NBA Round-UP: The Sneaky Rockets and Miami’s Win Streak Misleading?
Today on NBA Round-Up we feature two teams on hot streaks.
1. The Sneaky Rockets
The Houston Rockets went into the AT&T Center with a sneaky four-game winning streak in danger of being smashed by a well-oiled San Antonio Spurs team. To the normal fan, and maybe to most analysts, the Rockets were underdogs. But instead of acting that way, Harden and the Rockets were determined to validate their live winning streak. They acted like bullies, pushing the Spurs around and sometimes toying with them in parts of the game. And despite almost letting a 21-point lead slip away, the fact that they were still able to hold on to cop the W was a testament that they were indeed in a good place, on a good roll.
They were led by the tandem of Harden and Parsons who combined for 56 points. Those two have been the most consistent for the team so far along with Jeremy Lin (currently sidelined by a knee injury). Howard had his regular double-double and although he has been less productive this year compared to his stint with the Lakers, the better fit is undeniable. Terrence Jones continued to show how he just might be the choice for Coach Kevin McHale at the four spot as he dropped 10 points and 16 boards. And Houston’s bench, even though not as productive compared to their past few games, came thru when needed most.
Everything seems to be fitting in pretty well for the Rockets these days and if they continue to build on their streak by beating legit contenders, who knows what might even happen to this team in the miraculous event that Dwight improves his touch from the line.
2. Miami’s Win Streak Misleading?
The Heat have won all of their nine games since Celtics coach Brad Stevens drew up what may be the best OTP (out-of-timeout-play) this season. Yes, 9 games is a pretty good streak, but here’s the list of the teams they have beaten in their current streak: Bucks, Mavs (before Dallas started winning), Hawks, Bobcats, Raptors, Magic, Suns, and Cavs.
Make no mistake, it’s a challenge for a back-to-back champion to wake up in the morning and find motivation to play those teams mentioned. Heck, I think LeBron might be near to feeling what The GOAT felt when he said he has lost the competitive edge and the motivation to play the game back in ’93 when he retired for the first time. Yes, the Heat are great these days, but there should be no question that their easy sched has helped them.
This streak isn’t misleading, but let’s talk when and if they beat the Pacers on December 10.
Photo by Joe Murphy of Getty Images
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