Warriors VS Rockets (Game 5)

Warriors Win Series 4-1

The Warriors closed out the series last night, and they blew out the Houston Rockets. Jason Terry guaranteed a Rockets win in game 5. The funny thing is, Jason Terry obviously put too much pressure on himself because he was 0-7 from the field.

The Warriors were great offensively. They shot 54.9% from the field. They could not be stopped. The team had 30 assists in the game. Klay Thompson had 27 points on the night as he took advantage of James Harden's poor defensive effort. Klay took 9 uncontested field goals and made 8 of them. That is just a very poor effort from the Rockets.

The Warriors weren't just good offensively though. They held the Rockets to 32.6% from the field. They contested most of the Rockets attempts. The Rockets took 55 contested shots and only made 18 of them. That is great defense! I also notice that they crashed on Dwight Howard whenever he got the ball. He never could get up a clean shot as he shot 3-13 from the field.

As you can see, the Warriors dominated on offense and played great defense. If they keep this up going into next series, they could win the whole series without Curry. And Kevin Durant would agree with me that anyone who can't see that is an idiot.

Warriors VS Rockets (Game 4)

Warriors Lead Series 3-1

Curry played the first half of the game. He then slipped on a wet spot that wasn't wiped up on the court. Curry would not return to the second half of the game. It was today that it was found out after an MRI scan that Curry is out for 2 weeks with an MCL sprain. The game was tied at halftime. That was when this Warriors team broke away from the Rockets. This was without Curry. Let's take a look at what they did.

In the second half of the game, the Warriors shot the ball extremely well. They were 12-20 from three in the second half as well as shooting 57.1% from the field. They weren't just hitting shots though. They were getting great looks. They moved the ball so well. The Warriors had 21 assists in the second half alone! They had 38 assists in the game! Shaun Livingston lead this with 9 assists in the second half. They weren't satisfied until they got an open shot. The Warriors had 51 uncontested shots on the night! They looked great without Curry.

A part of this did have to do with the defense of the Rockets. Their defensive rotation were horrible. Completely horrible. Nobody seemed to communicate and players were losing their man. It was just bad. The Rockets can't win against the Warriors with the defense they had.

The Rockets also turned the ball over 18 times. The Warriors took advantage of this. The Warriors had 20 fast break points and 23 points off turnovers. The Rockets turn the ball over a lot, but you can't against the Warriors because they are the best in converting off turnovers.

The Warriors also played great defense. The Rockets shot 5-27 on three point attempts and didn't get many open looks. The Warriors were going for steals as they had 10 steals and 12 deflections. The Rockets had a hard time getting into an offense. While the Warriors had 16 turnovers, the Rockets only had 9 fastbreak points.

If the Rockets are to come back in the series, they need the same bench production they had in this game. Beasley was an instant scorer. He had 17 points on the night. Jason Terry also added 9 and Brewer had 10 points.

Anyways, the Warriors played great without Curry, but they really need to continue the play through the rest of the series and through the next series.

Warriors VS Rockets (Game 3)

Warriors Lead Series 2-1

The Rocket finally decided to take advantage of the Warriors sitting Curry out of the game. The Rockets were great offensively and looked like they actually wanted to play defensively, or did they. Let's break it all down.

If you look at the Rockets defense, you will notice it wasn't all as it seemed. They did a good job of contesting field goals shot by Klay, but they failed to contest any other shots. This actually worked with them somewhat as the Warriors couldn't hit shots, but then Maurice Speights was left wide open. He took advantage of this as he contibuted to 22 points off the bench and was a big reason why this Warriors team stayed in the game. If you take a look at the shotchart you will notice that the Rockets defense wasn't that great. Guys were left open but were just missing outside shots. The shots inside were usually not defended well and they got quality looks inside. 

Warriors Team - Shot Chart - www.nba.com/stats

James Harden, Dwight Howard, and Motiejunas were the guys that really made this Rockets offense go 'round. The pick and roll with Dwight Howard and James Harden wasn't guarded that well by Golden State until the second half where Motiejunas started spacing the floor and hitting shots. The Warriors got off to a very poor start defensively. It wasn't til the 4th quarter where the Warriors really cracked down defensively.

The Warriors did not rebound well. They lost the rebounding battle to Houston as the Warriors had 43 rebounds while the Rockets had 52. The Rockets had 16 second chance points. The Warriors also didn't take care of the ball well. Draymond Green had 7 turnovers in the game and had a turnover at the end of the game in which the Warriors could have possibly won the game. The turnovers really hurt Golden State and it kind of cost them the game. The Houston Rockets had 20 points off turnovers so it was a case of not getting back on defense either.

Stephen Curry has said that he would be very surprised if he didnt' play in game 4 so the Rockets should expect him to play. They have a lot of changes that they must make if they are going to keep this series alive.

Warriors VS Rockets (Game 2)

Warriors lead series 2-0

The Rockets had their best chance to win against the Golden State Warriors last night, and they failed. With Stephen Curry out, this was a game that the Rockets needed to win. But the Warriors executed where the Rockets fail.

Houston shot 44.3% from the field and 40% from the 3-point line. That wasn't their problem though. Their problem was turnovers. It's really as simple as that. Houston had 19 turnovers and Golden State 23 points off turnovers. If you turn it over against Golden State, they are going to convert.

The other problem was that Houston played very poor defense, especially their interior defense. The Warriors had 56 points in the paint. They shot well above average in close as well, just take a look at this shot chart.

Warriors Team - Shot Chart - www.nba.com/stats

 So the Rockets obviously need to step up their defense. Let's give the Warriors some credit though. Their guys stepped up, because they are capable of doing that. Shaun Livingston had 16 points, Andre Iguodala had 18 points, Andrew Bogut had 10 points, and Klay Thompson had 34 points. It was a great overall team game. When Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green couldn't get anything going, they found the open man instead. They did a great job moving the ball and the Rockets just sat there and watched.

We don't know if Curry will play next game, but if he doesn't, the Rockets need a win. They need a win either way, but they must take advantage of Curry being out from injury.

Warriors VS Rockets (Game 1)

Warriors lead series 1-0

If you are a Rockets fan, this was probably a tough game to watch. Nothing was really working for the Rockets. I thing I really notice was that the Rockets seemed to be forcing shots. Every miss Corey Brewer had in the paint was because it didn't look like he was trying to make it, he was just trying to throw up a shot. It just wasn't a good game. The Rocket kept missing which lead to major frustration.

One thing the Rockets have to realize it that you can't try to outrun the Warriors. They are so talented in a full court offense that you have to slow them down into a half-court offense. The Warriors ended the game with 33 points off turnovers. The Warriors thrive off turnovers. When you turn the ball over 24 times against the Warriors, they are going to convert on those mistakes. There is more the whole Warriors lead right there in points. You have to score and you can't turn it over against this team.

Stephen Curry was the leading scorer for both teams with 24 points on the night, and he didn't even clock 20 minutes. That means 2 things, you team didn't score, and you let a guy score 24 points in about 20 minutes, that is more than 1 point per minute. If you can't keep your composure and contain Curry, you at least have to match the Warriors scoring, which they didn't because they turned the ball over and forced up shots.

Now let's give some credit to the Warriors though. They played great defense. They held the Rockets to 78 points. Not only that, but they limited their fouls too. James Harden, a supreme free throw shooter in the league, didn't register a single free throw in the game. He was so frustrated that he created contact to get a call, but instead, Harden was called for an offensive foul. Their defense was so great that the Rockets suffered with their shooting, and the Rockets are a great shooting team. The Warriors really protected the paint as guy just forced up shots in there.

Houston Rockets - Shot Chart - www.nba.com/stats

One of the more impressive stats that I noticed was the rebounding battle. The Houston Rockets had an amazing total of 51 rebounds! 51! The Warriors had 53. They topped the Rockets total of 51. That is impressive.

As you could tell from this game, it looks like it's going to be a scrappy, one-sided series, but if the Rocket can make these changes, they could make it more interesting.

Throwback Thursday: The Big Trade

On August 27, 1999, 11 players were traded to a different team. It was a 3-team trade between the the Houston Rockets, Vancover Grizzlies, and the Orlando Magic. Take a look at who got who.



Houston Traded: Michael Dickerson, Othella Harrington, Brent Price, Antoine Carr, and a first round draft pick

Houston Received: Steve Francis, Tony Massenburg, Don MacLean, and a first round draft pick (Orlando)


Vancover Traded: Steve Francis, Tony Massenburg, Michael Smith, Rodrick Rhodes, Lee Mayberry, and Makhtar Ndiaya

Vancover Received: Michael Dickerson, Othella Harrington, Brent Price, Antoine Carr, and a first round draft pick (Houston)


Orlando Traded: Don MacLean, and a first round draft pick.

Orlando Received: Michael Smith, Rodrick Rhodes, Lee Mayberry, and Makhtar Ndiaya


Vancover's Benefits:
Michael Dickerson averaged about 18 PPG after being traded to the Grizzlies, but the 3-point shooter's career was cut short by injury.  He only played 5 seasons in the NBA.

Othella Harrington played 2 seasons with the Grizzlies and averaged about 13 Points the first year and about 11 points the next.

Brent Price averaged averaged less than 3.4 PPG in only 47 games with the Grizzlies.

Antonie Carr played 1 season with the Grizzlies before retiring. That season he averaged 3.2 point per game in only 21 games with the Grizzlies

The Houston Rockets' first round pick that was traded to the Grizzlies ended up being Marcus Banks. He was then later traded to Boston.


Houston's Benefits: 
Steve Francis ended up having a great career with the Rockets  and at one point in his 5 years with them, he averaged 21.6 PPG, 7 RPG, and 6.4 APG, and 1.2 Steals. After that he ended up going to the Orlando Magic. In the 2007-08 season, he would return for one season with the Rockets before he retired. He averaged 5.5 PPG that season.

Tony Massenburg played one season with the Rockets before going back to Vancover. He averaged just 4.2 PPG in that one season.

Don Maclean was immediately traded to the Phoenix Suns.

Jason Collins was traded to the New Jersey Nets.


Orlando's Benefits:
Michael Smith was traded to the Washington Wizards.

Rodrick Rhodes was traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

Lee Mayberry never played another game after the trade.

Makhtar Ndiaya never played an NBA game.


Loser of the trade: Orlando Magic
They didn't even get a player from the trade that played for them.

Winner Of The Trade: Houston Rockets
While Vancover got Michael Dickerson and some key role players, they all succumbed to injuries. Houston got a franchise player, Steve Francis, who really helped the team and was an MVP candidate. That is why they are the winner of this large trade.

3-0 One More to Go!

Well, this Conference Finals hasn't been that great so far. We have seen 2 teams dominate while the other 2 are left in the dust. The Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers have a 3-0 lead against their opposing teams. Notice what the teams have done so well this series.

The Warriors have been great. They have done a great job of using guys like Andrew Bogut and Draymond Green. They make sure that James Harden is the only one scoring by keeping him out of the paint. When you keep him out, he is forced to take jumpers and he isn't able to kick the ball to a wide open player spacing out. The Rockets could really use a guy like Montiejunas or Beverley but they are both out with injury which is very unfortunate for a team like the Rockets. Stephen Curry has done a great job spacing the floor and they are doing a great job of getting it in the paint. When they get it in the paint, they either score or kick it out for a 3 pointer. The Rockets haven't played bad, they just haven't finished out in 4th quarters, leaving the Warriors up 3-0, with One more to go.

The Cavaliers are up because of one reason. The Hawks have played horribly. Maybe they are playing bad because the Cavs are playing great defense. Maybe it's cause the Hawks are playing horrible defense. Maybe it's cause the Hawks don't have a star player to carry them. Or maybe it's because of injuries like the Thabo Sefolosha incident. All of these things contribute to it. The Hawks are just not like the Hawks. If this was the Warriors against this injured Cavs team without Love or Irving, the Warriors would be up 3-0. Honestly, If your the Hawks, you have to realize that this roster won't win you a championship. They desperately need a star player. They have no one to rely on to make big shots at the end of game. Who shot those last shots in the game, was it Mack or someone like that. I don't even really know who it was. They are depending on some random bench player to make shots. Sure, I like getting everyone involved, but there is a point where you need someone to take over. But instead, the Cavs are up 3-0 with One more to go.

Warriors VS Rockets (game 1)

Final Score: Warriors win 110-106



Warriors lead 1-0

The Warriors had an 11 point lead with about 2 minutes remaining. The Rockets didn't care. Trevor Ariza didn't care. He just couldn't win the game. Stephen Curry said no. You will not win the game Trevor Ariza. He nailed the dagger 3. Let's take a look at how the Warriors won this game.

The Warriors played the fast pace game that they wanted to. They had 28 fast break points. They also had 50 points in the paint. Really great game for the Warriors. Now I know that Stephen Curry had a great game as he had 34 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds, and shot 6-11 from 3 point range, but Draymond Green played really great. He had 13 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. That is a solid game. He was really the key to the Warriors ball movement. This kid had a total of 70 passes. Shawn Livingston played wonderful. He had playoff winning experience with the Nets last year and he is crucial to the Warriors bench. He had 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. I do want to see David Lee match-up with Josh Smith, but the Warriors seem reluctant to play him. So far the Warriors are doing great. Though they could shoot a little better from 3 point range. Everybody besides Curry shot 4-18 from deep. Klay Thompson only shot 1-7. They could improve that.

The Rockets played great. They got Andrew Bogut in foul trouble to start off the game and he only played about 16 minutes. After that, they just got out in transition and got to the rim. They play just like the Warriors do, so it's not surprising that the Rockets had 28 fast break points and 52 points in the paint. They really need to play better defense. You could tell that there was a lot of confusion and lack of communication. The battle of the bench is going to be the deciding factor in this series. The Rockets could use a little more from their bench players. I don't think that 27 points will be enough from their bench. Corey Brewer just needs to be a little more aggressive and Terrance Jones just needs to sink some shots. This is going to be a tight series. It is probably going to be the more interesting one too. Let's see how it will play out.

The Conference Finals!

In this post we are going to look at both of the series in the conference finals and see what all 4 teams have to do in order to win. Let's start off with the West.

Warriors VS Rockets: This is going to be a tough series for the Rockets. They not only have to match the Warriors offense but they have to play great defense. This is probably the best they can do for defensive match-ups.

Jason Terry on Stephen Curry
Trevor Ariza on Klay Thompson
James Harden on Harrison Barnes
Josh Smith on Draymond Green
Dwight Howard on Andrew Bogut.

I think that you will have to start Josh Smith again against this Warriors team. You will also see Corey Brewer get a lot of minutes. He will probably be placed on Klay and chase him around alot.

For the Warriors, the best thing to do is probably put Draymond Green on James Harden to start and see how that plays out. Harrison Barnes isn't going to play that great on defense guarding Harden. I think the best way to go is to put Klay Thompson on Harden so you can have Barnes on Ariza. Klay is a great defender.

The Warriors need to keep the Rockets out of the paint which they can do with 2 top inside defenders. And this is where the Rockets might want to start Jones to space out Green so the paint is more cleared out. If the Rockets get into the paint, they are hard to stop


Hawks VS Cavaliers: After seeing the Hawks vs the Wizards, I don't think the Hawks have much of a chance. They really have to use Kyle Korver in this one. I honestly think that if you are the Cavs, you almost have to start Shumpert just to keep Korver contained. If Korver gets going, then the Hawks are tough to beat. J.R. Smith would have a tough time on Korver if he started to make some shots.

The Hawks are going to have to put Carroll on LeBron. Carroll is going to have to back off of LeBron and let him take jump shots. He can't let him drive though. LeBron gets most of his points in the paint so he has to keep him out of there. I have faith that Jeff Teague will do his job on guarding Kyrie. And with Love gone, Paul Millsap will be able to double team and have an easier time on defense. Al Horford is going to have to really do a great job hedging screens as there will be a lot with him guarding Mozgof.

The Cavs have to rely on there bench to produce because you know that the Hawks bench will produce. The Cavs bench will have to match that. Since the Hawks don't rely on one person, you know they will score with everybody, and you have to play great defense because everyone's a treat. I would look for this Cavs team to switch on a lot of screens since the Hawks bigs are undersized.


Well, that's my breakdown of the Conference Finals. Remember, I will keep you updated on all NBA playoff action. Feel free to comment below.

Rockets VS Clippers (game 5)

Final Score: Rockets win 124-103



Clippers lead series 3-2

The Rockets did a lot of things right. The Clippers had a tough time with this team. This Rockets team showed everybody what they are capable of. Let's breakdown what the Rockets did right in this game and what they need to do to tie the series.

The Rockets had a great game. One noticeable thing they did was that they started Josh Smith. Josh Smith did have an okay game, but his defensive rating was the worst on the court. They honestly need to insert Jones into the starting line-up. James Harden had a wonderful game and he looked like he always had in the regular season. He started off the series where he was just missing. Everyone was like "James! Where were you!"

 

It's okay James, your back. That's all that matters. He had a triple-double last night. 26 points, 10 assists, and 11 rebounds. He could step up his shooting a little as he only shot 1-8 from the 3 point line. Dwight Howard also had a great game. He had 20 points and 15 rebounds. He was also great on the defensive end as well. Jason Terry had a wonderful game with 11 points, 7 assists, and 0 turnovers! He also was great on the offensive end with a rating of 141.1. Corey Brewer played great with 15 points off the bench. The best individual performance I think was by Trevor Ariza. He had 22 points, shot 4-6 from downtown, had 3 steals, and had a defensive rating of 89.5. He was the MVP of the game. At least, that's what I thought.

The Clippers have some work to do. They desperately need some offense from the bench. There bench was 10-31 from the field and 3-14 from the 3-point line. Spencer Hawes had a great game off the bench but he was the only bench player that really produced. They can't rely off of 55 points from Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. That won't win them games. Also, they need to rebound better. They lost the rebound advantage 58-39. That can't happen. Everyone needs to be trying to get the rebound. When DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin combine for all but 12 of your rebounds, the other teammates aren't trying enough. They really need to protect the paint better. I would be more concerned with the paint than the 3-point shooting of the Rockets right now. You can't let them have a chance to comeback. Can the Rockets do it? We'll have to wait and see.

Rockets VS Clippers (game 3)

Final Score: Clippers win 124-99



Clippers lead series 2-1

This was a game that both teams needed. Only one could win it of course. This game was won by the Clippers. Let's see how they won this game.

The Clippers stayed calm and got their bench involved in the game which I though was surprising. The Clippers played a total of 13 players. Austin Rivers had 25 points. The whole bench had 46 total points. The best thing about their bench was they played great defense. Except for Glen Davis. He sucked on defense. The Clippers had 50 points in the paint and had only 32 contested jumpers. It is hard to complain with how they did, but they could get J.J. Redick more touches. He only touched the ball 34 times. That should increase and it needs to. This guy plays the most for the team. That's about it though. Blake Griffin played great. As long as Chris Paul has no more delays, I don't see why they can't make it to the next round.

The Rockets did a lot wrong. They shot 58.1% from the free throw line. The team had a defensive rating of 125.1 and an offensive rating of 98.4. That can't happen. They did do great with their turnovers as they kept it under 20. So they fixed that a little. James Harden was great with his passing as he had not only 11 assists but also 4 secondary assists and 1 free throw assist. That is impressive. They really have to pick up the defense for them to win though. That is just to start with. They also have to find a way to contain Blake Griffin. They have a lot of work to do. Let's see what they will change in game 4.

Rockets VS Clippers (game 1)

Final Score: Clippers win 117-101



Clippers lead 1-0

Rockets looked like they had it. Then the Clippers woke up. The Rockets lost it. Then the Clippers won. Let's take a look at what the Rockets did wrong.

Dwight Howard did his job. He dominated over DeAndre Jordan. This was the worst game in terms of turnovers this year though. James Harden had 9 turnovers in the game. That can't happen. Josh Smith should not be putting up 5 threes. Corey Brewer can't put up 5 threes and miss all of them either. They both shot horrible from the floor. That needs to change. If you look at the Points off turnovers for the Clippers, it was bad. The Clippers had 34 points off of the Rockets turnovers. That needs to stop. One great thing was that the Clippers only had 40 points in the paint. They did give them 13-31 threes though. Obviously, there are a lot of problems for this Rockets team to fix.

Austin Rivers played great as he replaced Chris Paul. He had a good 17 points. Like the Rockets, the Clippers had way too many turnovers. Also, Glen Davis needs to pick it up on the defensive end. He had a defensive rating of 144.7. That's rough. One positive thing to look at was that they had more personal fouls drawn than the Rockets. Blake Griffin had a triple-double but he did have 5 turnovers. However, this Clippers team looks like they're in good shape. I think that if they keep it up, they will be looking into the conference finals.

On to the Next Round: The Semi-Conference Finals

On to the next one. I can't believe the first round is over. It is so shocking and I can't believe it. All the great match-ups we have, and I will breakdown all of them for you.

Warriors VS Grizzlies: This is an easy one for me. I think that the Warriors will win and have an easy time is Conley isn't back. Stephen Curry (your MVP) will have an easy time with Nick Calthes and Ben Udrih. It should be easy for this Warriors team. Marc Gasol will have a tougher time with top notch defender, Andrew Bogut, guarding him. And Zach Randolph will have a really tough time with Draymond Green guarding him.

Hawks VS Wizards: Oh man, this one is tough. I think that the Hawks will win just because they have had more success this season. The only thing is that the Wizards have won a lot of late and you think that must give them more of a chance to win. John Wall is going to have to play great against Teague like he played against Lowry. Bradley Beal vs. Kyle Korver is the main match-up I will be looking at though. I think that these two teams have great match-ups with teh starting line-ups which is what makes it such a tough one to predict. Everyone is so evenly matched and no-one has an advantage.

Rockets VS Clippers: I think that the Clippers will win. The transition and inside game for the Clippers is way too good for the Rockets to handle. J.J. Redick will have to pick up his defense but I honestly think that Matt Barnes should guard James Harden for most of the series. I think that for any wins for the Rockets James Harden will do most of the "heavy lifting".

Cavaliers VS Bulls: I think that this is pretty much unpredictable. The whole Chicago Bulls roster is unpredictable. The Bulls I think could win this though. They are a great team and the Cavs will not have Kevin Love for the series and J.R. Smith for 2 games. It will be tough for this Cavaliers team. I think that Derrick Rose will have to do a lot and kind of keep Kyrie contained. The real question is, who will guard LeBron.

I am so sorry by the way. I was in Canada. I just want everyone to know, Winnipeg is a great place to go to. I got to wear a Wizards shirt without anyone being able to make fun of me and it is defiantly a friendly place to go to. Do not stay at the Days Inn there though. I give it a half a star. I had to change rooms because the doors didn't work, the TV remote didn't work, there was nasty stuff all over the bathroom floor, the AC was way too loud and barley could cool down the room (it would make random noises in the middle of the night), the Wi-Fi was the worst ever, and the TV just shut off right in the middle of Dr. Phil. It was getting intense. This lady was about to find out if her "boyfriend" was real. I felt like we could have jsut have gotten to bad rooms, but this kid name Calvin had the same problem with his room doors. So if you do go there, try pushing on the doors to open them and see if you need the key to open them. If it pushes open, you got room 209.  

Rockets VS Mavericks (game 5)

Final Score: Rockets win 103-94



Rockets win series 4-1

It was a nice series while it lasted. Too bad Chandler Parson couldn't play. Too bad Rajon Rondo couldn't make his coach happy. Too bad Patrick Beverley wasn't there. Too bad the Rockets social media manager was fired for making a picture of a horse with a gun to his head (sounds like a social media manager that has no common sense of social media). Too bad Dirk couldn't win another championship. Too bad the refs couldn't have a little more common sense (they were okay, but nobody else seemed to like them). And too bad this series is over.

The Mavericks did a lot of things wrong in this game 5. First off, Devin Harris was a horrible back up for Barea and they should have had Felton back up Barea at point. Second, Amar'e Stoudemire didn't get the touches he needed. He only had 16 touches in the 11:22 minutes he played. If he had touched the ball more and let him get in the post, that would have spaced out the floor better and would have help the Mavs control the tempo a little better. Same with Tyson Chandler. Now they did do a great job of getting Dirk some touches. Third is that they turned the ball over way to many times. They did a great job making the Rockets turn the ball over but they turned it over just as much as the Rockets. The good thing were that J.J. Barea and Dirk had great games. You might be like "Barea!?" Yes Barea. He only had 6 points but he had 9 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. The thing that stood out to me though, was how he controled the game. He had more touches than Dirk which obviously seems like that his team trusts him. He looked comfortable on the court. Of course, he is familiar with Dirk and this team. Dirk had 22 points and 14 rebounds but he couldn't win. I feel bad for Dirk because he wants to win more than anybody, but he couldn't.

The Rockets had an okay game. Somethings that weren't so good were that stood out. First, there were way too many turnovers. The team had 21 turnovers while James Harden himself had 6. Then, Trevor Ariza shot 1-7 from three point range. The team only shot 52% from the free throw line. And their teams assists were only one more than their teams turnovers. Some good things. Dwight Howard had 4 blocks and 4 steals. Josh Smith had 20 points off the bench. And Dwight Howard had the most touches for the team with 55 which was more than James Harden who had 44, which means that the floor is spaced for this three point shooting team and they don't rely on Harden as much.

Like I said, this was a great series, but it's over, so that's it for the Mavericks. Great time watching them and I will miss this team.

Playoffs Day 4

Cavaliers VS Celtics

Cavaliers lead 2-0


Raptors VS Wizards

Wizards lead 2-0


Rockets VS Mavericks

Rockets lead 2-0


April 22

• Hawks VS Nets game 2
• Grizzlies VS Trailblazers game 2
• Clippers VS Spurs game 2

Rockets VS Mavericks (game 2)

Final Score: Rockets Win 111-99



Rockets lead series 2-0

Lets start this game off with the Mavericks.

The Mavs will not have Parsons for the rest of the playoffs. Rondo will be benched. Coach Nick told you why in the video. He is not helping the team. He only played 9:55 minutes in the game. What do the Mavs do. Let's take a look at the good. The bench played great, especially Barea and Felton as they played wonderful together. I was actually how great these two smaller guard player alongside each other. But them again, Felton was a decent player, and Barea is just a really physical guard. They are going to be crucial in games to come. The thing they need to cut down is threes. They only hit about 27% of them and shot a total of 20. Houston only shot 20 threes. It's not a good sign if you shoot more than them.

The Rockets are doing great. Dwight Howard really got into this game. Not to mention that Corey Brewer and Josh Smith are doing really great off the bench. They are staying aggressive and they have to if they are to win their next two games. The other thing I was impressed with was Dwight Howard at the line. He got to the line, and he shot well from the free throw line, shooting 8-11 from free throw. It was just a good overall team game. I they can have their next two games like this one, they will move on to the next round.

Playoffs Day 1

April 18th

Raptors vs Wizards:Wizards 1-0



Warriors VS Pelicans: Warriors 1-0



Bulls VS Bucks: Bulls 1-0



Rockets VS Mavericks: Rockets 1-0




Games on April 19th:

• Cavs VS Celtics
• Hawks VS Nets
• Grizzlies VS Trailblazers
• Clippers VS Spurs

Rockets VS Mavericks (game 1)

Final Score: Rockets Win 118-108



Rockets lead series 1-0

Tough game for the Mavs. They did a great job with Howard and Harden. Who would have thought that Brewer would come out with 15 points and shooting 3-4 from 3-point range though. The Mavs just got to keep it up. The way I see it, the Rockets just got lucky this time. The Mavs played their best they had played all season really. Just the fact that Terry and Brewer were knocking down hard shots made it a tough game for the Mavs.

Playoff Rondo! It looks like he's here. He had 15 points, 5 assists, and only 5 turnovers! That is pretty good for Rondo. Everyone was in the game. Ellis was doing great. Dirk had an amazing night. The only thing is I want to see Parsons do a little better. He was 0-4 from 3-point range. Also, Dirk needs to limit some turnovers

The Rockets just need to keep doing what they were doing. The Mavs took out their main guys and the Rockets found a way to get everyone involved. They played great basketball. Passed the ball. If they keep this up, they could find themselves going on to the next round.