Official Game Thread: Hawks at Rockets

[lethalweapon3]

“…starring CHRISTIAN WOOD, in a Very Special episode of The Fresh Prince of Bellaire.”

 

Houston… y’all done been had problems!

This is all the Astros’ fault, you know. Those sheisty sign-stealers’ rendition of “Bang the Can Slowly (2017)” brought Houston their long-coveted World Series trophy. But the price for that is bad mojo, in the form of a litany of mopey stars, and their coaches, hightailing out of town as fast as they can.

2017 Series MVP George Springer can’t even go to Toronto, yet he still inked a deal with the Blue Jays to try getting the stink of the Stros’ side-eyed successes off of him.

Trading off Nuk Hopkins from the Texans was sure to cost Bill O’Brien all his jobs, eventually. But O’Brien’s antics also cost the team J.J. Watt, who demanded out only to wind up with Hopkins in Arizona, and the soul of franchise QB Deshaun Watkins, who continues to play hardball holdout until he gets the exit he desires.

Even the Dynamo, according to MLSsoccer.com, “experienced as much roster turnover as anyone in the league.” Longtime star Alberth Elis wound up getting put in mothballs to end 2020’s season as the futbol club negotiated his sale to a Portuguese side.

And then, there’s the Rockets. What’s left of them, anyway.

When Clint Capela last played at Toyota Center, he was holding the fort inside the paint for two former league MVPs, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, playing together in the backcourt. Then, team exec Daryl Morey made good on his wish to make Mike D’Antoni’s Rockets fullcourt fast, trading Clint to Atlanta and pushing 34-year-old undersized P.J. Tucker into the five-slot full-time. For their trouble, the Rockets got a seven-game series win over Russ’ and James’ former team, and a gentleman’s sweep at the hands of the eventual world champs.

In the offseason, Morey read the writing on the wall and bailed for Philly. Harden went COVID-clubbing, snuck a fat suit under his jersey, and made it clear to everyone without saying it aloud he wanted no part of continuing to play for broke-boi owner Tilman Fertitta. The new management swapped out Westbrook for the injury-recovered John Wall in hopes of appeasing their biggest star, but to no avail. Now, Harden’s with the Nets’ new assistant coach -- D’Antoni, who feigned an interest in retiring before showing up in Brooklyn.

The obligatory tribute video commemorating the useful tenure of Capela (questionable, heel pain) will appear on the Jumbotron this evening while his Hawks and his former team, the Rockets (8 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, AT&T SportsNet in HTX) are in a timeout. Meanwhile, you can bet there’ll be one Houston player jabbing another in the ribs while looking up and asking, “psst… hey, that guy used to play here, for real?”

Hopefully, that jab doesn’t bruise anybody’s tender ribs, because head coach Stephen Silas is down to fielding objectively tall volunteers from the Toyota Center stands.

Backcourt holdovers from Capela’s last games here, Eric Gordon (out, groin strain) and Ben McLemore (out, ankle sprain) are sidelined, while Bubble-COVID-tester fan Danuel House is questionable with a sprained knee. Traded from Cleveland in the Harden deal that also begat Victor Oladipo, Dante Exum remains in a walking boot. Wall banged up his knee in practice and will miss his fourth consecutive game.

The club cut loose Wall’s UK pal, DeMarcus Cousins, who can’t quite boogie like he used to. Tucker is getting the Elis treatment, the new regime figuring out, in addition to second-rounders, how much cash they can allocate to Tillman’s pockets in exchange for the sneakerhead. Former Net Rodions Kurucs was clinging to limited minutes until a strained oblique put him on ice.

Would-be leading scorer Christian Wood (listed as doubtful) shined for 17 games before going down with a severe ankle sprain, and now he is eager to follow the lead set by David Nwaba (out, sprained wrist, put off surgery and played last two games injured) and return ahead-of-schedule.

That’s to help out Silas, in part, because their Rockets, tonight, could tie the record 17-game losing streak set back during the franchise’s maiden voyage, in San Diego in 1968, during an era when NBA teams played virtually every day. With a lanky kid named Pat Riley coming off the bench, those Rockets snapped their skid with a single win over juggernaut Philly, only to close out that season with 15 more losses in a row.

That was also the pre-Lottery era, so coming away with Elvin “The Big E” Hayes in the subsequent Draft worked out pretty nicely (all you six-foot-two middle-schoolers named Enyeka, don’t even try it). San Diego turned it around with Hayes, fellow rookie Rick Adelman and Riley to guide the Rockets to a playoff series with the Hawks the following season.

Houston (11-26) did the whole Wile E. Coyote gag of feeling pretty good about themselves after running off a cliff (“Harden, Schmarden!”) before peering down. After winning seven of eight games, the Rockets have not won since Wood departed in the third-quarter of their win at Memphis on February 4. The average losing margin over the past 16 games has been 18.25. In the rematch with the Grizzlies just 24 days later, host Houston was waxed by 49 points.

Now, Silas has no choice but to push the pace (4^th in NBA) and the on-ball pressure (15.3 opponent TO%, 6^th in NBA; 19.4 points off TOs, 4^th in NBA) as much as possible and hope for the best, while shifting the team’s re-development into overdrive, beginning with their latest star at point guard… Kevin Porter, Jr.?

Porter was a pouter in Cleveland, the troubled guard hissy-fitting his way out of town for a conditional second-round pick. The Rockets promptly sent him over to the Glubble with their Rio Grande Valley outfit, re-fashioning him as a ball-dominant point guard.

Now back with the “big” squad, and starting in two of his past three games, the results have been nice (17.4 PPG and 8.3 APG in 32.4 minutes/game), particularly when he’s not jacking pull-up threes (19.0 3FG% on 7.0 tries/game). “We’re not going to overstate anything,” Silas told the Houston Chronicle after KPJ dropped 27-and-8 on the Jazz in Utah last Friday, “But we think we got something there.”

Aiding Oladipo (last 6 games: 24.3 PPG, 30.8 3FG%, 1.7 SPG), for whom the Trade Deadline sharks are already circling, Porter will likely share the floor with fellow default starters Jae’Sean Tate (only Rocket to appear in every game this season), esteemed Hawk-Killer Sterling “Black Lightning” Brown, and two-way center Justin Patton.

The rookie Tate, Patton and another recent pickup, high-flying two-way forward Anthony Lamb, are the only Rockets exceeding 220 pounds, part of the urge for Wood to usher his way back onto the floor as soon as possible. If Wood gets his way and plays tonight, Atlanta may feel inclined to counter with the resting Capela. But it sure helps Hawks coach Nate McMillan to know he has a fellow Nate ready to help domi-Nate, too.

Nathan Knight balled within control during Atlanta’s fifth-straight victory, Sunday’s refreshing 100-82 win over the Cavaliers. Knight was active on the boards, showing off a dash of handles, splashing a three and drawing trips to the line (9-for-10 FTs) to eclipse his rookie highs with 16 points and 9 rebounds. That was sorely needed by a Hawks club that was competing without first-rounder Onyeka “The Dream” Okongwu and Capela. Especially given the league’s relaxed two-way rules, Nate Mac shouldn’t hesitate to mix Knight into rotations more going forward.

On National “John 3:16” Day, John Collins (last ten games: 18.1 PPG, 8.4 RPG; team-highs of 22 points and season-high 13 boards vs. CLE) recalls the embarrassment of letting Cleveland off the hook with their ten-game slide last month (should be noted he left that pivotal game, a 112-111 loss, before halftime for concussion protocols).

Collins isn’t not eager to experience anything similar today in H-Town, especially considering the Hawks (19-20) need to get above .500 any way they can in the final warmups before their weeks-long West Coast road trip, and that the Rockets have to save something up for a visit by Golden State tomorrow. Trae Young and the Hawks suppressing the turnovers (16.7 TO% in March, second-highest only to Cleveland) while getting back consistently in transition would go a long way toward keeping the groove going tonight.

This year, Atlanta surpassed Houston (and Boston, and DC), to become America’s seventh-largest media market. After fits and starts (lay off social media replies for now, LP) the Hawks are finally beginning to give its growing legion of eyeballs more reasons to tune in. Conversely, no matter where you turn, Houston’s teams have given its sports fans more reasons to zone out, one departing franchise player at a time. But, hey, Stros, enjoy your Commissioner’s Trophy. Hope it’s still shiny!

Last Houston sports superstar left in the room, please, turn out the lights! That is, after all the windmills get de-iced. Too Soon?

 

Erin go Bragh! Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[JayBirdHawk]

There is no reason for us to lose.

 

 

[lethalweapon3]

Cam, can you spare a walking boot?

Still no major changes on the 5:30 boo-boo report, with House and B-Mac still questionable and Wood doubtful, and Clint and Yek still listed as doubtful for Atlanta.

 

~lw3

[sturt]

22 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

This is all the Astros’ fault, you know. Those sheisty sign-stealers’ rendition of “Bang the Can Slowly (2017)” brought Houston their long-coveted World Series trophy. But the price for that is bad mojo, in the form of a litany of mopey stars, and their coaches, hightailing out of town as fast as they can.

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[hawkman]

The Hawks better not fall for this trap. No more playing down to the level of the competition. Curb stomp those scrubs and end this one early. Absolutely no excuses tonight.  

[JayBirdHawk]

I want this game over by mid 3rd quarter - our starters should be able to sit out the 4th.  I say this, and.............I'm thinking this will be me late in the 4th.

 

[JayBirdHawk]

Oh well!

 

 

[Peoriabird]

Very little trust in these Hawks I see!

1 minute ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Oh well!

 

 

We don't need them for this game.

[JayBirdHawk]

5 minutes ago, Peoriabird said:

Very little trust in these Hawks I see!

We don't need them for this game.

I concur.

[Spud2nique]

Watching this at my friend’s house who has been a Rockets fan for 27 years. I hope his neighbors are ready for me. Good game thread lw3. This SHOULD be fun.

Hawks fav by 9.5. No 🪵 no Capela. Let’s get this game.

Go Hawks!

[Spud2nique]

54 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Yek

 

[hawkman]

If the Hawks AND the 76ers take care of business tonight, the Hawks will be in 7th place. I'm a little worried about the 76ers being without Embiid though since the Knicks are serious about competing this season. 

[hawkzlova123]

If these are the hawks we all know , we lose a tight game. 

 

Please please please please expect to lose so we win

[Peoriabird]

4 minutes ago, hawkzlova123 said:

If these are the hawks we all know , we lose a tight game. 

 

Please please please please expect to lose so we win

[Spud2nique]

44 minutes ago, hawkman said:

The Hawks better not fall for this trap. No more playing down to the level of the competition. Curb stomp those scrubs and end this one early. Absolutely no excuses tonight.  

McMillan will have them ready! He been doing that for a bit now.

[RedDawg#8]

13 minutes ago, hawkman said:

If the Hawks AND the 76ers take care of business tonight, the Hawks will be in 7th place. I'm a little worried about the 76ers being without Embiid though since the Knicks are serious about competing this season. 

Yes, and the Knicks just lost a heartbreaker last night. Definitely going to have an edge against Philly

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[hawkman]

5 minutes ago, RedDawg#8 said:

Yes, and the Knicks just lost a heartbreaker last night. Definitely going to have an edge against Philly

Maybe so, but they're on the second night of a back to back and played Brooklyn tough last night. Hopefully, Philly can steal this one.