ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Thunder 2/7/2026

When something's so obvious, it's an illusion.

On the broadcast, IME was looking right at the play.

All the players and coaches apparently missed it too, lol.

 

Reed needs the start and Tari needs to come off the bench.

 

Caruso passing by makes it kinda an optical illusion. I had to look twice and was looking for it. Nobody mentioned anything real-time in the thread.

The awkward part was his body language on the 2nd dribble. He made himself look guilty.

 

With Tari's 3pt shooting I think Reed should start and Amen should come off the bench.

DD

 

Either one of amen or sengun needs to come off the bench.

 

Bari's been getting better... but why not move Amen back to the dunker spot like last year? And why not try smallball with the reserve lineups with Bari at the 5?

 

Yes thats why nothing happened.

 

because Sengun and Capela exist. Bari is a spacer and opens things up.

 

Reed has literally shot a lower percentage from three than Amen has in recent games. He is either injured, has hit some kind of wall in his conditioning, or has something going on mentally. Of course he is a better shooter than Amen, but in his current state, whatever is going on, he's not ready to start.

 

Totally disagree, teams guard him at the 3pt line creating space for others, with Amen they don't bother.

DD

 

He's shooting 25% in his last 10 games, 38% for the season.

While defense has focused on him much more, he took plenty of "open" shots, shots that might not be open for most, but for him they were. He is just missing them, some quite badly. He did this also in his rookie season, but it was with sporadic minutes, while he's now doing this with pretty consistent minutes. When he was doing this in his rookie season, many wondered if his college season was a fluke. His FT % is a bit concerning, as a great 3PT shooter shouldn't be shooting that low of a FT% (78%).

I really hope it's just tired legs as he has never played this many minutes before.

 

I think the same. I don’t get why Bari doesn’t play 5. Amen 4. In today’s nba that’s normal and actually huge advantage.

 

The bench should start but immediately be benched in favor of benched starters

Here's the deal

the Rockets have 2 non shooters as their top 3 players, can't overcompensate by adding a monstrous maori defensive big, and also rely on a 37 yo midrange maestro to create offense - all of which is done at a slow pace.

That's just it, there's no solution, "it's just not our year" (because you assembled a mismatched roster)

 

This is a fact

 

8 point loss at the hands of a scrappy wing on a 10 day contract incoming.

 

He is only 22. Sometimes people forget that.