ClutchFans Game Thread: Thunder @ Rockets 4/16/2017 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 1)

I actually don't this this is a hard series for houston.

Now okc could get a game maybe 2 but overall if you go back and watch what the rockets did in every game.

It becomes very clear, Houston is just flat out better. okc doesn't run any type of offense so if Russ isnt hitting threes which the rockets let Russ have it's insanely hard for them to generate any type of offense to compete with houston.

Okc is better defensively but not by much. There not some defensive juggernaut like the Spurs jazz or warriors. They can't offset cold droughts of scoring with their D.

The Rockets have had not problem getting any kind of good look they want in the 4 games against them this year. They have had double digit leads and every game.

Remember, the one game we did lose to okc. The rockets were up 11 with 6 min to go and lost by 1 point. During that 6 min stretch the rockets didn't score 1 point. Till the final 20 seconds.

So in 6 min okc scored 14 points to Houston's 2 and only won by 1 freaking point.

That's what okc is hooting for. That te rockets don't score for 5-6 min stretches. It's there only chance and frankly if that's really all houston has to worry about than I think we're in a real favorable spot.

No one seems to mention that in this late Russ MVP push over the last 10 games. His team went 5-5 and was down double digits in every game but 2 of them. They did have 3 late some combacks but against sub 500. Teams. Okc is not good peer the past 10 games there point difference is a negative. Quite frankly they suck and if Russ doesn't hit 2 long threes to
Tie it up or win okc is 3-7 in there last 10 games.

This will be a very easy series my friends. Okc is just not that good and there play over the last 10 games even with the media push for Russ had furthered my belief. There just not a good team.

 

First play of game Bev swipes Westbrook knee.
Like he almost did to Curry

 

Hopefully not. Bev isnt as dirty as hes made out to be. Reckless but not intentionally dirty.

He didnt do **** to curry besides play physical. That westbrook injury was a freak play.

Bevs our badass but hes not an ******* whos disrespectful to the game of basketball. He will play good defense on westbrook

 

Hopefully they show up on defense. If they do, the rest will take care of itself.

 

I need to get off clutchfans at work, lollll so addicting. Ughhhh.

 

Kellerman basically conceded at the end of the discussion that he was making an emotional argument. Which means he doesn't like Harden and the Rockets and wants this upset to happen more than he actually believes it's going to happen.

I'll admit that Westbrook is a great enough player to carry his team to a win or two. And certainly, the Rockets are bipolar enough to cough up a game or two. Lord knows they've blown enough big leads to OKC this season. But it would be a genuine upset if they lost this series to the Thunder. Their 3-point shooters would have to go ice cold. The defense would have to be consistently awful. Harden would have to get shut down by Roberson. And the Thunder players would have to get hot from the outside.

Could all(or most) of these things happen? Sure. But the odds are not good. Hence why an OKC series win would be an upset.

 

This, we need to play hard.

I think we can definitely win this series, but we need to take them very seriously, their defense can be good, they've long and physical players, our roster is kinda opposite of that and we need to man up from how we usually play.

Also, not sure but i think @DreamShook was saying that he's not sure what kind of OKC team we'll face, if the stat padding team which goes down 20 against Orlando, or the post triple double team that comes back allowing few points in the last quarter...eh, count me in, i do think we are favorites but i'd be very careful to consider this an easy match up.

 

*Yawn* boring.

 

Rockets win in a blowout.

 

I think James already feels like he's going to lose the MVP... Hence the... "I've done enough" comment. He's agitated because he knows Westbrook and the way he operates. It's about him, not the team. Which is why Westbrook will leave the first chance he gets for the spotlight in LA.

I fully expect James to play angry and I expect him to cook Westbrook. If our shooters can play under the spotlight, we will be good. But if we go cold, we best snap out of it.

But I expect Harden to bring it.

 

It will not be a competitive series...

Westbrook can make history again this season by being the first MVP to get swept in round 1...

Then the real playoffs can start in round 2 vs SA...

 

#mediaconspiracy logic: Rockets have the better record, better team, better players, better supporting cast, better coach, perfect system for Harden and role players, top 3 in the NBA. OKC's team sucks, players sucks, one-man show, Westbrook is MVP. They'll upset the Rockets.

Either way - dont care what the media thinks. Rockets gotta come out and wreck. Good thing they have 2 options - either go all in on shutting down Westbrook and let his "all of a sudden crappy" teammates beat em' or option 2 - let Westbrook get his 40+ ppg, and shut everyone else down.

 

Im a fan of the "let westbrook get 50 points on 40 shots and freeze his team out of the game" type defense

 

Max really made me laugh in this video. He picked the OKC because WB is extra motivated to face Harden in the playoff because of the MVP, I thought it should be the different way

 

If the 3's are falling, we'll win. If they aren't, and we have to deal with Westbrook in the clutch, could be bad. We'll see what happens. Go Rox!

 

We will see. Westbrook no doubt has had clutch moments. Hes also had not so clutch moments. We had him in the clutch 2 times where he bricked 3 shots in a row down the stretch.

Against the trailblazers in his 58 point game he had 3 or 4 chances to win the game and bricked them all.

Should be a fun series

 

Errr, "he'll leave the first chance he gets?" He signed a 3 year extension this off-season to stay in OKC. Say what you want about Westbrook, but the dude has heart, and doesn't shy away from the spotlight.

Also, even though I usually refrain from saying stuff like this, I can't help it this time. The Thunder are not good. Anybody who's afraid of this series is basically just afraid, period. The Thunder have nothing for us to be afraid of. Guys like Kanter and Adams, despite what that absolute d******d Kellerman says, are not NEARLY good enough to beat you 4 times over a 7 game stretch. The playoffs are a completely different animal, and I can see a guy like Oladipo folding under the pressure of having to be a true #2.

My brain says Rockets in 6, my heart says Rockets in 5.

 

4-2 that is when nothing spectacular happens for OKC.

If OKC make their "rare 3s", can outrebound us, Oladipo beasting, Russell doing his thing and only then they can take it to 7 games and probably make it interesting in the last game.

 

If we hit 3s we win by 10+ no matter what okc does

 

Bev doesn't play dirty like green