[ad_1]
HOUSTON – The faces of the Rockets franchise have waited until the Golden State Warriors scored in the first round to discuss the imminent clash with the dynasty that eliminated Houston last season.
James Harden refused to answer a question about the Warriors after the Rockets won a 100-93 victory in the fifth game on Wednesday to eliminate Utah Jazz, saying he would wait to see what was going on in the Golden State series with the Los Angeles. Clippers.
It was also Chris Paul's plan until Clint Capela revealed the truth.
"That's what I want," said Capela, the center of rising stars who made the headlines last season by telling ESPN he believed the Rockets were better than the Warriors when they performed well. . "I want to face them."
The Clippers prevented the Warriors from fulfilling Capela's wish – at least for the moment – while Los Angeles extended the series with a 129-121 victory on the road against Golden State in the fifth game later Wednesday.
Paul, who was sitting next to Capela after Harden had conducted a solo press conference, answered with a sigh. Paul, the wise veteran leader, knew immediately that Capela's confident commentary would become viral.
"Look at you," Paul said, glancing at a reporter. "You can not wait to tweet that."
But Capela, who rebounded after a poor disease-influenced performance during the loss in Houston match 4 with 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in the final victory, continued. He saw no reason to hide the fact that the Rockets were hoping to have another chance against the Warriors since being eliminated by Golden State in the seventh game of the Western Conference final last spring.
"We are working on it all year," Capela said. "I think if you want to be the champion, you have to beat the champion, so at some point you have to do it, right?"
This point was conceded by Paul, who missed the last two games of last season's Western final with a sore hamstring injury, which many in the Rockets' organization are convinced it cost them an NBA championship.
"Yes, make sure you put that too," said Paul, which meant the whole context of Capela's desire to see the warriors in the second round.
"That's what CC says best." "Real conversation." To get to where you're coming from, you have to go over them – these are the defending champions who have been running in the West for five years. now. "
The Rockets, mainly known for their historically elite offensive led by Harden, have qualified for the second round fiercely against the defensive-dominant Jazz.
After opening the series with a pair of defeats at home, the Rockets have stammered offensively in recent games, during which Harden scored 26.0 points on average (more than 10 less than his average), with 32.3 % of shots. But the Rockets played a radical defense throughout the series, limiting the Jazz to less than 100 points three times, though mediocre shots from Utah helped.
It was therefore normal that some defensive stops were the centerpieces of the victory of the 5th match of the Rockets. Eric Houston beat Donovan Mitchell, the jazz star, in which Gordon smothered all the playoffs, especially on Monday's 12-point, 4-of-22, and five-rebound shot. After PJ Tucker made a series of free throws, Harden pulled the ball out of Rudy Gobert's hand as the big man of the Jazz took a plunge, ending the Utah season.
"We did not do like [many] As we wanted offensively, we clung to the defense in these last matches, "said Harden, who finished the fifth game with 26 points on 10 shots out of 26 despite starting out on 11 and contributing to three interceptions. and four blocks. "That's what will bring us to our goal." The filming is extra, it's a bonus, and if we keep it as if we're guarding and shooting down, it would be very difficult. "
Of course, it has been hard to beat the Warriors in the playoffs in the past five seasons, during which their only series loss came in the 2016 NBA Finals. It's a challenge that the Rockets will gladly accept.
Houston is not worried that the Warriors will have a fixture before last season as the Rockets fall to the fourth seed of the Western Conference on the final day of the regular season after have spent months digging the hole created with an 11-14 start. The sooner the better, some Rockets appear.
"I do not mind playing them so early," Gordon said. "Everyone is going to be cool, I'm glad no one is hurt, we're going to get everyone ready, so I'm happy where we are now."
Rockets coach Mike D Antoni tried to delay the discussion on a rematch with the Warriors, saying it was premature. However, he could not help but weigh a little.
"You know, we said all year that we would go back," said Antoni laughing, referring to the Houston slogan this season. "Well, OK, I guess we'll get it back."
[ad_2]
Source link