ClutchFans Game Thread: Mavericks @ Rockets 3/31/2024

Yeah, the Kings even though they lost a close one the other night to the Mavs were forcing the ball out of Luka's hands on every possession down the stretch. Make anyone else on that team beat you and if they do, props to em.

The Mavs better at least try against the Warriors in their two matchups this week. Don't rest Luka against them if he's healthy enough to do what he did against us last night.

 

Not doubling Luka after the 1st quarter was dumb.

Needed more from FVV tonight. With the way they were doubling and trapping Green all night only 4 shots from FVV isn't good enough. Seems like he took the night off, smh.

 

The Rockets played an all around dumb game. Amen’s second and third fouls were dumb. Ime not doubling Doncic from the get-go was dumb. FVV not running the offense when it was obvious they were going to take away Green. They are a really good team and we might have lost anyway, but doubling Doncic from the start of the game would’ve worn him out, especially with a bad knee. They should have been holding, hacking, running into him with every scrub we could spare.

 

Me on seeing final score, checking standings...

 

We were bound to lose at some point. I think Dallas is a legit contender this year, they are just better than us right now. We’ll get there…

 

The lack of physicality and soft fouls almost bothered me more than the lack of double teams. If you're going to let Jock get ISO'd by Luka (which is ridiculous in the first place) at least tell him to give the dude a couple hard fouls on the perimeter instead of letting him getting a shot off.

 

Just calling it like it is. Anything can be said to favor anyone's argument. For example, we beat OKC without Sengun. First thing you would say is OKC didn't have Shai. That's right but that same OKC team that we beat without Shai playing played the Pheonix Suns after and was still without Shai. OKC blew out a (playoff) Pheonix Suns team that has Durant, Booker and Beal playing by 25 points.

But... Rockets don't get credit for beating a real team? Cmon man.

 

Its called balancing out since they had their so called gauntlet early season where they surprised most and started out better than expected

It was good that the schedule was eazy, being that their low block hub is out and before Mavs game had their two best bench pieces out

The actuality is they are two games back of playin with a punchers chance come Thursday

Another reality is Wolves just lost at home to the same Bulls that Rockets beat during that streak

So the reality is the Rockets have a shot, we just need the Fluke to bounce back and Jabari stay locked in etc

 

Oh no. We suck again!

 

Did you also take into account that the thunder were on the second night of a back to back and we still had to take them to OT to beat them without SGA? At the end of the season a lot of the better teams do not take games seriously. Which is why the Rockets during the rebuild and Jalen himself usually plays better after allstar break. Just telling it like it is.

 

Granted OKC is a very young team like us I still do look at back to back playing a factor. It's hard to win in this league as it is. OKC has won many back to back games this year. It also played in their favor that their back to back ended in OKC where we still beat them. OKC not taking the game seriously is pure BS. They are playing every game seriously because they are fighting for the one seed. I know we don't like to be wrong but teams don't going on 11 game winning streaks because teams don't care.

 

Back to Back without SGA makes them significantly weaker, thats the point here. The 11 game streak was a huge accomplishment Im not taking anything away from it a lot of teams couldnt do it. Jalen was brilliant but the loss puts things into perspective over the level we were playing at.

 

Are the Rockets bad again? Do we trade Green?

 

They better not

 

Jock Lawndale sacrificial lamb of the switch everything defense last night. Ouch. Welp that was an MVP we saw yesterday so at least the youngsters caught a glimpse of what it takes on a singular level to make everything around you click.

 

SGA actually played in that first game on the back to back. Perspective is also understanding that the Rockets could have easily lost to the Jazz right before they played Dallas. I know Dallas is a playoff caliber team but the bigger thing here to me is understanding it's hard to win and keep winning over and over in this league. The Rockets are on their way to being a real threat though. They are actually going to get to a point where they play in the mentality of it doesn't matter who we play moreso than how we play.

 

You have to double team Luka at all costs. It could have worn Luka out. 12 in a row would have been awesome.

 

Well yeah as I said a lot of teams wouldn't have a 11 game win streak there so they could have lost all of them but they didnt. They lost to the onyl healthy playoff team that they played during that stretch. Im only speaking to the level at which the Rockets are playing lately and how Dallas puts perspective on it. Because homerism tends to make people blow things out of proportion.