ROCKETS DID NOT LOSE GAME 7 BECAUSE OF BAD CALLS
Rockets need to worry less about the past and more about making shots
Apr 30, 2019, 12:16 pm
The audacity and arrogance of an organization to go back and try to justify that they were the better team in the series and the best team in the NBA after being eliminated, is just an awful look and it's embarrassing. There were 7 games in the series and every one of those games played a part in the end result. If you were going to take the time to break down the deciding game in detail then you should have done the same thing, using the same process for the other 6 games that helped decide the outcome.
Did you look at Game 3 which the Rockets won by 3 points and Game 4 which Houston prevailed in by 4 and break down every call and possession to determine if you really deserved to win those games?
Steph Curry vs. James Harden. Getty Images.Were there missed calls that helped your team? How many whistles went against Golden State unjustly? When you created your formula for points and values for the calls, did you factor those numbers and results into the games you won instead of the final game you lost? Speaking of these formulas and numbers, who validated them and deemed them as an accurate measure for calculating the outcome of games played in the NBA?
J Pat CarterOk, forget about all those "minor" details, let's get to the biggest point that the report the Rockets compiled may have forgotten about, the 27 straight missed 3-point shots that sealed their fate in that final game. Regardless of the situation, the calls, the officials, you have to make shots to win basketball games.
In the case of the Rockets, when your entire offense is predicated on making 3-point shots and getting out on the fast break in transition, missing 27 straight attempts behind the arc and shooting less than 16% for the game is not going to get it done. Period. Bottom line. Those are the most important numbers that need to be remembered and discussed, along with the 4 games the Warriors won to the 3 that Houston came out victorious in.
At the end of the day, you will be remembered most by how you handled your toughest defeats and the dark days you had to endure before you finally reach the mountain top. You win with class and you lose the same way. Stop looking in the rear-view mirror trying to change history that has already been made and spend all that energy looking in the windshield, moving forward, focused on the goals ahead.
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Two first-place teams, identical records, and a weekend set with serious measuring-stick energy.
The Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs open a three-game series Friday night at Daikin Park, in what could quietly be one of the more telling matchups of the summer. Both teams enter at 48-33, each atop their respective divisions — but trending in slightly different directions.
The Astros have been red-hot, going 7-3 over their last 10 while outscoring opponents by 11 runs. They've done it behind one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, with a collective 3.41 ERA that ranks second in the American League. Houston has also been dominant at home, where they’ve compiled a 30-13 record — a stat that looms large heading into this weekend.
On the other side, the Cubs have held their ground in the NL Central but have shown some recent shakiness. They're 5-5 over their last 10 games and have given up 5.66 runs per game over that stretch. Still, the offense remains dangerous, ranking fifth in on-base percentage across the majors. Kyle Tucker leads the way with a .287 average, 16 homers, and 49 RBIs, while Michael Busch has been hot of late, collecting 12 hits in his last 37 at-bats.
Friday’s pitching matchup features Houston’s Brandon Walter (0-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) and Chicago’s Cade Horton (3-1, 3.73 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), a promising young arm making one of his biggest starts of the season on the road. Horton will have his hands full with Isaac Paredes, who’s slugged 16 homers on the year, and Mauricio Dubón, who’s found a groove with four home runs over his last 10 games.
It’s the first meeting of the season between these two clubs — and if the trends continue, it may not be the last time they cross paths when it really counts.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -112, Cubs -107; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
Here's a preview of Joe Espada's Game 1 lineup.
The first thing that stands out is rookie Cam Smith is hitting cleanup, followed by Jake Meyers. Victor Caratini is the DH and is hitting sixth. Christian Walker is all the way down at seventh, followed by Yainer Diaz, and Taylor Trammell who is playing left field.
How the mighty have fallen.
Pretty wild to see Walker and Diaz hitting this low in the lineup. However, it's justified, based on performance. Walker is hitting a pathetic .214 and Diaz is slightly better sporting a .238 batting average.
Screenshot via: MLB.com
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