Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press
Tensions reportedly boiled over in the Houston Rockets locker room following another postseason loss to the Golden State Warriors.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, James Harden and Chris Paul had multiple “tense moments with one another throughout Game 6, culminating in a verbal back-and-forth postgame that went into the locker room.”
Charania noted the “verbal exchange” centered around ball distribution during Houston’s final game of the playoffs, but he pointed out “there was something of a clash of styles brewing throughout the Rockets season, with members of the team—most notably Paul—having spirited discussions with Mike D’Antoni about the offense and pushing for more movement.”
It is understandable if there was built up frustration on Houston’s side seeing how losing to the Warriors has become an all too familiar ending.
The Rockets lost the last two games of last year’s Western Conference Final after building a 3-2 lead with Paul sidelined with a hamstring injury. Houston also lost to Golden State in the 2015 and 2016 playoffs before Paul arrived.
-
McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for “Jennifer”
-
Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBA
-
The NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season
-
Jarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim Protectors
-
Wade’s Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This Season
-
Westbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle
-
Devin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear
-
29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points
-
Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in Miami
-
Steph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing Troll
-
Lou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the Year
-
Pat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA Shine
-
LeBron Keeps Shredding NBA Record Books
-
Young’s Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with Luka
-
LeBron and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New Album
-
Wade’s #OneLastDance Dominated February
-
Warriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments with Steph
-
Eight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the Knicks
-
Two Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Boogie to the Pelicans
-
ASG Will Be Competitive Again If the NBA Raises the Stakes
Right Arrow Icon
Still, there is something to be said about the predictability of the team’s offense in 2018-19.
The Rockets shifted to an offense that was reliant on Harden every night during stretches of the regular season when Paul and Clint Capela were sidelined with injuries. As a result, Harden led the league with a head-turning 39.5 percent usage rate, per NBA.com.
By comparison, Joel Embiid was second among players who appeared in more than three games at 32.4 percent.
Houston was also a mere 27th in the league in pace in the regular season and 10th in the playoffs as the offense often devolved into players standing around watching Harden and waiting for him to make a play.
In fairness to the Rockets and D’Antoni, it worked for much of the season. The MVP candidate averaged a league-best 36.1 points per game and made sure Houston remained in the thick of the Western Conference race even with so much attrition.
However, it wasn’t enough against the mighty Warriors, and the two primary ball-handlers were apparently unhappy with each other and the reality after the loss.
from Daily Trends Hunter http://bit.ly/2EsBGBM
via IFTTT
Daily Trends Hunter 