Houston Rockets Win Streak Ended By Mavericks, Why Defensive Scheme Vs Luka Doncic Was A DISASTER

Houston Rockets Win Streak Ended By Mavericks, Why Defensive Scheme Vs Luka Doncic Was A DISASTER

On today’s show the Houston Rockets 11 game winning streak unfortunately snapped by Luca donic and the Dallas Mavericks why the Rockets defensive game plan was a disaster against Luca how they need to be better offensively when teams are double teaming Jaylen green Jabar Jr with a strong game and cam

Whitmore makes his return to the Rockets lineup it’s all coming up on today’s locked on Rockets this is Mission Control Houston ignition sequence start 6 5 4 3 2 1 well the winning streak was fun while it lasted what’s up and welcome to another edition of lock on Rockets your

Daily podcast home for everything Houston Rockets basketball as always I’m your host Jackson Gatlin native houstonian and credential media member I’m also the host of locked on NBA Mondays be sure to follow along on Twitter at JTG and the show of course at lockon Rockets free and available

Wherever you listen to your podcast including YouTube now as always thank you so much for making locked on Rockets part of your day every single day whether it’s on your way to work on your lunch break in the gym thank you for being an everyday or and making the show

Part of your day every single day the Houston Rockets 11 game win streak comes to an unfortunate end and here to break down what exactly went wrong against the Dallas Mavericks is none other than your weekly co-host NBA draft Enthusiast and diard Houston Rockets fan Madison Moore

He can track down on Twitter at madman leaks and Madison this 125 107 loss the Dallas Mavericks snapping the Houston Rockets winning streak it ends at 11 it was a magical month of March still a lot of positives to be taken not a lot of positives from this game unfortunately

As we’re going to have to navigate and unpack exactly what went wrong in this game couple Silver Linings Jabari SM Junior’s play cam Whitmore back in the Rockets lineup a great sight to see to have him back on the floor for the Rockets we’ll talk about their performances we’ll talk about some of

The concerns with the offense in this game namely from guys like Dylan Brooks and a Min Thompson but I think the big takeaway here man is what in the hell was Oka smoking when he came up with this Rockets game plan because he let Luca absolutely cook the rockets in this

Game 22 first quarter points he finished the game with 47 18 of 30 from the floor 9 of 16 from downtown tying his career high in three-pointers made and the rockets refused to double team him they let Luca cook in single coverage all night long I think this loss is almost square like

There was a lot of issues in this game but I think the buy and large this losses squarely and firmly on oka’s shoulders for the defensive game plan coming into this game yeah I think that was probably there was a lot of issues tonight but that was the biggest issue

I’m actually not super upset with the Rockets having that as their game plan hey we don’t want Luca to be we don’t want Luca to get everyone else involved um we we’ll do this pseudo thing what they did with joic but I think that’s a fundamental misunderstanding of who uh

Luki is as a player I think in underestimating that and number two the lack of adjustments once you realize that this this wasn’t going to work after the first quarter there should have been an immediate adjustment honestly after the second Jac landelle Island trip there should have been

Immediate adjustment at least in that particular lineup can I actually back it up even further I think that shout out to Oka for having the the the confidence in his wing defenders in in Amin Thompson and Dylan Brooks to to go one-on-one with Luca I get that but the

Moment you had to the the moment you lost am Min Thompson to the two early fouls I think that’s where the adjustment probably had to take place because that was the issue is Amin was actually pretty decent on Luca in his minutes guarding him uh you know he he

Bit on a couple fakes here and there but overall I think the the length the athleticism right he was doing a a good job on luk he was disciplined but the moment you lost him into the two early fouls that’s I think where okay maybe you throw that defensive game plan out

The window because now you don’t have arguably your best defender on the floor anymore yeah that I I agree that also should have been you know maybe sometimes you think well let’s play it out let’s see how it goes we’ll get him back for the rest of the game but I mean

Just you know we can give you the benefit of the doubt on that but after that first quarter like there was no excuse for the type of heater you let a a great player get on to continue to play them one-on-one uh as as uh ma did

All night tonight I thought it was uh kind of depressing and I thought also by playing this way the Rockets offense was also very stagnant um and we really needed some juice in transition you know and the only way to to generate that is to start to to Really ratchet up the

Aggressiveness of your defense you you have nothing to lose right now you’re team is getting absolutely yeah they couldn’t get any stops and they couldn’t get easy buckets you can’t yeah you can’t get easy buckets and your team can’t get into Rhythm offensively and so

Like to me I thought it it hurt us both ways and it was honestly it’s these games are played in runs and those runs are dictated by energy and and when you you sap the energy of your team when you just allow the same thing to happen over

And over again and I mean I I’ll just leave it at there for now look look I I you know at one point in this game near the end of the third quarter I put my tinfoil hat on because the Rockets actually and this was the this was the

Part that really bothered me Madison is they didn’t double Luca at all right let let the man go off for 22 in the first quarter and then the Mavs are running their second unit they stagger Kyrie and Luca so Kyrie’s running the second unit it was like one of the first two

Possessions in that second quarter they doubled Kyrie Irving he had zero points I didn’t know what was happening I like I could not wrap my head around the fact that they let Luca go off for 22 in the first quarter and then Kyrie who was sitting with a with a goose egg zero

Zero points and then they flashed a double team at him I was like what is happening so look but I put my Tempo Hat on at the end of the third quarter because I thought hey at that point it was the final few minutes of the thir qu third quarter the Rockets started

Doubling Luca they started trapping him they started getting really aggressive with him and it led to some good possessions right Rockets finished that quarter on a 13 to4 run went into the fourth quarter 18-point game I’m thinking oh maybe this was eem’s game plan like let

Luca do all the heavy lifting for two and a half three quarters whatever to keep all the other players from being in Rhythm and go into the final quarter and like make a push right and like I like I talked myself into this idea going into the fourth quarter and then Kyrie

Basically told me n that’s not going to happen Kyrie lit up in the fourth quarter the rest of the Mavs the the other guys then stepped up in that fourth quarter it was it was game over man like it was a little too late man I

Mean to me like bro you how do you go into halftime how do you go into halftime look at how this game is going and come out and do the exact same thing on defense I I I really I really is this is one of those things that Ma like you

Really drop the ball on this I mean if we had any chance of getting back in this game we needed to come out immediately being more aggressive on defense and they didn’t start that to the end of the second quar to the second half of the second quarter where they

Went on another like 80 run they had extended the lead to almost 30 so I mean it was it was very very tough to watch and I I I felt like because their offense was clicking so well we could not get out in transition we could not get easy buckets

And our Rhythm suffered on offense because of it it didn’t help right that that Not only was Luca absolutely on a heater in this game but the other Mavs did step up when they needed to Kyrie finished with 24 after inter he might have been in single digits numbers wise

Going into the fourth quarter I can’t remember exactly what he had um there were some big threes from PJ Washington Off the Bench Dante exom Rocket’s former uh former Legend uh Dante exom he had 13 Off the Bench three of three from down Tim Hardway hit a few threes they just

Got enough contributions offensively from all the other guys Rockets struggled to shoot the ball in this one just under 35% 13 of 38 uh some of those obviously coming in garbage garbage time quote unquote in the fourth quarter Mavs kept their starters in at no point did

It really feel like you know there was like a real garbage time in this game Rockets kind of kept the lead pushing a little bit but it wasn’t like a real comeback or anything this this was this game was lost because Luca is an insane player like and I’m sorry I’m sorry we

Have to highlight it here that damn scoop shot that he hit was something he was out there playing horse he was just toying with the Rockets like like at that point after he hit that shot you could hear Holland on the broadcast all game he was like get the ball out of his

Hands send a double you can’t guard him in single cover holl was losing his mind because he’s been out there he’s been a player watching these guys cook at the NBA level and you just know like when a guy is on a heater like that you have to

Get the ball out of his hands you have to make literally anybody else beat you and I know you mentioned it earlier we’ve seen this this game plan from eay before let the star player cook stay at home on everybody else I think the you said it was a fundamental

Misunderstanding of who these players or who Luca is though I fully agree Luca is absolutely a guy that can carry an offense for all four quarters he can go for 60 plus 70 plus 80 plus whatever like I was legit worried after the first quarter this is oh this is going to be

The night that somebody breaks KOB Kobe’s 81 like I saw it and I was like if they’re going to guard him in single coverage Luca could put up 20 a quarter for the rest of this game so I mean passively switching too just give him his match up whatever match up he wanted

Like ah man it was uh it was very tough to watch it’s one of those things that hey Ma you got to go to back to the drawing board on on how stubborn you are like usually he’s made really really good adjustments we’re just gonna I mean

Coaches have bad nights too man we’ll just we’ll just you know and and it’s not crazier than what Steve K did with Jaylen Brown so at least it ain’t that bad hey man look everybody’s got an off night E’s been been an incredible coach for this Rockets team this this loss

Though it’s it’s a learning experience for him it’s a learning experience for the team as a whole and the best part is rock is going to get a chance at Redemption exactly a week from Sunday because they play the Mavs again in Dallas so they get a chance for some

Redemption please dear God let’s see some adjustments and let’s not see a Luca one-on-one uh ISO showing again in Dallas but coming up we’re also going to talk about some of the offensive struggles from this game Jaylen green getting double teamed all night long some of the issues uh offensively with

Dylan Brooks and amen Thompson a pair of rough games for them and then we’ve got a highlight some of the couple Silver Linings from this one as well Jabari Smith Jr cam Whitmore a couple strong games from those two guys we’re going to get there in just one

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Deposit match up to $100 prize picks pick more pick less it’s that easy and continuing on here at lockon Rockets your daily podcast home for everything Houston Rockets basketball now Madison we kind of took care of the the elephant in the room which was the Rockets defensive game plan on

Luca hat tip Luca is an incredible player you know it is what it is right there’s a reason he’s very much heavily in the MVP conversation this year feels like it’s probably going to be you know go to joic but you know at this point I

Would not be upset if I if well I’d be upset seeing Luca win it because Dallas Mavericks ew but like just as a basketball purist as a fan Luca absolutely has a right to that award he’s been Sensational this season but for the Rockets the defense wasn’t their

Only problem in this game offensively the Mavs had the rockets in fits they couldn’t get into anything uh successful offensively and a big part of that was they saw like credit Jason Jason kid in the Mavericks defensive game plan they saw the kind of tear that Jaylen green

Was on and they decided you know what we’re not going to let him beat us and they doubled him all night long they did not ever get him look you know get let him get a clean look at anything finished the game five of 15 shooting 0

Of five from long distance only got to the free throw line twice um six rebounds five assists finished with 12 points it it isn’t necessarily that Jaylen had a quote unquote bad game he just had an entire defense game planned against him and at no point did the Mavs

Let up were like this is our game plan from the from the jump to the final buzzer we’re not letting Jaylen Green beat us and it worked yeah I thought I thought the way they trapped Jaylen as well because they didn’t do like this aggressive trap where he had to pick the

Ball up and get it out of his hands they kind of just led him to the Bas line with two people like they just kind of they gradually you know they and they covered a lot of his passing Lanes a lot of the guys that that was left open was

At the top of the key and they did a very good do job of shading that so the only pass he really could make was to the to the to the uh rle man in the middle of the paint who would then have to make another pass to find the open

Guy because they were packing the pain on that on those possessions too and often times we seen that result in a turnover or or just a a misread or a bad read in the place I thought uh I thought Jabari came out and hit a couple good uh

Threes early but other than Jabari in this in this first half before the like before the game got away from us I thought it was just a very poor performance from Fred Van vet and Dylan Brooks um I thought f v i feel like he

Only took one shot in the first half and uh really quiet night for him he only had four shots overall and yeah cuz you talked about right the way the Mavs were cutting off some of those those those safety valves those passing Lanes it felt like that often times the way that

They were shading Jaylen defensively and kind of funneling him they were cutting off that outlet to get the ball back to Fred yes and and the reason they were able to do that the reason they were able to be so aggressive with Jaylen this feels like the first game where

We’ve really seen it was it was a two two-parter here Dylan not being able to throw a rock into the freaking ocean was a big one 0 of eight shooting 0 of seven from downtown and then a Min Thompson this this felt like the one of the first

Real games like H okay the lack of shooting is really hurting this team whoever the Mavs had guarding them in whether you oftentimes it was their big but whoever was guarding a in whoever picked him up was basically just playing free safety defensively yeah no and

That’s what most teams do uh do but the the biggest thing that allowed the Mavs to do that is their great Rim protectors as well like I I feel like uh you know Gafford and a man couldn’t get behind that defense that defense was sunk in

And we did find them in on that backside but the guys were there like they were they were they were sucking in they were they were ready for that backside uh cut from Aman and a couple times he got his shot blocked and that’s very rare to see

Aman uh get his shot blocked with his athleticism on those backside plays and I think that the Dallas’s defense was so so steady the the entire game entire first half the start of the second half it really got away from the Rockets I feel like they start they stopped

Playing the correct way um and I really think it was just more of a lack of adjustments again offensively we needed some some misdirection uh uh plays drawn up for easy buckets for other guys using jaylen’s gravity using using these things against the uh the Mavs and I

Really think there was just the the lack of of uh flow in this offense led to a lot of one-on-one and quick early threes and it just was not good at offense generated and I would have lik to seen some back doors set up you know

What I mean like some some some plays run where there was a design back door even and and the crazy thing is the Mavs were doing just that there was like these Dante exm layups where he was where he was crossing um and making uh you know miscommunications on the

Screens on the the switches and he was getting wide open layups at The Rim it it seemed like Jason kid was kind of just out coaching m in every aspect tonight yeah it was it was rough to see and I I you know again I’m not GNA I in

This game it’s tough to fault Jaylen because again he he got he he got hand he handled with double teams all game and when that happens right when you are when your star player is when your best guy is getting doubled it’s up to the other guys because you’re getting to

Play four on three right and and often times Jaylen there were maybe some points where he was you know maybe a little late on on getting rid of the ball on some of these double teams some of the decision making out of the double wasn’t as good as it’s been throughout

This Rockets 11 game win streak but it’s not that he wasn’t like it’s not that he was getting trapped and coughing the ball up it’s not like he had a mount of turnovers in this game it was just other guys just could not execute out of those

Doubles and to your point about the kind of the choppy offense right it often felt like the Rockets were you know jayen would get the double right and then you know first pass out of the double would happen and it’s like they were taking the very first shot that was

Available right like even it was like an okay shot like Dylan would hoist a shot or a men would catch the ball and then immediately like I got to attack now like I got to go and that’s just not the way you play it right they needed to

Take a breath be a little bit more patient and execute properly in the half court how do you if if if a team is going to willingly double team your best guy that means you have an advantage somewhere else on the floor and it really felt like again Dylan and Amin

Didn’t have great games uh I think Jabari and Fred Fred finishing with only four shots is a travesty and Jabari as good as he was in this game we’re going to talk about his play here in a moment he should have been more involved in the offense finishing with only 14 shots is

Kind of crazy based on how good he looked in this game he couldn’t miss yeah and I think they didn’t find out that Jabari was was so hot because of the lack of flow of this offense you know what I mean he got those two early

Shots but you didn’t know if those were just some good shots that Jabari made but then by the time we found out hey Jabari actually is having is really feeling it tonight it was too late the game was out was out of hand and it just it’s just an unfortunate thing but there

Is I think a lot of good that comes from this game uh this is going to be perfect filmwork for jayen to work on what he needs to do to better break this stuff down before what the team needs to do to better break this uh break this stuff

Down um I think this this will give to me I’ve been afraid of jayen really starting to get doubled really hard I know that’s coming for him now and he needs to see that before you know that we make it to the play end and then teams are really keyed in on the

Playoffs I like that we got some really good film on this so so the guys can go to draw Brad and really learn how they can break this down and one more uh note for for any of the uh people who are shouting from the mountain tops that

That jayen and shenon can’t coexist that they can’t work together this is exactly why you want another guy like an Alper and shenon to pair with a jayen green because if you had had Alp out there you can’t double jayen if you do double jayen then you’re giving Alp a four on-

Three advantage to break down a defense with his insane skill set or vice versa right you can’t if if Alp has the ball down low whatever you can’t send a double team at him because his Outlet pass is to a dynamic scoring Wing or guard like Jaylen green right that’s why

When you have two guys that command that level of attention the other guy can step up once you start doubling that’s exactly what we saw happen on the Maverick side of things right the Rockets started forcing the ball to Luka Don’s hands and guess what kyri Irving

Was there to step up in the fourth quarter and was able to close this game out so Luca you know did all the heavy lifting through like three quarters and then the Mavs were able to coast and take the game home at the very end because they had other guys who could

Step Up namely again Kyrie Irving who took the Reigns there in the fourth quarter and uh led the Mavericks home in this one coming up we want to talk about Jabari Smith Jr his strong night his involvement in the Rockets offense as well as cam Whitmore good to have him

Back in the Rockets lineup he’s going to be a big piece for this Rockets trying to make a push for the playin tournament and some unfortunate news as the Golden State Warriors were able to beat the San Antonio Spurs Spurs couldn’t do the nobody could do the rocket favors man

This is killing me we’re going to get to this final segment in just one moment first today’s episode is brought to you by Amazon Fire TV Fire TV is your destination for sports from live games to Highlights to in-depth analysis Fire tv offers amazing viewing experiences

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Out Fire TV channels on Fire TV and Alexa devices to learn more visit amazon.com locked onfire TV and final segment here at lock on Rockets your daily podcast home for everything Houston Rockets basketball now Madison couple of the Silver Linings the positives from this game as we kind

Of sifted our way through a lot of the bad to come out of this one uh Jabari Smith Jr his play in this game it felt it felt like a good game for Jabari to try and get back into rhythm in fact I I I caught myself wondering at the end why

Jabari was out there in those quote unquote garbage time minutes with the rest of the second stringers third string guys uh and then I you know I realized it likely because eeme wanted him to continue building that Rhythm right building that confidence he’s had

A few games in a row now the last you know five six seven games where you know the the shooting numbers haven’t haven’t been great he’s kind of struggled from the floor um this felt like a good game for him to kind of unlock and get back

Into the version of Jabari that we know he can be especially again when when teams are now keying in so heavily on jayen green you need your other guys to be able to step up offensively and Jabari we know he has the skill set to

Do it right we know that he can can be a guy that you can even at times arguably run some of your offense through not necessarily as a play initiator like Jaylen but right you get him in the high post or you get him with his back to the

Basket let him get to some of his sweet spots on the floor and he can be a guy that can be a consistent go-to bucket but he’s very much a rhythm guy and it feels like he hasn’t really had a good Rhythm for the past you know two or

Three weeks so it was good to see him put up 28 9 of 14 really got rolling there in the fourth quarter uh and it’s not like it was like garbage time against the M third stringers right they kept their starters in the game so he

Was he was doing this against a good mths team yeah I mean and like I said we kind of found out that that Jabari was really in Rhythm late and I think that’s very unfortunate it goes back to what I what I kind of said a couple weeks ago

Um about Jabari in this second lineup getting more uh more touches this second lineup to me has way too much Aaron holiday ISO I understand Aaron holiday had a decent game today I feel like it was in garbage time when the game was over that’s when he came that’s when he

Scored his buckets um and and when we were blitzing which was really a defensive scheme issue but but to me I think there’s just way too much Aaron holiday ISO he need he is supposed to be a release valve a support player a guy that gets us into our sets and our sets

Need to be centered around Jabari Smith and cam in that second in uh that second unit especially with how deficient that offense is and I think one of those reasons is uh because of Aaron holiday not properly just being a little bit too aggressive um there are

Other guys that to me should be featured in in for us to get rhythm with those guys um so I think if Jabari was featured a little bit more uh earlier in this game we may have seen that Jabari was having a really good rhythm game uh

A lot earlier and it really could have helped us in those minutes because I feel like we played neutral in those minutes when we when we honestly could have won those minutes and kept us in the game I give me give me some Jabari Smith Jr post-ups in the second unit let cam

Whitmore be the entry passer they’ve got the five out spacing right if you send a double team I look and let let Jabari have the chance to shine right this is you know now without Alper and shingun in the lineup I think there’s there’s a

Need for guys to be able to step up on a nightly basis and I think Jabar Jr has all the tools to be a really strong second or third option offensively but there’s this level of I guess like safety or whatever or comfortability that eeme has offensively with just

Running a lot of you know heavy pick and roll actions running a lot of sets through the guards through his wings on the perimeter a lot of drive and kick offense and that’s not what jabarus SM J does right that’s not his offensive repertoire not his bag I get that there

Might be some spacing issues or concerns like even you know in this game you know am men had the two early fouls so he came back with the second unit this time around so he was out there with Jabari but you just put him on the opposite

Side you know on the weak side in the dunker spot let Jabari go to work man I I I’ve been I feel like this I feel like this is the take that I’ve had all season long madis like I want to see Jabari have some chances where he can go

To work offensively and that’s not the only way you can get uh you can get Jabari involved in this offense you can run some down screens where you just get him a open look at three see where he’s at and even in the mid-range get him

Coming off a uh kind of like a a curving pin down but in the mid-range where he can take it in Rhythm um at the free throw line great we’ve seen we’ve seen that play from the right they’ve run before with him what I’m saying there

There are things that you can do that is does not require Jabari to run a ISO but gets him in Rhythm gets him involved in the offense there are other things you can do you can scheme back doors for him you can you can do things to get him

Involved that isn’t just a mid post isolation you know what I mean you and and you can mix into some of those isolations makes him especially with a team that’s switching you can get him switched off into a smaller player and get him get the look that he wants it’s

There’s things you can do especially in that second lineup that is so deficient in scoring it it doesn’t have any offensive punch and I and I really would like us to to do that because I think a a jabarian rhythm is going to be better

For the entire team so I I’d like to see that moving forward that’s where you really miss not having like a true like point guard kind of floor General in that second unit because again even even with the starters sometimes right it’s a little bit harder to maybe prioritize oh

We’re going to get jabari’s looks when when Jaylen needs his looks and Fred needs to you know run some of the offense whatever it’s it’s a little bit tougher there but especially with that second unit right you need more from Aaron holiday you need him to make better decisions rather than just you

Know oh I’m going just walk the ball up and I’m going to run a pick and roll and and get to my little floater game in the mid-range right like that’s that’s a little too much little too much Aaron holiday action offensively with that second unit um 12 shot attempts for

Aaron holiday wow that’s that’s a lot I know some of that came it’s it’s to me it’s a quiet issue going on it’s okay it’s okay cuz look re re Reed Shepard is coming that’s all that matters look all right um and we got we got a highlight here cam Whitmore um is

So nice to have him back out there on the floor right he was sorely missed over this month not I can’t St I can’t say sorely Miss because the Rockets obviously had an 11 game win streak they were really successful even though they didn’t have Cam more in the lineup but

He gives the rocket some of that offensive juice some of that potency in that second unit and we saw it on display in this game right him just the the willingness to pull up from three when necessary the the downhill play uh even just you know at some of the the

Activity on the glass offensively right and then around the rim he’s just he’s a very physical presence when he’s on the floor on both sides um and he just gives the Rockets another guy who’s not afraid to to go after it offensively and he can

Be a guy that can catch fire and score 20 plus with ease and he was felt like he was kind of on his way to that in this game he had 13 on five of 11 shooting only in 22 minutes played but a nice little bounce back for him he had

Three steals defensively as well and he kind of just he just stepped back in and it looked like he hadn’t missed a beat yeah um really proud of Cam’s Cam’s game he he he didn’t look like he missed a beat honestly but more importantly I thought that what was big for cam is

Sometimes cam could be a bit trigger happy and sometimes that worries me even though he’s so good even though he makes so many shots but today I seen uh cam give a pump fake and attacked and when nothing was there uh revers the ball you know what I mean like those simple small

Things shows that cam is thinking the game he’s taking coaching you know what I mean I’ve seen that happen a couple times where uh you know nothing was there it was good defense and he just ball reversal you know what I mean and that is smart basketball and I think

That’s a real Improvement to see from cam you you could that that is to me a very important thing and he still was very effective offensively tonight and so I like to see that I like to see thinking the game understanding that every time you touch it you you know it

Doesn’t have to be this one thing you don’t have to shoot it you can reverse it and and let it let the ball come back to you for a better shot or find one of your teammates so I I I really like cam I think he’s going to be an excellent

Addition uh for this push for the play in which I which we still are in so I think we I think that’ll be great that’ll be great to have him in that second unit go ahead still in it but damn do we need some favors from some of

The other teams in the NBA right M the whole state of Florida dropped the ball on the Rockets last week now you got you know your your I 10 Rivals down in San Antonio they dropped the ball uh the Spurs losing to the Warriors

1174 uh I believe or 117 113 I think it was uh double check that really quick make sure I got that yeah 117 113 unfortunately and man when I tell you like when I first looked at the score at one point like Midway through the third

Quarter I think of that game like I saw San Antonio up like 10 I was like yeah Spurs let’s go you know like por whatever like all the whatever the Spurs motos are like I was over here I was about to you know I’ll go I’ll go throw

On a wimy jersey whatever I need to do for some good luck to get you know a golden state loss cuz a golden state loss could have taken a little bit of the sting out of losing this game against Dallas but now the Rockets are firmly two games back of the Warriors in

The standings they are two games back in the loss column and that’s the most important column right you got to got to be paying attention to those losses now the Warriors have a few a few tough games coming up but the Rockets are rolling into this Gauntlet man they got

To deal with the Timberwolves here on the road they got that very very important home game against the Warriors and then they’ll be back on the road a little bit later on against the Dallas Mavericks again uh next Sunday and so it doesn’t get any easier for this Rockets

Team so if they want to their their medal is about to absolutely be tested if they want to make the play in tournament yeah man I’m proud of these Rockets if they make this play in tournament it it’s going to be well deserved and well earned and I think if

We make it going through this godlet I think we’re going to be a dangerous team to actually uh uh make it through the playin and actually make that SE so I’m I’m really optimistic about these guys this is a good team man we you know coming in tonight I think we were three

Games over 500 you know like that I don’t even know remember the last uh uh Le seed that was that was over 500 that is absolutely ridiculous this is a really good team and I and we’re going to continue to build on that the closest comparison I can think there were there

Were a few year right remember that one year that the Warriors won like almost 50 games and didn’t make the playoffs as like the ninth seed um it was like back in like I think it was back in o that the Warriors won 48 games and didn’t

Make the playoffs as a ninth seed now granted again no NBA playing tournament that’s not the same as having you know an above 500 um 11th seed but the the sheer dominance from the West that year where the Warriors didn’t make the playoffs and I think the I think the

Eighth seed was the Nuggets that year and they had 50 wins as an eighth seed that is the is the closest comparison I can think of where the West is just that good where like again we kind of chocked it up to Madison coming into the season

When we did like our our our season opener predictions all this the the West was going to be a blood bath and we chocked it up to the Spurs and the Blazers were going to be out of it the Grizzlies were kind of questionable with missing John marant and then once he was

Down for the season it was like all right Grizzlies are out and we kind of knew that Utah was probably going to flail at some point and not be a serious like you know threat to make the plan we knew that there were going to be 11

Teams in the west that wanted to make the play in tournament we knew that in fact we actually thought there were going to be 12 with the Grizzlies and you know John Mor’s pending return but then obviously all that happen so I don’t know it’s it’s a blood bath out

West um and the crazy we’re going to be of this team regardless we’ll be extra proud if they make the play in but this Rockets team has achieved so much this year and I don’t want I know this was a a frustrating disappointing loss but I

Don’t want this to take away from how great the Rockets have been in the month of March uh and NBA’s NBA best record 13-2 in the month of March that nobody can take that away from him jaylen’s had a super strong month and yeah man I’m

I’m I’m very proud and excited by this team yeah man me too man uh we just got to continue to chip away it seems uh and our vets got our vets got to step it back up and I think we’ll yeah come on really Dylan man Dylan you’re killing us

Man we you know you gotta come out you gotta come come through for it so we can get in this play in but all in all I mean I’m very proud of this team I think the season is already a success so uh you know but we we want to make this

Playoffs man so hopefully we’ll get in there yeah I need it I need it I need it on that note Madison you know the drill every been over Shack you down out yeah you can find me on Twitter at madman leaks come talk Rockets basketball with

Me that’s going to do it for another edition of locked on Rockets as always thank you so much for checking out the show if you haven’t done so yet please consider subscribing wherever you’re listen to your podcast or on YouTube just search locked on Rockets be sure to

Like comment and subscribe and if you’re listening via Apple podcast a festar review helps us out tremendously but as always thank you so much for watching thank you so much for listening and we look forward to having you back right here at lockon Rockets your daily podcast home for everything Houston Rockets basketball

Houston Rockets Win Streak Ended By Mavericks, Why Defensive Scheme Vs Luka Doncic Was A DISASTER

Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by weekly cohost and NBA Draft enthusiast Madison Moore (@MadManLeaks) to discuss the Houston Rockets 11-game win streak being snapped by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in a 125-107 loss at home. Why the Rockets defensive scheme and lack of adjustments against Luka was a disaster, how the Mavs completely took Jalen Green out of the game with double-teams, offensive struggles for Amen Thompson and Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr. with a strong night offensively, Cam Whitmore’s return to the lineup and more.

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