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HOUSTON – After losing the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta confidently assured James Harden will lead his franchise to the championships.
"They kicked us on the field," said Fertitta after the Warriors eliminated the Rockets for the fourth time in five seasons, finishing the Houston season with a 118-113 victory in Game 6 semifinals of the Western Conference, Friday. "They beat us by 10 points in the fourth quarter, which is unacceptable, okay, we have to be better.
"I know we are going to live up to the situation and the time will come, James is 30 years old. [in August]. … Hakeem [Olajuwon] did not win his first championship until [31]. I can promise you that we will win championships with James Harden because we will not stay here. We will go to battle every year. We are going to have a strong season and we will do all we need to do to become a better team. We will not stand idly by, I can promise you. "
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The Rockets' attempts to improve their lineup after last season have been in vain. Houston, who had a record-breaking season with a win of 65 wins in the NBA and pushed the Warriors to seven games in the Western Final, took budget-conscious action to start small striker Trevor Ariza will leave the country as a free agent and complete the rotation by signing veterans Carmelo Anthony, James Ennis III and Michael Carter-Williams to minimal contracts. The three veteran additions came out of the rotation and were eventually traded in transactions that allowed Houston to avoid paying the luxury tax.
The Rockets altered their roster on the fly and straightened the ship, led by the offensive season of the historic Harden elite. Houston started the playoffs as successfully as possible, winning the most league games after the all-star break, but again failed to finally defeat Golden State. The Warriors ended the fifth game after NBA forward Kevin Durant strained his calf late in the third quarter and pulled himself back to win the sixth game while he was at the helm. House.
"They showed why they are the champions," said Fertitta. "We'll learn from it, and we'll come back next year, and we'll kick their ass at some point, I can promise you that."
Several of the Rockets seemed to be in shock after the end-of-season defeat. Chris Paul, who played by far his best game of the series with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, whispered that Houston had to "go to the blackboard" to look for solutions.
"This one will leave traces," said Rockets coach Mike D & # 39; Antoni. "It's not something you stop in. We certainly will not do it at this press conference, tomorrow or the next day. It hurts us. It's almost like in a boxing match, you have to knock out the champion, we did not knock them out. "
Harden lamented that the Rockets "have missed many opportunities" with each defeat of the series. However, just like Fertitta, Harden said he was extremely confident that Houston would fight again next season to find a way to defeat the Warriors.
"I know what we have to do," Harden said. "I know exactly what we need to do, we will know this summer."
Asked for details, Harden refused to elaborate.
Fertitta said the Rockets needed to improve intangibles such as killer instinct.
"I am a fighter," said Fertitta, owner of the franchise for two seasons. "It's my culture, and I think the more I own this team, the more it will learn about my culture. [the Warriors]. We should have sprained their throats last night and cut their throats. This is not, "Let's make some moves and win." It's a step on the throat and bring it back to Houston and finish it by six. We will pick up some Tilman-ismes en route in the next few years. "
Paul and Harden are engaged in maximum long-term contracts, so the Rockets have few ways to improve their roster of players including four new players who will be between 30 and 30 next season. Houston will have at its disposal the $ 5.7 million mid-level exception, which the Rockets have not used this season. Fertitta also hinted that the Rockets would aggressively explore their options in the trading market.
"I am very lucky to have the first five places I have, but if we can improve this team, we will improve this team," said Fertitta. "It's just a fact, I have an excellent team, I love the five of my five starters, but my job is to make sure we put the best team in the field." Next year. "
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