A LOOK AHEAD
John Granato: Things that will happen at some point in the Rockets-Warriors series
May 10, 2018, 7:09 am
James Harden's Rockets and the Warriors will make you think about several things this series. Rockets.com
At some point in this series…
You will marvel at how pretty Steph Curry’s jumper is.
The refs will have to decide on a flagrant one or two on Draymond Green.
You will hate Kevin Durant’s mouthpiece.
You will see a picture of Clint Capela next to this quote: “We are better than them.”
You will wonder why Draymond Green thought those clothes all went together.
At some point in this series…
Charles Barkley will say the Rockets just aren’t good enough.
You will laugh when James Harden and Draymond Green flop simultaneously.
You will wonder why Steph Curry took that crazy shot but then it goes in and you just shake your head.
You will be jealous of how pretty Oracle Arena looks just before tipoff.
At some point in this series…
You will jump out of your seat and yell at Draymond Green even though he can’t hear you because you’re in your house.
You will wonder why Gerald Green took that crazy shot but then it goes in and you just shake your head.
You will think that Klay Thompson is not really all that good at basketball.
You will think that Klay Thompson is unstoppable.
Draymond Green and P.J. Tucker will get tangled up and tempers will flare.
At some point in this series...
James Harden will make one of the prettiest passes you’ve ever seen.
The refs will have to look at another Draymond Green foul to see if it was a flagrant one or two.
The announcer will mention that this is Chris Paul’s first trip to the Conference Finals.
James Harden will walk around with his hands out in disbelief at a call.
Chris Paul and Kevin Durant will trade big mid-range jumpers.
At some point in this series...
Trevor Ariza will hit a huge 3 that will bring the crowd to its feet.
You will think the Warriors uniforms are cool.
You will throw something at your TV because of Draymond Green.
Charles Barkley will admit that he was wrong and the Rockets are better than he thought.
You will think that these Warriors might be the best basketball team you’ve ever seen.
At some point in this series…
Draymond Green’s leg will have a spastic attack and he’ll kick someone in a bad place.
James Harden will make one of the ugliest passes you’ve ever seen.
Steve Kerr will have a hair out of place.
Warriors fans will scream that James Harden just walked.
You will wonder why Chris Paul thought those clothes all went together.
At some point in this series…
P.J. Tucker will hit a huge 3 that will bring the crowd to its feet.
The refs will have to decide if another Draymond Green foul was a flagrant one or two.
You will hate Steph Curry’s mouthpiece
Draymond Green will skip down the court nodding and smiling and taunting the Toyota Center crowd.
At some point in this series…
You will worry that Clint Capela will get a max offer from another team this offseason
You will hate that there are so many days off between games.
You will hate Draymond Green.
James Harden will have a shot that will decide his big game legacy.
You will be proud of your Rockets.
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The Houston Astros will aim to lock up a series victory Tuesday night as they face the Tampa Bay Rays in the second game of a three-game set. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET.
Houston (25–22) took the opener 4–3 on Monday and has now won five of its last ten games, continuing a recent surge that has pulled them back above .500 and into second place in the AL West. Tampa Bay (21–26) sits fourth in the AL East and has struggled to find consistency, especially at home where they are now just 11–18.
The Astros will turn to left-hander Brandon Walter, who is set to make his season debut. Walter, a depth option from the Astros' system, gets the nod with the club working through recent rotation injuries.
The Rays counter with right-hander Zack Littell (3–5, 4.31 ERA), who has been solid but not dominant across his first nine starts. He’s struck out 32 batters in 54.1 innings with a strong 1.12 WHIP.
Team trends
Houston holds the AL’s fifth-best team on-base percentage (.318) and has gone 6–4 over its last 10 games, posting a .252 batting average and a 3.78 team ERA in that span. Tampa Bay is 5–5 over its last 10, hitting .236 while their pitching staff has combined for a 4.34 ERA.
Players to watch
- Jake Meyers continues to provide timely power for Houston, while Isaac Paredes has been one of Houston's steadiest hitters, going 11-for-37 with three home runs over his last 10 games.
- Jonathan Aranda leads the Rays with a .309 batting average and has been a consistent bat in the middle of their lineup.
- Chandler Simpson, a recent spark plug for Tampa, is hitting .364 over his last 10 games.
Betting line
According to BetMGM, the Astros are slight road favorites at -114, with the Rays at -105. The over/under is set at 9.5 runs, signaling expectations for a potentially high-scoring matchup.
With the series opener in their pocket and Walter making his first appearance of the year, the Astros will look to keep momentum rolling in Tampa and inch closer to the top of the AL West standings.
Here's a look at Tuesday's night's lineup:
Game 2 in the sunshine state.
⚾️: 6:05pm CT | 7:05pm ET
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Yainer Diaz gets the night off, with Victor Caratini catching Walter in his big league debut. Chas McCormick is in the lineup again playing left field, and Zach Dezenzo gets the nod in the DH spot.