How The Houston Rockets Proved Me Wrong
By Zack Walker
For the second time in 18 years, the Houston Rockets have advanced to round two of the playoffs.
Let me clear a few things up before I dive into this. First off, I am not a Rockets fan. I grew up in San Antonio, so I am indeed a Spurs fan. (Editors note: Had I known this we would have never allowed him to write for us <smiley face emoji>)
Don’t get your panties all tied in a wad.
I write for this site because I live for the Texans and have been an Astros fan ever since my father took me to Minute Maid for my first baseball game when I was seven. I’m a nice blend of H-Town and Essay. We don’t call it Essay, I just wanted to make it sound somewhat cooler.
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I tend to not write about the Rockets, but I felt like this needed to be said. So on behalf of myself and almost half of the sports media world, I apologize Rockets fans. Your team has proven me wrong.
I figured the Rockets would continue the trend that they have (for the most part) fallen into over the past two decades. I thought Dirk Nowitzki would have one last monster series, lead his team to the next round, and the Rockets would underachieve once again. That was not the case.
The Rockets handled their business for the entire series. Yes, the Mavs managed to snag one. But for the most part, they got rocked. Dwight Howard and Josh Smith’s alley-oops were just degrading, the bench came through, and James Harden played great.
The key to the Rockets’ success, of course, was Howard’s reemergence as Dwight Howard. He ended up averaging 16.6 points, 13.8 rebounds, 3 blocks, and with the exception of Game 1, played a high volume of minutes throughout the series. I think it’s safe to say that knee is much better.
I did not see Howard’s dominance coming. I thought he would play well, but not at the level he once was at. He has returned to that level. With (potential) match-ups of guys like Tim Duncan, Andrew Bogut, and Marc Gasol possibly on the horizon, Howard is the key for Houston’s survival. They don’t need him to put up big numbers; they’ve got Harden for that. They need his interior defense and rebounding abilities.
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I won’t doubt the Rockets again. They will give whatever team they face a huge challenge. If they end up playing the Clippers, I’d take the Rockets in 7. If they faced the Spurs? I’d take…
You know what, I won’t answer that.
If the Spurs are knocked out, whether by the Clippers or the Rockets, I will be rooting for Red Nation. This city deserves a championship. Most Rockets fans are Texans and Astros fans, so I know the pain they go through when it comes to sports.
Get excited, Houston. Your basketball team is finally a worthy contender.
Stick with us here at House of Houston for all your Rockets playoff coverage.
Next: Rockets v. Mavs: Puttin 'Em Down