SOLOMON: RIDING ROCKETS-COASTER.
The hot-and-cold tendencies are frustrating, but this team is capable of making a big run
Rockets’ bounce-backs are often credited to hot shooting.
When you’re hot, you’re hot. When you’re not …
Ignoring Mike D’Antoni’s role is unfair. Especially when he is such an inviting target when the shooting goes cold.
Saturday night, the Rockets took a big early lead, held onto a measly three-point lead at halftime, then ran away with a huge victory.
Rollercoaster? Nah. Rocketscoaster.
This is who they are and exciting it is. If your emotions can withstand the wild ride that is.
The Rockets go hot and cold, which can be frustrating for their fans.
Their quick temperature fluctuations are like microwaved ice cream. You might think they’re melting away with a second-quarter drought, but upon closer inspection they’re still solid.
And taste good too.
That was the case Saturday night in a 114-80 win over the Thunder to take a 3-2 lead in a first-round playoff series.
Houston exploded with a 19-2 and 31-6 run to turn a tie game early in the third quarter into a romp. And this was without Russell Westbrook playing up to par.
After missing the first four games of the series with a quad injury, Westbrook was back Saturday. Not surprisingly, the former Thunder star and MVP was good, but not spectacular (seven points in 24 minutes).
As super as Westbrook appears to be at times, he isn’t the Black Panther (R.I.P. Chadwick), he is human.
The Rockets are good enough that they can dominate a team like Oklahoma City when Westbrook doesn’t star. But when he is on the floor, they play so much faster and with so much more bad intentions. Arguably more intensity.
They are such a sometimey team despite being such a talented group.
Their capability of turning it on almost at-will, makes them different from the average NBA team that goes on runs and gives up runs.
See, the Rockets don’t go on runs as much as they totally dominate. They don’t get hot, they take over.
That so why the frustration level is so high for their fans. They don’t have to play above their heads to beat most teams. Their average is pretty doggone good.
Their below-average often looks like they’re dogging it.
Saturday, they locked down on the Thunder for a stretch to take over the game. Their defense was better than their offense.
Both ends of that spectrum is on the coach.
D’Antoni is responsible for whatever happens with this squad. He has been here long enough to have put his stamp on this franchise.
It is an impressive stamp thus far. Only Rudy Tomjanovich stepped in and did better in his first few years with the team.
D’Antoni has won 68 percent of his games in four seasons. Tomjanovich won just 63.4 percent in his first four full seasons (62.6 percent including his first half season).
But Rudy T led the Rockets to a championship in his second year, then planted the beautiful and unforgettable phrase “Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion” into the city’s sports memory bank the next season.
No coach is a championship coach until he leads a team to championship. D’Antoni hasn’t give Houston a title or words to live by. Yet.
His Rockets are something. They are one win from advancing in the playoffs with a chance of doing something great.
Don’t bet on em. But don’t bet against them.
Hot and cold.
And this is where D’Antoni’s coaching can be viewed as a conundrum.
There is far more to love than despise, but is that enough to get it done? Against the Thunder, no doubt.
OKC claimed two close games. The Rockets have won three with relative ease.
When they’re hot, no team can hang. Certainly not the Thunder.
How hot will it be over the next few weeks?
For the Rockets, as long as it isn’t cold, they can win.