Is Houston going 4-0 against San Antonio this season..

[oh the horror]

Also remember when BDiddy Warriors owned Mavs in the regular season? They owned them in the first round of the playoffs too.

True that

[TMT]

The first two regular season meetings are really the two to look at when you break it down. One meeting in November about 15 or so games in for both teams and then the second on Christmas Day. Both games the Spurs were thoroughly outplayed mentally and physically. I actually had to turn my TV off on Christmas because it was getting so hard to watch. It seems James Harden plays his best basketball against San Antonio, and that might go for Chandler Parsons too.

The second two matchups the Spurs were without Leonard/Green/Splitter and then without Mills/Leonard/Green/Splitter the other night. The Rockets have been surprisingly healthy during these matchups. I believe Lin missed one game and Beverley another.

Spurs will have their hands full against a team full of athletes, good shooting and size. Harden has always been a Spur killer, Dwight definitely isn't happy with the Spurs after last year, and we always seem to let the young guns kill us. Much like OKC.

I wouldn't pay too much attention to the 4-0 count because the Spurs weren't playing their best ball yet during the early meetings, and were without half their rotation the following two. But regardless this is going to be a hellish series. Could easily go seven games.

[Droid101]

Regular season matchup record historically only matters in the first round.

[ninephive]

We also need to remember that the Rockets have won 1 playoff series in the last 16 years. Them winning 2 rounds will be a major achievement considering what this franchise has become.

That said, they have a solid squad and do provide one of the 3 or 4 worst match-ups for SA.

[navy]

Spurs are going to lose, and we will hear nothing but how they were over achieving with a bad cast and how disrespected they are when they have the best record again next season.

[UK2K]

I think rocket fans are getting ahead of themselves here.. They have a very real challenge in portland in the first round.. And if the rockets team are looking at the second round like some of there fans are... Both the fans and the rockets players will be watching the second round from their sofa

A healthy BeverD = Rockets in 5

Lillard has played exceptionally poorly against BeverD

[brantonli]

We also need to remember that the Rockets have won 1 playoff series in the last 16 years. Them winning 2 rounds will be a major achievement considering what this franchise has become.

That said, they have a solid squad and do provide one of the 3 or 4 worst match-ups for SA.

I think the Rockets (this past decade) have only ever held the 4/5th seed, or hte 8th seed, so either you're going up against the top seed, or against a very evenly matched opponent (Dallas and Utah ), so it's not too surprising the Rockets have only advanced once.

Also, the last game proved that a Rockets-Spurs series will be determined by the bench production. The Rockets bench got flattened by the Spurs bench last game, and the starters had to rescue the game. I think the sheer talent of Harden+Howard will be enough for the starting 5 to neutralise each other, but when the bench comes in, the Spurs have a definitely advantage.


Also, one game at a time. Rockets need to deal with Portland first.

[Darius]

I sure hope it does as the Clippers seem incapable of beating the Spurs but have matched up very well vs. Rockets in regular season (I think Clippers are 4-0).

If the Clippers were somehow managed to beat OKC I'd much rather see the Rockets.

Realistically, however, it seems regular season doesn't means all that much.

[YouGotServed]

Spurs are going to lose, and we will hear nothing but how they were over achieving with a bad cast and how disrespected they are when they have the best record again next season.

Spurs fans in the regular season: "We have the best record in the NBA. Why is everyone sleeping on the Spurs?"

Spurs after they choke in the playoffs: "We weren't supposed to be this good in the first place. Parker was tired, Ginobili wasn't 100% and Duncan is almost 40."

[TMT]

Spurs fans in the regular season: "We have the best record in the NBA. Why is everyone sleeping on the Spurs?"

Spurs after they choke in the playoffs: "We weren't supposed to be this good in the first place. Parker was tired, Ginobili wasn't 100% and Duncan is almost 40."

Can't say this isn't true. But for whatever reason it has become a norm that we don't have the same expectations of the teams with real superstar power. This team that already has its championships achieved over a decade ago is defying father time and keep on keeping on.

It's like if the current Heat core were still together in 2019-2020 with some youthful revitalization and still winning games at a ridiculous rate. It's such a rare thing to see but everyone takes it for granted that the Spurs were consistently getting it done a decade ago and they are still around.

It's really such a unique situation that there really are no set standards for how good they should be or how far they should go. Hard to explain even.

[AintNoSunshine]

So what's Spurs' record against the other WC playoff teams? Both OKC and HOU swept them

[TMT]

So what's Spurs' record against the other WC playoff teams? Both OKC and HOU swept them

Clippers 2-1
Grizzlies 4-0
Mavs 4-0
Warriors 4-0
Suns 3-1
Blazers 2-2

[yeaaaman]

Anyone remember when Lakers met Orlando in the finals years ago?


Orlando owned them in the regular season. Didn't work out for them.



All I'm saying is, playoff ball is different. I'd expect SA to advance. But Houston will give them problems.



West playoffs are no joke.

Yest playoff basketball is different but that lets not act like that Laker team played the Magic 4 times in the regular season so there was less to go on. And second nobody else Howard played with on the Magic was close to as good as Harden, I think this is a better overall team, or working their way there come next year at least. We'll have to see