Subject:

NBA Pacific

  • Blogs

    April 18, 2013

    Rockets Lose in LA, Drop from 6th to 8th in Two Games, Will Open Playoffs in OKC

    Ultimately, it makes little difference where the Rockets play this postseason's opening series. As much as fans would like to see them survive and advance, the chances of doing that are extremely slim. Now, opening up against the current Western Conference champions, that task gets even more difficu ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 17, 2013

    A Surprising Amount on the Line Tonight for the Rockets in LA

    It's always amazing that after 81 games, it can come down to a single contest between two teams. Such is the case tonight in Los Angeles as the Rockets face the Lakers in the final game of the season. For both, a win is paramount but for different reasons. The Lakers, the preseason favorite to win i ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 15, 2013

    Clearing Up the Western Conference Playoff Picture

    I always find it amazing that after an entire season, spots in the playoffs and seeding can come down to the final few games. This year in the Western Conference it is no different. The east has been settled for over a week and there is only limited jockeying for position. But the west is deeper and ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 12, 2013

    Top Five Things to Do in Houston Sports This Weekend: The Upper Crusty Edition

    The above image is exactly what we imagine you say when you see the weekly headline announcing the best things to do in sports this weekend. You're all, "FUCK YEAH, MOTHER EFFER! IT'S TIME FOR SPORTS! WOO!" Then you read about the things we have to offer and you're all, "YEAH...wait, what?" That's ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 11, 2013

    The Rockets Are Back In The NBA Playoffs! Their Complete Rebuilding Anthology

    With four games to go in the 2011-2012 season, the Rockets were coming off a 117-110 loss to Dallas, a loss in which Dirk Nowitzki provided a stark reminder to last season's Rockets team that they were devoid of a superstar caliber player by dropping 21 points on them in the fourth quarter. To call ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 8, 2013

    Rockets Edge Closer to the Playoffs with 2-1 West Road Trip

    The Rockets loss to Denver on Saturday night was almost a given. Very few teams who faced the Nuggets in Denver on the second half of a back-to-back travel game in the last couple seasons have won. It's tough to travel and play a game at altitude against a team that likes to run. Plus, the Nuggets a ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 4, 2013

    Rockets Get Road Win Over Kings and We Have a Terrence Jones Sighting

    If I didn't know any better, I would think Kevin McHale was giving minutes to players just to develop them even regardless of the outcome (oh, right, he is), but weird rotations and injuries or not, the Rockets keep winning. In Sacramento Wednesday night, it was a brand new face and one strange lin ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 1, 2013

    No Beard? No Problem. Rockets Beat Clippers for 40th W of the Season

    At the beginning of this season, I was talking to my friend David Hardisty over at ClutchFans.net. At the beginning of every season, we'll usually talk about what we expect from the season. The team had just traded for James Harden, but neither of us were optimistic. I pegged the Rockets' win total ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 29, 2013

    Top Five Things to Do in Houston Sports This Weekend: SHO, Astros and Croquet?

    Hey, boys and girls, it's the weekend again. I bet you didn't think you'd make it here from Monday, did you? We assume the next few days are all filled up with plans for antiquing, buying groceries, working in the garden, eating sensibly and going to church for Easter. HA HA HA! We're kidding. But ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 21, 2013

    Playoff Chase: Rockets Beat Utah, Warriors Lose to Spurs

    Last night, as I mentioned yesterday, was a big night for the Rockets. In their hunt for a playoff spot -- they missed the last two seasons -- they faced Utah at Toyota Center and while the Jazz have not exactly played like world beaters recently, their formidable front line would seem to match up w ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 20, 2013

    Rockets Could Get a Lot Closer to the Playoffs Tonight

    It always shocks me that over the course of 82 games, teams could remain so close that it comes right down to the wire, yet, virtually every season, that is the case. With Portland and Dallas essentially falling off the map, there are five teams left fighting for the final four spots in the Western ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 18, 2013

    The Good News-Bad News for the Rockets as They Drive for the Playoffs

    Last night was a frustrating night for the young Rockets squad. They had their worst offensive output of the season, scoring just 78 points (10 in the first quarter) and getting it handed to them in the most lopsided loss of the season against the team directly ahead of them in the playoff chase, Go ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 11, 2013

    Keep Hope Alive: Rockets Meandering Along Towards the Playoffs

    "It's the same old story, same old song and dance, my friend." - Aerosmith All year, I've repeatedly said that following the Rockets is like riding a roller coaster. There are some tremendous highs and some devastating lows, but no matter what happens, it's always exciting. This weekend was more of ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 4, 2013

    Rockets Crush Mavs: 44-Point Third Buries Dallas, Probably Ruins Playoff Chances

    It's never a bad thing when, in one night, you can absolutely destroy a Dallas sports franchise on the floor and, for all practical purposes, ruin their chances of making the playoffs. Given that the Rockets haven't beaten the Mavericks in nine straight tries leading up to last night's win at Toyota ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 28, 2013

    Biggest Loser v 7.0 -- Sacramento Kings Guard Tyreke Evans

    Overall, it's turned into kind of a slow sports week, which I guess is to expected as we are in the dreaded "post NFL combine, pre March Madness dead period." Add in the fact that the Rockets have seemingly been on a second All-Star break this week (haven't played since Saturday), and on a lazy Thur ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 22, 2013

    Sacramento Kings Fans React To The 2013 Thomas Robinson Heist

    As general managers of any team goes, let alone a team that is three seasons removed from being in the playoffs, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is a pretty popular guy. Yes, he's accessible and honest and willing to explain the deals he makes (or doesn't make) in just the right amount o ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 21, 2013

    Win-Win: Harden Blisters Former Team On the Court, Morey Does the Same to Sacramento Off Landing Robinson

    The NBA trade deadline is always a weird time. It comes on the heels of the NBA's most glamorous weekend and right in the middle of the season. Most years there are trades here and there. Occasionally, there's a blockbuster. Since Daryl Morey has taken over as the general manager for the Rockets, th ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 6, 2013

    Rain of Threes: Rockets Bury Warriors, Bogut Drops C-Bomb on Twitter

    When it rains, it pours. The Rockets took on the surprising Golden State Warriors Tuesday night in Toyota Center without three-point specialist Carlos Delfino who was out with a sore elbow. Clearly, it didn't matter. The Rockets absolutely poured it on the Warriors in the form of a three-point barra ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 30, 2013

    Rockets Confounding Season of Ups and Downs Continues with a 45-Point Win in Utah

    For all their inconsistency this season, there is a certain amount of relative consistency to the Rockets season. Whenever they lose a few, they come back and win a few, or vice versa. The league's youngest team will struggle to shoot with any consistency and turn the ball over like playground balle ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 9, 2013

    Beat LA: Rockets Take Out Injury-Riddled Lakers to Run Streak to Five

    The Rockets faced a depleted Lakers squad missing three key players including Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard Tuesday night at Toyota Center in a classic trap game. The first game of yet another five-games-in-four-nights stretch for the Rockets against a very short-handed team makes for situation Coach ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 25, 2012

    NBA Season Jump Starts with Spate of Christmas Day Games Including the Rockets

    In 2011, Christmas Day was the literal start to the NBA season thanks to a lockout that kept the season from starting for nearly two full months. Most every other year, the season starts in October, but for the casual fan, it doesn't really get going until Christmas Day. With the NFL taking the day ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 10, 2012

    Rockets' Ups and Downs Continue Despite Coach's Return

    Check out pics from Saturday's close game against the Mavs in our slideshow. Kevin McHale was emotional at times when he met with the media upon his return to the team on Saturday night after an extended absence due to the illness and tragic death of his daughter. He kept in touch with the players ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 4, 2012

    Next Five Games Will Test Young Rockets Starting Tonight Against the Lakers

    With a serious tragedy behind them and injured players starting to return to the line up, the Rockets dive into a string of games against contenders and Texas rivals this week that will add yet another test to the young team's season. First up is the LA Lakers, in town tonight at Toyota Center. Des ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 5, 2012

    Dragic Gone. Is It Time for Linsanity or Just Regular Old Crazy?

    According to ESPN, Rockets point guard Goran Dragic has agreed to a deal with the Phoenix Suns worth $34 million over four seasons. The Rockets had reportedly realized last week that Dragic wanted much more than they were willing to offer and decided to pursue other options. Some reports suggest the ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 11, 2012

    Rockets Sweep Road Trip, Bear Down on the Playoffs

    Photo by Groovehouse This Rockets team, it just sneaks up on you. It's loaded with second- and third-tier players, most of whom would be backups (albeit rotation players) on good teams. They struggle with interior defense and have an unproven coach who was once a hated rival. They lost their entire ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 16, 2012

    Houston Rockets 2009 Draft Lottery Posse -- Final Scorecard

    I've mentioned this in previous posts, but one of the most amazing and envy-inducing pictures I've ever seen is a picture on Rockets general manager Daryl Morey's Mobile Uploads page on his Facebook account. It's a shot of a blackjack hand, split three times (for four hands total), with a blackjack ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 9, 2012

    Comparing the Rockets Starting Lineup to the Best in the West

    The Rockets are mired in a five-game losing streak and slumping their way towards the NBA trade deadline next week. They lost two overtime heartbreakers to the Clippers and the Celtics and dropped an uninspired road loss the the abysmal Toronto Raptors. The Rockets aren't exactly free-falling, but t ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 1, 2012

    Say What You Will About the Rockets, At Least They Aren't The Clippers

    We all learned yesterday that the Rockets have fallen to the bottom of the heap when it comes to local television ratings, worse than all but three woeful NBA franchises despite having a winning record now halfway through this lockout-shortened season. In fact, their ratings dropped a whopping 40 p ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 10, 2012

    Houston Rockets: Their Bench Is the Hottest Team in the Western Conference

    In my season preview for the Houston Rockets, I cited the current portion of the season as the "make or break stretch" for the team -- a six-game road trip against a bunch of pretty-good-but-not-great teams followed by a six-game homestand against mostly good teams. And once the season started, and ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 7, 2012

    One Man's NBA All-Star Reserve Selections

    Go ahead and chalk up the NBA All-Star Game taking place in a few weeks (Sunday, February 26, to be exact) in Orlando's Amway Center as the next "feels weird" moment of the NBA season. It feels like the season just tipped off a few weeks ago and yet here we are, about 20 games in, deciding who the b ... More >>

  • News

    January 12, 2012

    NBA Purgatory

    Neither the best nor the worst, the Rockets remain stuck in professional basketball's great midsection.

  • Blogs

    December 9, 2011

    Pau Gasol Thoughts, My Texans Prediction and Other Weekend Best Bets

    Pau Gasol: The closest he'll get to Rocket red.​On November 23, the Texans signed quarterback Kellen Clemens to take over third-string duties. On December 4, the Texans signed Jake Delhomme and two days later they cut Clemens. I never thought there would be a less satisfying era for a Houston ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 31, 2011

    So How Much Do You Really Know About the Astros and the DH?

    ​There has been a strange uproar over the Astros' possible move to the American League. There's been whining over start times, bitching about Bud Selig, and much, much discussion about the designated hitter not being real baseball. And while people are upset, it needs to be noted that the As ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 18, 2011

    Women's World Cup: Five Other Seeming "Game-Winning" Scores That Weren't

    The USA's run in the Women's World Cup seemed to be finishing in grand style when Abby Wambach put in an extra-time header to give the team a 2-1 lead. It didn't last, and Japan won in overtime. Wambach's late goal joins a storied list of scores that seemingly iced a game or a series, only to be o ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 23, 2011

    NBA Draft Rewind -- 1986, The Worst Draft Ever

    Plus the shorts sucked​As much as those who construct teams in sports would like to think that they have a formula and a blueprint that they can go execute with any team in any market and be successful, the fact of the matter is that even for the best personnel men in the best-run organization ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 23, 2011

    2011 NBA Draft -- The Live Blog

    Keep coming back for the latest​The overwhelming consensus on the 2011 NBA Draft is that it's, by and large, a pretty underwhelming group of players, and it may quite possibly be completely devoid of future All-Stars. So why am I so excited about tonight's festivities? Because of all the thin ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 9, 2011

    Comment of the Day: The Only Way to Ride Out A Flood

    ​We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involv ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 27, 2011

    ESPN's Doris Burke's Difficult Week (w/ VIDEO)

    Doris Burke and a moment of Zen​Of all of the on-air personalities who put their fingerprints on a sporting event -- studio host, play by play, color analyst, sideline reporter -- I've always thought that the sideline reporter has the hardest job out of all of them. It starts with the inhe ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 13, 2011

    Space Shuttles: Ten Ways Los Angeles and New York Can Show Theirs Off, Dammit

    Bi-wing airplanes...pfft. Try this on for size, Kong.​This week, we learned that Houston, essentially the birthplace of the space shuttle program, will not be given one of the four remaining shuttles. Two of the four cities receiving them are both deserving and appropriate: Washington D.C. (fo ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 29, 2010

    Game Time: Best of the Best -- Top 10 Moments from Clutch City Rockets (w/video)

    Consensus Number One​I am a total sucker for lists.This makes me like roughly 95 percent of society; the fact that I openly admit I'm a sucker for lists makes me a little more unique. There are so many list books, list columns, list blog posts (many by yours truly) that it seems by admitting you ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 25, 2010

    GAME TIME: NBA Draft: 8 Winners and 8 Losers

    As in most things in life, Calipari is both a winner and loser​"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 2010 NBA Draft..." -- David SternI'm not going to lie, those words give me a tingly feeling every year that I hear them. It never gets old -- like reruns of The Sopanos or seeing that Bree Ol ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 24, 2010

    Game Time: NBA DRAFT -- Worst Lottery Picks Of The Last 15 Years

    cutline​As "must see" events on the sporting calendar go, the annual NBA Draft is highly underrated. If you ask the average sports fan his or her five most watchable sports nights of the year you'll probably get canned answers like the Super Bowl, a Game 7 in the MLB or NBA playoffs, and any inte ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 21, 2010

    Ron Artest Releases The Song He Couldn't As A Rocket: "Champion"

    No fans were injured in the making of this song​Former Rocket Ron Artest, the current Laker who thanked his psychiatrist after the Game 7 win, is celebrating his new ring with yet another rap song.The song has been written and sitting around for a long time, but Artest tweaked it to capitalize on ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 7, 2010

    Summerfest Short Cuts: Mix Master Mike, Kid Sister, Miniature Tigers, Etc.

    Marc BrubakerSpain Colored Orange​Spain Colored Orange: Although technical difficulties with one ticket scanner caused an enormous line of hot and restless festival-goers outside one gate, Spain Colored Orange started its set at 2:05 p.m. on the dot - before the gates had even opened. SCO informed ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 4, 2010

    Game Time: Ken Griffey, Jr.: Baseball's Tracy McGrady?

    Not as good as Tom Gordon. Who?​I'm not sure if the back-burnering of Ken Griffey, Jr.'s sudden retirement yesterday speaks more to the magnitude of the Jim Joyce/Armando Galarraga aborted perfect game fiasco or just how far the perception of Griffey as a sure-fire lock of a future Hall of Famer h ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 20, 2010

    The Five Best Houston Sex Scandals, Such As They Are

    It takes two hookers to get James Worthy ready for Showtime​Houston is not a big town for sex scandals. Whether it's because we have a sophisticated European, laissez-faire attitude to such things, or because bigfoot Houstonians are better at hiding things, we don't know. Although we guess it's th ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 5, 2009

    In Make-Or-Break Year, Rockets' Landry Looks To Fill Low-Post Void

    Photo by Jeff Balke​There's a popular belief in NBA circles that the third year is when a player makes the transition to stardom, if he's going to make it. Among point guards, that worked for Chris Paul and Deron Williams, and much has been said about Aaron Brooks making a similar - though sma ... More >>

  • Calendar

    November 8, 2007

    The Houston Rockets vs. the L.A. Lakers

    It’s the new and improved Rockets (we hope!)

  • More >>
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