around BEATDOWN in BEANTOWN

 

Kevin Love - 32 pts
LeBron James - 38 pts

Last teammates to score more than 30 at Celtics in playoffs?

Jerry West & Elgin Baylor - 1966

 

[Bytor Peltor]

Game 3

 

Kevin Durant has his third 30-point/10-rebound game in the 2017 postseason (16th career in the playoffs) with 33 points and 10 rebounds.

All five Warriors starters have scored in double figures for the third time this postseason.

 

Per Elias, Manu Ginobili currently has the most points off bench in playoff game for a player 39 or older - since starts tracked in 1970-71

 

When you realize that David Lee is our for the rest of the Post-Season:

 

[Bytor Peltor]

Game 3 (first night in Cleveland)

 

Celtics’ play from the beginning was just so much more sustainable on both ends with those lineup changes.

LeBron got all star teammates and lost a home game with the other team missing their star player = NO HEART!!
11 points & 6 turnovers

 

Last time LeBron James played entire 4th quarter and didn't score at home......February 24, 2006 against Wizards

Cavaliers were 16.5 point favorites

---The upset is the largest upset in the NBA this season, largest in the last 20 postseasons



LeBron has taken 2 free throws in the final minute of a one-possession game this season......his career rate is ~17


Playoff Games With Fewer Than 15 points:

LeBron James: 6
Michael Jordon: 0

We've (still) never had two teams sweep their way to The Finals.

 

Simply put......the Celtics are a MUCH better defensive team with Isaiah Thomas OFF the court:

NET RATING

Playoffs:

Bradley with Thomas: -4.6
Bradley w/out Thomas: +3.0

Vs. Cavs
AB w/ IT: -44.9
AB w/out IT: -15

Last night: -1.8




The LAND was PISSED:

 

[Bytor Peltor]

Game 4 = Golden State SWEEPS their way to the NBA Finals

 

Warriors will make 3rd straight NBA Finals appearance......first team to start a postseason with 12 straight wins.

Stephen Curry hit 21 threes in the Western Conference Finals, setting the NBA record for most threes in a four-game series.

A Golden State Of Mind
2015: The New Hope
2016: The Empire Strikes Back
2017: The Return of the Jedi??

 

Klay Thompson averaged: 11ppg on 32.6% vs Spurs...in the 4 game sweep.
Klay averaged 22.3 ppg on 46.8% during the regular season.

 

It was an elimination game at home and Lamarcus Aldridge had 8 points and 7 rebounds

IF it was his last NBA game, this Spur legend did it with class!

 

[Bytor Peltor]

If this was Manu's last game-season, sadly for Rockets fans, he gave us one last iconic play:

 

 

 

 

[Bytor Peltor]

 

NO MATTER what happens in the Eastern Conference Finals, the NBA Finals won't start until June:

Game 1: Thursday, June 1 @ 6pm
Game 2: Sunday, June 4 @ 5pm

Steve Kerr (kind of) joins Pat Riley as only two to make it to the NBA Finals in each of first three seasons as head coach:

 

If it wasn't for the Cavilers last season, Golden State would be going for 3 in a row:

 

[Bytor Peltor]

Game 4

Boston led by as many as 16 points during the 1st half of Game 4......it was ALL Cleveland in the 2nd half:

 

 

 

TNT wraparound show KILLED it after the game......Chuck giving Shaq grief about riding Kobe's coattails could only happen on this show!!!

Chris Bosh news: porbably BEST he NEVER plays again, but if he somehow does, I'd bet on the Rockets giving him another shot!