2018 PLAYOFFS: (1) Houston vs. (8) Minnesota

Difference between previous rockets and this year's rockets is that Harden could afford to shoot shit and still contend to win games with CP3. You need only one of them to step up and your chance of winning is still quite high. Cant wait for Warriors series against these guys.

I am SO disappointed in Towns. It's the friggin' playoffs, man....don't wait for the coach to call a play for you.....get nasty, get in the paint and DEMAND the ball like Shaq said!

I am SO disappointed in Towns. It's the friggin' playoffs, man....don't wait for the coach to call a play for you.....get nasty, get in the paint and DEMAND the ball like Shaq said!

I've always thought he was overhyped... I was telling my coworker before the series that he was going to be outplayed by Capela, and would be a huge disappointment to the fan base who thinks he's better than he actually is.

I hate to say it, but I don't think he has the moves or confidence to really score on guards/forwards. That sounds ridiculous to be saying about an all star, but the dude literally looks like he has no confidence to do anything, on anybody, in this series. He could be matched up with a dude 7 inches shorter, and I wouldn't expect him to score. He is also not demanding the ball AT ALL, he looks like he wants no part of it... in the playoffs......

Jimmy Butler should be ashamed of his shot attempts/aggressiveness, and Thibs should be all over him and Towns... instead I am watching Rose and Dieng shoot as many or more shots.... what? I've always liked Thibs, but I'm seriously questioning him at this point. The fact that he isn't laying into Towns and Butler to be more aggressive really bugs me.

Butler at least has the excuse of coming off an injury, which can make you tentative. Towns has flat out been a disappointment in the series.

Seeing Towns attempt a drop step has been pathetic, not as pathetic as Blake Griffin’s but still pathetic for a supposedly talented bigman.

how about that houston defense. d'antoni. defensive guru.

How about some praise for the 3rd best player on Rockets, Clint Capela. He has ORtg 126, PER 24.5 @ 19.4% Usage for the season, and his awesomeness carried into the playoffs. I am guessing CP3 has turned him into an efficiency juggernaut like he did for DeAndre Jordan. Capela was very good last year, this year he is great.

He's certainly looking like the All-Star instead of Towns.

Timberwolves showed up to make it a series. I'm still picking the Rockets to win the next two, but at the very least, Minnesota salvaged some dignity.

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Good for him.

that drive then the double-clutch layup was nice

Rockets just scored 50 points in the third quarter, to the Timberwolves' 20. About to go up 3-1 in dominant fashion.

My first reaction to that was WTF happened in the 3rd? But then they are the Rockets...

im convinced butler is still hurt. looks slow and can't overpower players like he was last year

He probably isn't 100%. Alternatively, he could just be lacking the confidence and willingness to be aggressive in the wake of the injury, leading to him being more tentative. Either way, it seems a safe suggestion that the injury is currently having a lingering effect, be it soreness, a mental hurdle, or both.

He probably came back a little too soon from injury. Not Brandon Roy soon, but when his injury happened I didn't think he would play in the first round

Thibs ruining another career then. Next up, Taj Gibson.