The Dream Shake - Complete Coverage: Houston Rockets vs. Atlanta HawksThe best footwork on the Internethttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/34031/32x32.png2012-12-31T20:57:18-06:00http://www.thedreamshake.com/rss/stream/35873772012-12-31T20:57:18-06:002012-12-31T20:57:18-06:00Rockets Spank Hawks 123 to 104
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<figcaption>Scott Halleran</figcaption>
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<p>The Houston Rockets ended 2012 in style tonight with a solid team win over the Atlanta Hawks. </p> <p>James Harden lead all scorers with 28 points (7-17, 5 assists) but it was Carlos Delfino whose performance in tonight's New Year's Eve match up with the <a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Hawks</a> was the most valuable. When Daryl Morey first signed Carlos Delfino this summer, there was a lot of doubt regarding his role and value to a young run and gun team. Tonight, Carlos set his season high in points and assists with 22 points (6-8 from downtown) and 8 assists. Delfino has been a rock this season coming off the bench and against the Hawks he was a even more fluid as a veteran presence to anchor the second unit. We really could have used this guy against the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Thunder</a>. The <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rockets</a> tied a season high in three pointers made (16) and only turned the ball over nine times. The Hawks were in contention deep into the third quarter but a late game scoring punch ended what had become an uncomfortably close game.</p>
<p>Omer Asik had 12 rebounds in his first 15 minutes of play time and finished with 17 (all defensive) rebounds and 11 points. Asik had his 14th double double of the young season and had a decent game offensively aside from that awkward spinning hook shot he continues to embarrass himself with. In garbage time tonight Asik displayed more of an effective post game. Let's hope he figures out what works and what doesn't soon.</p>
<p>Marcus Morris is still starting and had 15 points in 26 minutes. Patrick Patterson, who played mediocre off the bench, just might be losing his starting role to the second year forward out of Kansas. Morris is already a much better offensive player; I love Morris' shimmy midrange jump shot. Morris has also started to bring the ball up the court when an outlet pass isn't immediately available, <span>Royce White</span> style (too soon?). Patterson is a more educated defender and is a better shot blocker. I think McHale is going to favor rebounding at his starting power forward spot long term, both forwards can shoot the ball effectively enough from range to space the floor. Morris' per 36 numbers are superior as a rebounder but his sample size is much smaller and I'm not yet convinced he's any better of a rebounder than PatPat is at this point. For what it's worth, Patrick Patterson's shoes were significantly better than Morris'.</p>
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<p><b>First Quarter:</b></p>
<p>The Rockets shot the ball well to start the game (55.6%) but failed to slow the Hawks in any capacity. DeShawn Stevenson stepped up to guard Harden, beard on beard, and sank two three's that put the Hawks up by 1 at the buzzer. Al Hortford was on a scoring tear and did not miss a shot from the field. Omer Asik needs to adjust his game to properly defend jump shooting big men or Kevin McHale needs to switch up the match ups in situations where he has Asik on a shooter and Marcus Morris on a bruiser. I find it astounding that <span>Larry Drew</span> even thought about deviating from Hortford as the focus of the offense, but then again I'm not an NBA head coach.</p>
<p><b>Second Quarter:</b></p>
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<p>In the second quarter the Rockets coupled a balanced offense with some defensive intensity; the result was a twenty-point lead. Jeremy Lin had a impeccable quarter. After some trouble from behind the arc (Lin is only 27.1% from deep this season), Lin started penetrating and converting through contact. During one sequence Lin stuffed Josh Smith, maintained possession of the ball and then lead the fast break. The Rockets have found an interesting B-squad with Lin, Douglas, and Delfino who lead a 16-0 run early in the second. The dual point guard line up has been a super efficient scoring machine this season and reminds me just a tad of <span>Rick Adelman's</span> infatuation with the <span>Aaron Brooks</span>/Kyle Lowry backcourt. James Harden ended the half with two free throws and a three pointer (and he nearly had another).</p>
<p><b>Third Quarter:</b></p>
<p>The Hawks came out of the locker room determined to make this game competitive. Louis Williams (21 points) and Josh Smith (17 points) carried the offensive load for Atlanta while Houston failed to score or get stops. Chandler Parsons was quickly benched in favor of Carlos Delfino after he failed to hit any of his shots in the second half. The Rockets maintained a lead of around eight points through the beginning of the quarter. Jeremy Lin managed to throw a perfect full court pass to James Harden. The Rockets blew the lead back to a comfortable 15 point spread with help from the bench. Carlos Delfino, Patrick Patterson, and Tony Douglas in particular all had a positive impact while the starters rested (31-13 bench points).</p>
<p><b>Fourth Quarter:</b></p>
<p>Defense was a problem for Houston to start the fourth. Jeff Teague, who had previously been a non-factor, was carving his way to the hoop. Hawks rookie John Jenkins had 15 points and was a big part of the 9-2 run that (punctuated by a Zaza Pachulia hook shot) forced Kevin McHale to call a time out. There were three specific plays that ended Atlanta's momentum and won this game, each better than the previous one:</p>
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<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">James Harden stole the ball, set up the offense, broke down DeShawn Stevenson on the drive for a three point play (the old fashioned way)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Marcus Morris hit the last of his three three-pointers in the clutch</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Harden stole the ball again, fed to Morris in transition who threw the ball up to Omer Asik for an alley-oop slam</span></li>
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<p><span style="line-height: 9px;">Tonight's win was exciting, encouraging, and a team effort. James Harden has had 13 straight games for 20 points or more and nine in a row with 25 or more. Let's all raise our glasses tonight and hope that this young squad continues to grow in the coming year. The Rockets haven't been this fun to watch in several years and things can only get better going forward.</span></p>
<p>For more coverage, check out <a target="_blank" href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Peachtree Hoops.</a></p>
https://www.thedreamshake.com/2012/12/31/3823414/houston-rockets-spank-atlanta-hawks-zaza-to-zazathomasfenoglio2012-12-31T17:52:05-06:002012-12-31T17:52:05-06:00New Year's Eve: Atlanta vs. Houston
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<figcaption>Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The Hawks are on a four game winning streak and will try to even the series tonight in Houston.</p> <table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" cellspacing="5" border="1" align="center" height="666" cellpadding="5" width="577"><tbody> <tr><th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">2012/2013 NBA Season</th></tr> <tr> <td width="240"> <center> <a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1939935/atlanta_hawks.gif" target="_blank"><img class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1939935/atlanta_hawks_medium.gif" alt="Atlanta_hawks_medium"></a> <br id="1356997489640"> </center> <center>(19-9)</center> </td> <th align="center" width="20">@</th> <td width="240"><center> <center><img class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/91861/Houston_medium.gif" alt="Houston_medium"></center> <p>(16-14)</p> </center></td> </tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><strong>December 31st, 2012</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>Toyota Center - Houston, TX</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>6:30 PM CST</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>CSNH</strong></td></tr> <tr><th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><strong>Starting Lineups</strong></th></tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span style="text-align: start;"><span>Jeff Teague</span></span></span></td> <th align="center" width="20">PG</th> <td width="240"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Jeremy Lin</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" style="text-align: right;" width="240"><span style="line-height: 9px;">Louis Williams</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">SG</th> <td width="240"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>James Harden</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span style="text-align: start;"><span>Kyle Korver</span></span></span></td> <th align="center" width="20">SF</th> <td width="240"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Chandler Parsons</span></span></span></span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Josh Smith</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">PF</th> <td width="240"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Marcus Morris</span></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span style="text-align: start;">Al Hortford</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">C</th> <td width="240"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Omer Asik</span></span></span></span></span></span></td> </tr> <tr><th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><strong>2012/13 Advanced Stats</strong></th></tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span style="text-align: start;">91.6 (17th of 30)</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">Pace</th> <td width="240">97.0 (1st of 30)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">105.2 (12th of 30)</td> <th align="center" width="20">ORtg</th> <td width="240">107.4 (8th of 30)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">102.2 (8th of 30)</td> <th align="center" width="20">DRtg</th> <td width="240">106.0 (18th of 30) <strong>(-2)</strong> </td> </tr> <tr><th height="20" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">Also see: <a href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/" target="_blank">Peachtree Hoops</a> (<a href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2012/12/31/3819470/hawks-vs-rockets-time-tv-radio-info/in/3585059" target="_blank">Preview</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/peachtreehoops" target="_blank">Twitter</a>) | <a href="http://www.thedreamshake.com/2012/12/31/3823336/complete-coverage-houston-rockets-vs-atlanta-hawks">StoryStream</a> </th></tr> </tbody></table>
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<p><strong>Injuries:</strong></p>
<p><span>Carlos Delfino</span>: illness, questionable for tonight</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 9px;"><span>Devin Harris</span>: sore left foot, out indefinitely</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 9px;"><span>Anthony Morrow</span>: strained right hip, out tonight</span></p>
<p><strong>The discussion begins now.</strong></p>
https://www.thedreamshake.com/2012/12/31/3823236/new-years-eve-in-houston-hawks-vs-rocketsthomasfenoglio2012-12-31T07:02:12-06:002012-12-31T07:02:12-06:00Rockets-Hawks game preview
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<figcaption>Scott Halleran</figcaption>
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<p>The Rockets end the year with the surging Hawks as Houston looks to rebound from a two-game losing skid. </p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a> beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Hawks</a> earlier this year behind 45 points from James Harden. Can they end the year on a high note and stop their recent slide?</p>
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<p><span>Hawks vs Rockets coverage</span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Peachtree Hoops</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.tiqiq.com/nba/houston-rockets-tickets?pubid=82148" target="_blank">Houston Rockets Tickets</a></p>
<p>Remember that it's an early tip tonight in Houston. Also, happy new year to everyone who uses the Gregorian calendar. </p>
<p><b>Tip off is at 6pm CST.</b></p>
<p>Matchups:</p>
<p><b>Point Guard: <span>Jeremy Lin</span> vs. <span>Jeff Teague</span></b></p>
<p>These two players are pretty similar. Teague is averaging 14/7/2, which is pretty good no matter how you slice it.</p>
<p>Lin's three-point shooting has been terrible so far, but the Rockets need him to be better if they want to get back to their winning ways.</p>
<p>Advantage:<b> Even</b></p>
<p><b>Shooting Guard: <span>James Harden</span> vs. <span>Lou Williams</span></b></p>
<p>This matchup needs to be one-sided, but it won't be. Williams is averaging 16 points per game this season and scored 22 against the Rockets earlier this year. </p>
<p>Harden has to keep attacking the basket, even when he isn't getting the calls. He's a good shooter, but he becomes an elite talent when he's in attack mode.</p>
<p>Advantage: <b>Rockets</b></p>
<p><b>Small Forward: <span>Chandler Parsons</span> vs. <span>Kyle Korver</span></b></p>
<p>You've got to account for Korver at all times on the court. Just his presence means you have to stay on him if he's one pass away. Parsons is going to be chasing him around a lot tonight. </p>
<p>At the same time, the Rockets have to attack Korver when he's in a defensive mismatch. This should be often.</p>
<p>Advantage:<b> Rockets</b></p>
<p><b>Power Forward: <span>Marcus Morris</span> vs. <span>Josh Smith</span></b></p>
<p>So Smith missed the last Hawks game and is listen as day-to-day. If he doesn't play, Pachulia will play and he and Horford will form a big front line. </p>
<p>I also don't know if Morris will start again or whether Patterson will take his starting spot back. </p>
<p>Clearly, I'm going to say there's a lot of questions here and cop out and call it even.</p>
<p>Advantage: <b>Even</b></p>
<p><b>Center: <span>Omer Asik</span> vs. <span>Al Horford</span></b></p>
<p>Horford is more power forward than center, and he has a jump shot to prove it. Asik is bigger and can beat him on the glass, but when Pachilia is in and the Hawks go twin towers it could be a nightmare for the Rockets. </p>
<p>A disturbing trend for the Rockets is forming, and I'm worried. Too many times players are pick-and-rolling with Asik then throwing passes behind him or at his feet. Omer's hands are not the greatest off a pick-and-roll, but the Rockets are putting him in positively horrid positions, and it's not his fault. </p>
<p>Advantage: <b>Even</b></p>
<p><b>Bench</b></p>
<p>Rockets: <span>Toney Douglas</span>, <span>Carlos Delfino</span>, <span>Greg Smith</span>, <span>Patrick Patterson</span></p>
<p>Hawks: <span>Mike Scott</span>, <span>Anthony Tolliver</span>, <span>Zaza Pachulia</span>, <span>John Jenkins</span>, <span>Anthony Morrow</span></p>
<p>Advantage: <b>Rockets</b></p>
<p>Prediction: Rockets give AK the birthday present he really wants, win 115-98. </p>
https://www.thedreamshake.com/2012/12/31/3819350/houston-rockets-vs-atlanta-hawks-game-previewArmin Khansari