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ClutchFans Game Thread: Timberwolves @ Rockets 4/25/2018 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 5)

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Clutch, Apr 24, 2018.

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DavidRocket Member

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vlaurelio said: ↑

I know but theyre definitely better than minny.

My point was we can win playing half asleep vs minny. But we dont have that luxury vs utah
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Honest question here.......what about Utah concerns you the most in that matchup for the Rockets?

#81 DavidRocket, Apr 25, 2018

juanm34 Member

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Time to drop a 50pt qtr at home!
Boring win is imminent!!

#82 juanm34, Apr 25, 2018

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Killatron 2000 Punk Rocket

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Dudes, I am getting my roof re-shingled today just in time for the Rockets to close out the Twolves in 5. Oh, what a glorious day! Go Rockets!

#83 Killatron 2000, Apr 25, 2018
Fyreball Contributing Member

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Killatron 2000 said: ↑

Dudes, I am getting my roof re-shingled today just in time for the Rockets to close out the Twolves in 5. Oh, what a glorious day! Go Rockets!
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Smart move. We're all gonna need shelter from the rain the Rockets bring tonight!

#84 Fyreball, Apr 25, 2018

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vlaurelio Contributing Member

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DavidRocket said: ↑

Honest question here.......what about Utah concerns you the most in that matchup for the Rockets?
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their system. they are a well coached team. snyder can get the most out of his players.

#85 vlaurelio, Apr 25, 2018

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justtxyank Contributing Member

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What's the color scheme for the fans tonight?

#86 justtxyank, Apr 25, 2018
YOLO Member

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justtxyank said: ↑

What's the color scheme for the fans tonight?
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red shirts are tonight

#87 YOLO, Apr 25, 2018

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zeeshan2 Member

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[Lowe] What the Thunder and Wolves need to do to survive

Over in the Minnesota-Houston series, Jeff Teague can't even enter the ball to Karl-Anthony Towns. He's a less skilled, less adventurous passer than Rubio. He's also playing with a lot of non-shooters, and against a smart defense. Over and over, Towns has drawn a switch, cut down the middle, and not received the ball. Commentators have bemoaned the death of post play.

They had good reason after Game 1. Towns barely bothered trying to post up mismatches. He has embraced something of a mean streak since. No mean streak can make up for help defenders parking themselves in Towns' lap:

They get the same switch, and Teague has a cleaner entry pass. That's good! The tradeoff is that it's much easier for Houston to send help toward Towns without leaving a dangerous shooter open; the three Timberwolves on the weak side are so close together, two Rockets can patrol them.

And the Wolves don't have a lot of dangerous shooters to begin with -- even while playing smaller lineups with Jimmy Butler at power forward. Butler gave Towns an outlet on one play in Game 3 by sneaking along the baseline and popping in the corner on Towns side, but we haven't seen that type of brainy movement since.

• Butler and Andrew Wiggins face the same issues when they post up on the wing -- something Minnesota may want to try a little more, given Houston is playing three-guard lineups and switching a lot. The Wolves can get Butler and Wiggins a mismatch whenever they want. When Ryan Anderson is in, they can prey on him the same way -- though he has improved at keeping wings in front of him.

Post-ups can beat switches -- in smart doses. You have to mix in motion sets, anticipatory cuts, and slipped screens. Minnesota has shown glimpses of that, but it is not in its DNA. The Rockets have been smart about mixing in conventional defenses to keep Minnesota off balance.

• Houston, meanwhile, transformed into a different offensive team in its second-half explosion Monday night. It was not only a matter of making or missing the same shots, though there was some of that. The process was different, better, more varied. The first half featured a lot of this from James Harden:

That is 12 seconds of desultory dribbling followed by a step-back 3-pointer over Wiggins. That has been a good shot all season. The math says Harden isolating, and jacking a triple out of it, is a good shot.

But Houston at its most sluggish tests the limits of that math. Wiggins on Harden one-on-one is not a mismatch. Against Towns? Dance away, James. He'll either juke his way into more breathing room for that triple, or toast Towns off the bounce, draw help, and kick to a shooter.

This kind of shot -- with no movement, against a like-sized defender who can hang -- is as close to settling as Houston gets. Harden settled in the first half of Game 4. The math might say every one of those shots is a good one. Compounded, they sapped the Rockets of their verve. Other guys need to feel the ball.

Houston slowed the pace as the season went on. You can understand the temptation to play one-on-one ball here. Minnesota has frustrated Houston's pick-and-roll attack by aping the Spurs' game plan from last season's playoffs: park Towns near the rim, stay home on shooters, and invite Harden and Paul to try floaters. But the Wolves don't have San Antonio's discipline. Towns is still learning. His teammates stray further from shooters than Gregg Popovich would allow. Poke around, and someone will pop open.

• At their best, the Rockets mix in fast breaks, triples with 19 on the shot clock, and semi-scripted plays with more meat to them. Even the Rockets need to keep good defenses guessing.
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#88 zeeshan2, Apr 25, 2018

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pippendagimp Member

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Minnesota @ Houston Zach Zarba (#15) Brian Forte (#45) Sean Wright (#4) Karl Lane (#77)

#89 pippendagimp, Apr 25, 2018
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And so it begins...

...no now it ends

#90 Junkyard_Dog, Apr 25, 2018
count_dough-ku Contributing Member

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justtxyank said: ↑

What's the color scheme for the fans tonight?
Click to expand...

#91 count_dough-ku, Apr 25, 2018
Last edited: Apr 25, 2018
joeson332 Member

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DavidRocket said: ↑

Honest question here.......what about Utah concerns you the most in that matchup for the Rockets?
Click to expand...

Lets win tonight first.

#92 joeson332, Apr 25, 2018

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TMackin713 Member

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What a day. I live in Denver and Kygo and Alan Walker are playing at Red Rocks at same time Rockets looking to kill Minny. I don't have a doubt about our performance tonight which should allow me to attend the show, but I can't fathom missing a game to watch my boys. It's like they're family now.

#93 TMackin713, Apr 25, 2018

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Sidarma Member

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Gentleman wolves

#94 Sidarma, Apr 25, 2018
ReignSupreme Member

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As we type, I'm smoking on the best moonrock

#95 ReignSupreme, Apr 25, 2018

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pippendagimp Member

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just kill em

#96 pippendagimp, Apr 25, 2018
Deuce Context & Nuance

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We saw it in the 3rd quarter of game 4, but the 3pt shooting needs to start to improve on a consistent basis.

#97 Deuce, Apr 25, 2018

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Deuce said: ↑

We saw it in the 3rd quarter of game 4, but the 3pt shooting needs to start to improve on a consistent basis.

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they're saving that for the wcf against GS to rise to the mean

#98 YOLO, Apr 25, 2018

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Let's do this again tonight!

#99 Shaq2Yao, Apr 25, 2018

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#100 Shaq2Yao, Apr 25, 2018

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