<html> Time for a brutal schedule in march with us playing San Antonio and Dallas twice each, not counting NOK who seems to own us this year. I can see possibly 11-4, but I think a team is going to surprise us one night. So 10-5 I think is a decently realistic prediction. <table><tr><td>Wed 1</td><td>Philadelphia</td><td>W</td></tr><tr><td>Fri 3</td><td>Denver</td><td>W</td></tr><tr><td>Sun 5</td><td>Portland</td><td>W</td></tr><tr><td>Tue 7</td><td>@ Minnesota</td><td>W</td></tr><tr><td>Wed 8</td><td>Indiana</td><td>W</td></tr><tr><td>Sun 12</td><td>@ San Antonio</td><td>L</td></tr><tr><td>Mon 13</td><td>New Jersey</td><td>W</td></tr><tr><td>Wed 15</td><td>Dallas</td><td>L</td></tr><tr><td>Sat 18</td><td>San Antonio</td><td>W</td></tr><tr><td>Mon 20</td><td>L.A. Clippers</td><td>W</td></tr><tr><td>Tue 21</td><td>@ Dallas</td><td>L</td></tr><tr><td>Thu 23</td><td>@ NO/Okla. City</td><td>L</td></tr><tr><td>Sun 26</td><td>Cleveland</td><td>W</td></tr><tr><td>Wed 29</td><td>Seattle</td><td>W</td></tr><tr><td>Fri 31</td><td>Washington</td><td>W</td></tr></table> Really things are not that bad. February we went 10-3 for a .770 wining percentage. If we can get to .500 or 2 games back by the end of March we will be in a good spot come April playing a lot of the teams that are competing for the last playoff spots. </html>
Yao gets Western conference player of the month honor and leads the Rockets to 12-2 record in March. Wed 1 Philadelphia W Fri 3 Denver W Sun 5 Portland W Tue 7 @ Minnesota W Wed 8 Indiana W Sun 12 @ San Antonio L Mon 13 New Jersey W Wed 15 Dallas W Sat 18 San Antonio W Mon 20 L.A. Clippers W Tue 21 @ Dallas L Thu 23 @ NO/Okla. City W Sun 26 Cleveland W Wed 29 Seattle W Fri 31 Washington W
Wed 1 Philadelphia W Fri 3 Denver W Sun 5 Portland W Tue 7 @ Minnesota W Wed 8 Indiana W Sun 12 @ San Antonio L Mon 13 New Jersey W Wed 15 Dallas L Sat 18 San Antonio W Mon 20 L.A. Clippers W Tue 21 @ Dallas W Thu 23 @ NO/Okla. City W Sun 26 Cleveland W Wed 29 Seattle W Fri 31 Washington W
we play 15 games. i agree though, we will win 12, but lose 3. sa and dallas twice. though i really want to beat dallas
We can definitely beat Dallas at home if TMac suddenly recovers from his mourn or whatever issues and refuses to play like a pus*y. Yao can carry us to 10 wins with a half hearted TMac. Anything more requires TMac find his old self and plays like a top 10 player we know that he is capable of playing.
Our entry into playoffs this year is predicated on what the other do- not just solely what we do. Dont write of this team against San Antonio and Dallas- actually we match up better with them than the Suns ( which is also to do with their strategy). The contenders for the last 2 spots will be New Orleans LA Clippers LA Lakers Memphis Denver Rockets Sacramento Utah A few injuries or a bad stretch or lucky wins makes this a whole lot unpredictable.
Grendal, I like your optimism, but explain to me us losing to Dallas at home, but beating them in Dallas on a second night of a back to back - it seems if we were to lose one of those that would be the one.........I apologize for nit picking...
Wed 1 Philadelphia W Fri 3 Denver W [worries me] Sun 5 Portland W Tue 7 @ Minnesota W Wed 8 Indiana W [worries me] Sun 12 @ San Antonio L Mon 13 New Jersey W [worries me - Back to Back] Wed 15 Dallas L Sat 18 San Antonio W Mon 20 L.A. Clippers W [I don't think we will sweep these guys] Tue 21 @ Dallas L [I think you conceeding too much to dallas] Thu 23 @ NO/Okla. City L Sun 26 Cleveland W Wed 29 Seattle W Fri 31 Washington W Rocket River
The Clippers are playing well. I suspect they will get in. Even if they limp in. that leave one stop. I think it is between us and the Lakers I see Memphis and Sacramento playing spoilers [winning and hurt other folx chances but not getting in] Rocket River
Just going on the trends of the season. Rockets have had more good nites on the Road than at home. Personally, I hope they kill the Mavs both times but still trying to stay some what real with an admittly optimistic prediction.
Clippers will get in, and I doubt it will be by limping. Even after going 4-6 in their last ten, they are still nearly 10 games over .500. If we are too assume .500 is needed to make the 8th seed, then the Clippers would have to play 9 games under .500 the rest of the way to fall that far back. For comparison purposes, that is worse then the Rockets have played this season...so that's pretty bad. The same for Memphis and NO/OKC really. On the one hand, there are a lot of games left. The Rockets have 25. If they get to .500 by going 16-9, then the Grizzlies would have to go 10-15. I just don't see how that happens. I had been waiting for NO/OKC to crash, but it hasn't happened. They're actually the one team that side of the playoff picture (5-8 seeds) getting better. Doc Rivers = Coach of the Year. So, what it means is that the Rockets have to catch the Lakers, and hope the Lakers, Jazz and Kings continue to play .500 ball or worse. If the Rockets go 16-9, the Lakers need to go 12-14. I know a lot of you are thinking the Rockets can go better than 16-9. I certainly hope so, especially given our recent 10-3 run. BUT, our schedule does get much harder and 16-9 is still a .640 winning %, which is pretty good. I'm optimistic, but realistic.
I predict Rockets go 11-4 and therefore 36-36 by the end of march. I expect them to lose all the games to Spurs and Mavs. Maybe they willl win one of them and surprisedly lose to one weak team, but it still makes it 11-4.
Come on! The games with Suns scared you guys too much. Rockets with Yao never lost all the games to Spurs and Mavericks in regular season Actually Rockets matched them pretty well in the past!
This doesn't make any sense. If you've got Denver, LAC, NO/OKC and Memphis all in competition for the last 2 spots, who do you have in the top six? SAS, DAL, PHO and who else? Your list is the competition for the last 6 spots, not the last two. And Denver, Utah or maybe even Minnesota (it's possible) will have the third seed, guaranteed, so we're really just looking at the bottom 5. These are the teams contending for the last 5 spots: New Orleans LA Clippers LA Lakers Memphis Denver Rockets Sacramento Utah Minnesota
I really hope once the funeral is finished, so is Tmac's personal off-court issues this season. Then we might see the old Tmac. But I am not holding my breath for this one. As long as he can attract double-team, Rockets have a chance to make the playoff.
Let's for a moment assume the Houston Rockets are among the 6 teams (NO/Ok, Mem, Lal, Sac, Jaz are the other 5) that are legitimate contenders for the 6th-8th spots in WC playoffs. We have one more game to play with every one of these competitors. Both NO/Ok and Mem are 3-0 against us, thus guaranting winners of tie-breaker should we finish the same records as they do. We are tied with Lal and Jaz at 1-1, and having 2-1 advantage over Sac. Having these head-to-head numbers in mind along with our current standing in the WC, I believe we have little chance to squeeze into the 8th spot with a .500 record. Thus, 16-9 (64%) for the remaining schedule won't do it for us. In other words, we need to at least finish the regular season with 42-40 by going 17-8 (68%) rest of the way. Assume we are tied with Lal, the April 2 game against LA has to be the most pivotal game of the season. Judging from the two games these teams played, my impression is that Lakers have the upper hand. Of course we Rockets fans have all the excuses in the world -- TMac was dealing with his issues and Yao was playing with a bum toe in game 1 and hadn't found his mojo in game 2. One thing is clear though, JVG didn't have an answer for Kobe if he gets into groove. Many Clutch fans here seem to write off lesser initimating opponents such as Jaz and Sac while readily concede the games against the top dogs such as Sas and Dal. I tend to think neither types of the matches are a giving. Most have forgot we had the best head-to-head division record last season. From what I see, if both our superstars can get their acts together and at least one role player shows up big in most of the remaining games, it's not a pipe dream that we go 18-7 (72%) down the stretch, which translates into a 43-39 record for the season and secures a playoff berth.
