The Dream Shake - Complete Coverage: Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles LakersThe best footwork on the Internethttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/34031/32x32.png2014-02-19T23:57:35-06:00http://www.thedreamshake.com/rss/stream/51904072014-02-19T23:57:35-06:002014-02-19T23:57:35-06:00Dwight and Co. Storm Staples Center, Crush Lakers
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<figcaption>Stephen Dunn</figcaption>
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<p>The injury-riddled Lakers stood no chance against the dominant interior offensive and defensive play of a largely healthy Rockets squad intent on extending their league leading winning streak. Turnovers, a lack of rebounding, and poor transition defense were the story here. Now, on to the next one...</p> <p></p>
<p>The Swaggy P-less Lakers stood no chance tonight against the Rockets and LA's former starting center as Houston wiped the floor with the undermanned Hollywood squad. The Rockets scored more points than in any other game this season on their way to a dominant victory. The rebounding battle and points in the paint disparity emphasized a predictable mismatch between a team who is now on a franchise record 8 game home losing streak and the hottest team in the NBA with a league leading 8 game overall winning streak.</p>
<h4>Game Walkthrough</h4>
<p>Dwight Howard came out strong against his former team, scoring 7 of the rockets first 13 points in the first quarter in a tight contest early on. Dwight scored the first points of the night and got a couple of nice blocks and a nice dunk off of an offensive board. The Lakers balanced scoring early on kept them in the game without any particular player going too nuts on the offensive end, but Houston was dominating the boards 20-5, even Dmo was getting in on the rebounding party against a dilapidated Laker frontcourt.</p>
<p>Houston was simply outhustling the Lakers in most respects. They were outrunning them, out-rebounding them and generating live-ball turnovers by the bunch to generate fastbreaks.</p>
<p>Chandler Parsons in particular had an impressive streth, getting a coast to coast steal in the passing lane leading to a score right after nailing a three pointer on the previous possession, helping extend the lead and closing out the first quarter on a 9-0 run.</p>
<p>32-22 Rockets.</p>
<p>In the second quarter, Wesley Johnson and Kendall Marshall helped drive the Lakers offense to reduce the lead to a more manageable six before Donatas Motiejunas nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key followed by a tip-in by Asik on the next possession. The Lakers did not do themselves many favors, turning the ball over eleven times before the second quarter was halfway over with, giving Houston's offense additional looks at a rim that they were already aggressively rebounding off of to begin with.</p>
<p>Despite Dwight's early domination on the offensive end, James Harden led the team in scoring by halftime with 15 points along with 6 assists, also a team high at the time. Parsons helped push the pace and put points on the board. Donatas Motiejunas had a great outing in particular in the first half off the bench, scoring 7 points to go with 4 boards, 2 steals, and a block going into halftime.</p>
<p>Despite the Rockets sustaining their double digit lead, the gameplay on both sides was rather sloppy and the crowd was treated to a helter-skelter up and down the court. Both teams collected a total of 21 turnovers in the first half (HOU 8, LAL 13).</p>
<p>Howard closed the half with a double-double, 14 points and 10 rebounds, to go along with 3 blocks and two steals in one of the more physically dominant and imposing first halves he has had this season. He ate everything up near the rim and truly expressed, in real time, the disparity we all knew existed between the Dwight Howard the Lakers lost and the Chris Kaman that they replaced him with. Kaman ended the half with 4 points on 2 of 9 shooting, 2 rebounds, and facial from Dwight Howard on the block, several blocked shots, and a flagrant foul on James Harden on a fastbreak - also, a turnover.</p>
<p>The highlight of the half for the Lakers had to have been the beautiful alley-oop layup from Kendall Marshall to Wesley Johnson (aka the Lakers' entire offense). One thing that I did start to relize as I was watching the game was how truly impressive of a passer Kendall Marshall really is. The D'Antoni offense certainly lends itself towards better point guard play, but Marshall had some authentically skillful looks to his teammates.</p>
<p>The rebounding battle got even more lopsided by halftime, ballooning to 34-13 in favor of the Rockets. Houston led in points in the paint by an even more ridiculous 42-16 margin. Truly was the story of the evening, which made the Laker tears all the sweeter.</p>
<p>Near the end of the half, the Lakers defense was collapsing and the Rockets were nailing their three pointers and pushing the ball when LA simply could not get back fast enough on defense, pushing the score to 64-43 at the break. The Rockets closed the second quarter on a 12-0 run (21-0 runs to close out both first half quarters).</p>
<p>Marshall sparked the Laker offense to begin the second half, responded to promptly by a Beverley 3-pointer. The LA jumpshots kept coming and the defensive rebounds kept adding up for Houston. The turnovers being committed were even worse looking than in the first half. One of them featured Kendall Marshall throwing the ball directly to James Harden (I still uphold my general feeling about his passing ability, tonight was just not any Laker's night tonight).</p>
<p>Howard could very audibly be heard repeating the "Howard sucks" chant after plays when the crowds volume spiked after Dwight touched the ball. He did so right before communicating to James Harden to toss him a lob on the other end that resulted in a dunk that was, at this point, routine.</p>
<p>Halfway through the third quarter the game was essentially over. The lead erupted to nearly thirty and Los Angeles was simply not able to generate any kind of offensive rhythm; and when they were able to, they often turned the ball over and let Houston retake momentum.</p>
<p>Although both teams allowed the other to drill an excessive number of long range bombs as the third quarter progressed, The Rockets coasted to victory that will set the tone for the start of what some refer to as the real start of the NBA season after the all-star break.</p>
<p>By then end of the game, every Houston starter scored in double figures. Dwight finished with with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Harden sneakily finished with a vintage line of 29 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists, 4 steals. He was fluidly establishing our offensive game and did exactly what we pay him to do. Parsons also had a solid, balanced line of 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists, and 2 steals. Lin did not have a particularly productive night, but the blowout created a situation where his best was not required when he was on the court and the score didn't warrant more than 20 minutes of play this tonight.</p>
<h4>Concluding Thoughts</h4>
<p>The All-Star break does not seem to have caused any accumulation of rust on a Houston team that is still on the longest active winning streak in the NBA at 8 games. This upcoming road trip will test Houston's resiliency and provide the potential to push our streak into double digits. We already have one of the best records we have had in recent memory to this point in a season and are starting to really rack up the W's on our way to (hopefully) homecourt advantage in the playoffs.</p>
<p>Next up, Mark Jackson's Warriors - a matchup the benefit greatly from the rest starters earned this evening. I would love to be able to watch a barn burner with a side of smack talk and chippy play like we've seen in recent history between these two teams.</p>
<p>Great win - you wont really find a better reason to green a thread during the regular season.</p>
<p>Enjoy it.</p>
<p>Check out more game coverage on <a href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Silver Screen and Roll</a></p>
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https://www.thedreamshake.com/2014/2/19/5428742/dwight-and-co-storm-staples-center-obliterate-lakers-134-1083ptsTheHardenWay2014-02-19T21:00:11-06:002014-02-19T21:00:11-06:00Game #54: Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
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<figcaption>Andrew Richardson-USA TODAY Spor</figcaption>
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<p>Tonight thousands of bitter bandwagon fans will spend hundreds of dollars piling into a stadium and booing a player who made a business decision that was in his best interest. If it was not already obvious allow me to be more clear: I do not like the Lakers. Go Rockets.</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">2013/14 NBA Preseason</th></tr> <tr> <td width="240"> <center><img class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/91861/Houston_medium.gif" alt="Houston_medium"></center> <center>(36-17)<br> </center> </td> <th align="center" width="20">@</th> <td width="240"><center><center> <p><a href="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/assets/91798/Los_Angeles.gif" target="_blank"><img alt="Los_angeles_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/91798/Los_Angeles_medium.gif"></a> <br id="1392832861006"></p> <p>(18-35)</p> </center></center></td> </tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><strong>February 19th, 2014</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3">Staples Center</td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>9:30 PM CST</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>ESPN, CSN Houston</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 class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span class="sbn-auto-link"><font color="#c8181d"><span>Patrick Beverley</span></font></span></span></span></span></span></td> <th align="center" width="20">PG</th> <td width="240"><span>Kendall Marshall</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>James Harden</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">SG</th> <td width="240"><span>Wesley Johnson</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><font color="#c8181d"><span>Chandler Parsons</span></font></td> <th align="center" width="20">SF</th> <td width="240"><span>Ryan Kelly</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><font color="#c8181d"><span>Terrence Jones</span></font></td> <th align="center" width="20">PF</th> <td width="240"><span>Shawne Williams</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" 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"><font color="#c8181d"><span>Dwight Howard</span></font></span></span></span></span></span></td> <th align="center" width="20">C</th> <td width="240"><span>Chris Kaman</span></td> </tr> <tr><th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><strong>2013/14 Advanced Stats</strong></th></tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">95.6 (8th of 30)</td> <th align="center" width="20">Pace</th> <td width="240">97.3 (2nd of 30)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">109.7 (6th of 30)</td> <th align="center" width="20">ORtg</th> <td width="240">103.1 (22nd of 30)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">105.5 (13th of 30)</td> <th align="center" width="20">DRtg</th> <td width="240"><span>108.4 (24th of 30)</span></td> </tr> <tr><th height="20" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><p>Also see: <a style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;" href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Silver Screen and Roll</a></p></th></tr> </tbody></table>
<p><strong>Injuries:</strong></p>
<p class="p1"><span>Ronnie Brewer</span>: sprained ankle, out tonight</p>
<p>Kobe Bryant: left tibial plateau fracture, out indefinitely and recovering slowly</p>
<p><span><span>Jordan Farmar</span>: strained left hamstring/calf, doubtful for tonight</span></p>
<p><span><span>Pau Gasol</span>: strained right groin, out for two weeks</span></p>
<p><span><span>Xavier Henry</span>: strained right knee, out indefinitely</span></p>
<p><span><span>Jodie Meeks</span>: sprained right ankle, probable tonight</span></p>
<p><span><span>Steve Nash</span>: nerve irritation in lower back/left hamstring, doubtful tonight</span></p>
<p><span><span>Nick Young</span>: non-displaced fracture/bone bruise in left knee, out two weeks</span></p>
<p><strong>Tweets:</strong></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"> <p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/DwightHoward">@DwightHoward</a>'s 35 double-doubles before the All-Star break are the most by a Rockets player since <a href="https://twitter.com/DR34M">@DR34M</a> in 1993-94 (38).</p>— <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Houston Rockets</a> (@HoustonRockets) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/statuses/436185298330853376">February 19, 2014</a> </blockquote>
<p><script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote data-partner="tweetdeck" class="twitter-tweet"> <p>Chandler Parsons' right wrist bruised and heavily wrapped after yesterday's dunk-a-thon. About to do some shooting.</p>— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/statuses/436318387627520001">February 20, 2014</a> </blockquote>
<p><script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></p>
<blockquote data-partner="tweetdeck" class="twitter-tweet"> <p>Y! Sources: The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a> trade guard <span>Steve Blake</span> to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Golden State Warriors</a>. <a href="http://t.co/ddMbY2ZV5W">http://t.co/ddMbY2ZV5W</a></p>— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/436332390064349185">February 20, 2014</a> </blockquote>
<p><script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></p>
<p><strong>The conversation starts now.</strong></p>
https://www.thedreamshake.com/2014/2/19/5426304/game-54-houston-rockets-vs-los-angeles-lakersthomasfenoglio2014-02-19T07:00:05-06:002014-02-19T07:00:05-06:00Rockets-Lakers game preview
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<figcaption>Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Dwight Howard returns to Los Angeles to face the Lakers for the first time since spurning them to come to Houston. </p> <p>I hated high school.</p>
<p>Sure, there were great moments. I had some fantastic teachers that helped shape who I am today. I've already spoken about one of them. But there were others too. And I have plenty of fond memories.</p>
<p>In general though, high school was not fun for me. Part of it was on me. I was awkward, weird, geeky, and not funny even though I tried so desperately to be. I wanted to be cool, but the "cool" kids at my school didn't seem cool to me. I hung out with other misfits, but we weren't really friends.</p>
<p>Some of it was the culture. By all accounts, my high school was a rich white school. Everyone lived close to school in veritable mansions. It was a culture shock to me, and it was hard not to be bitter every morning when I would get dropped off at school while others would be pulling into the parking lot in their new cars.</p>
<p>There were other non-monetary reasons I disliked it too. But that's not the point.</p>
<p>The point is this: my school has a distinguished alumnus award that it gives out every year. And one day, I'm going to win the damn thing. I'm going to strut in like I own the place and in my speech I'll relay the grievances I have.</p>
<p>I'll never know what Dwight Howard went through in his year in Los Angeles. It's nothing like high school. The newspaper didn't write about me every day. I wasn't bashed day-in and day-out by Skip Bayless and the other talking heads of the media and the Four Letter Network (though Skip railing on me as a teenager is hilarious to think about). There wasn't some legendary student that didn't think I was serious enough.</p>
<p>Frankly, I don't know if anyone has undergone the scrutiny that Dwight Howard experienced. At least after he made The Decision, LeBron still had support from the city of Miami and his teammates. Dwight didn't even have that. And the rest of around the country thought, "Dwight Howard wanted to play in LA, and now he's getting his just desserts."</p>
<p>Well tonight, Dwight Howard gets to do something that I can only dream of. He returns to the team that didn't believe in him, to the city that wanted no part of him until he threatened to leave, and to the arena where he spent hours asking for the ball and being ignored by a certain individual.</p>
<p>Tonight, Dwight Howard can achieve vindication.</p>
<p><b>Tip off is at 9:30pm CST on ESPN. </b></p>
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<p>Matchups:</p>
<p><b>Point Guard: <span>Patrick Beverley</span> vs. Kendall Marshall</b></p>
<p>Marshall Madness! Fake Eminem is averaging 10/10/3 on 45% shooting overall and 47% shooting from three. He's been a revelation for a Lakers squad that has been having a disappointing season.</p>
<p>Advantage: <b>Even if Bev plays, Lakers if he doesn't</b></p>
<p><b>Shooting Guard: <span>James Harden</span> vs. Steve Blake</b></p>
<p>I've been burned too many times before by the man that looks like Drama from "Rob and Big."</p>
<p>Steve Blake will have a triple-double, and he will not miss a shot in the fourth quarter. These are facts.</p>
<p>Advantage: <b>Lakers</b></p>
<p><b>Small Forward: <span>Chandler Parsons</span> vs. <span>Wesley Johnson</span></b></p>
<p>When I meet Thunder fans here in the Panhandle, I ask if they think they're spoiled. They usually say yes. Thunder fans have had it pretty good and are still in the honeymoon phase of having a team.</p>
<p>When I meet reasonable Lakers fans that really like the team and aren't just Kobe worshipers, I ask if they think the stereotypes are true. Do they believe that they get all the foul calls? Do they think the media favors them?</p>
<p>On the first count, they usually say no. They think that the stereotype works against them and that the referees don't call as many fouls on them because they know people will think they're biased.</p>
<p>On the latter count, they know that ESPN has about 80 ESPN LA employees that basically talk up LA, but they think that other than that the rest of the national analysts don't favor them in any way.</p>
<p>I'm not sure how this ended up in the Parsons vs. Johnson section, but whatever.</p>
<p>Advantage:<b> Rockets</b></p>
<p><b>Power Forward: <span>Terrence Jones</span> vs. <span>Shawne Williams</span></b></p>
<p>We talked about it on <a href="http://www.thedreamshake.com/2014/2/13/5410488/red-nation-radio-7-all-star" target="_blank">the podcast</a>, but I'll state it again.</p>
<p>I think Terrence Jones needed the All-Star break in the worst way. In a sense, every player needs this break to recharge. However, I think Jones needed it more than anyone else on the team. His production tapered off towards the end of the streak, and his effort has been lacking on defense. He's burnt out, plain and simple. I hope he used the break to rest and comes back a stronger player. Remember, he's basically a rookie in terms of playing time.</p>
<p>Advantage:<b> Rockets</b></p>
<p><b>Center: <span>Dwight Howard</span> vs. <span>Chris Kaman</span></b></p>
<p>I root for all the Rockets. That's part of rooting for a team. I've never actively rooted against any Houston player, and that includes Rafer Alston and Steve Francis, two players I despised.</p>
<p>But I can't remember wanting to root harder for a player than I will tonight for Dwight Howard. And I hope he smiles the whole time.</p>
<p>Advantage: <b>Rockets</b></p>
<p><b>Bench</b></p>
<p>Rockets: <span>Jeremy Lin</span>, <span>Omri Casspi</span>, <span>Omer Asik</span>, Donatas Motiejunas</p>
<p><span></span>Lakers: <span>Ryan Kelly</span>, <span>Jordan Hill</span>, <span>Robert Sacre</span>, maybe others</p>
<p>Advantage: <b>Rockets</b></p>
<p>Prediction: Rockets win 108-101.</p>
<p><span>Rockets vs Lakers coverage</span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Silver Screen and Roll</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.thedreamshake.com/2014/2/12/5405080/g53-rockets-vs-wizards-prediction-game">Sohum's Prediction Game</a></p>
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https://www.thedreamshake.com/2014/2/19/5424864/houston-rockets-vs-los-angeles-lakers-game-previewArmin Khansari