The Dream Shake - The Rockets take on the Hawks without the BeardThe best footwork on the Internethttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/34031/32x32.png2015-03-03T21:31:40-06:00http://www.thedreamshake.com/rss/stream/79087482015-03-03T21:31:40-06:002015-03-03T21:31:40-06:00Without the Beard, Rockets crumble against Hawks
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<figcaption>Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>We really could have used the Beard in this one</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a> were up 17 points in the fourth quarter on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a>, who have the NBA's best record. The Hawks won, 104-96. It's as bad as it sounded.</p>
<p>The Rockets were without <span>James Harden</span> because of a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thedreamshake.com/2015/3/2/8136327/james-harden-suspended-for-kicking-lebron-james-groin">questionable suspension decision</a> and they needed him. When the Hawks turned up their defense, the Rockets' offense with <span>Patrick Beverley</span>, James Harden, <span>Josh Smith</span>/<span>Terrence Jones</span> and <span>Donatas Motiejunas</span> completely disappeared. It's hard not to feel cheated out of a signature win.</p>
<p>Before the Hawks went on a 32-12 run to end the game, the Rockets used their typical long-limbed defense to force 15 turnovers and get out on the break. Every player who saw the floor contributed. Donuts put up a 14-8-7 with three steals. JET dropped a season-high 21 points. Jones was huge again, with 18 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. Even Patrick Beverley dished out 7 assists and grabbed 5 rebounds, but got roasted by <span>Jeff Teague</span>.</p>
<p>I had a few hundred words written before the Hawks made a run about what a complete team effort this was to rally without Harden, but deleted it all. It was a team effort, but good lord does this team need the Beard to close out games. There's a reason he gets the ball every single possession down the stretch for this team, because without him there is no creator.</p>
<p>A few other takeaways from tonight's game:</p>
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<li><span>Is it weird to say Terrence Jones is better than ever? I know, I know, it's a small sample size, but he looks like a man among boys on certain plays. His offensive rebounding is terrifying. He has two or three boards per game that you just wonder how he came up with. His post-up game still could use some work, as could his jump shot, but the progress is real.</span></li>
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<p><iframe height="600" width="600" src="https://vine.co/v/O0XVgV0gXw9/embed/simple"></iframe></p>
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<li>I love Donuts' game, but he really lacks strength. Especially when Jones comes in the game and flies to grab rebounds like the ball is a grapefruit. It's rare that Motiejunas gets a board in traffic that isn't, at the very least, poked away if not stolen altogether. He got eight rebounds in this game, so it's hard to complain too much, but he was thoroughly outmuscled by the Hawks' front line. It was a problem down the stretch. He did look like not a starting NBA playoff center tonight, folks. </li>
<li>Where in the hell is <span>K.J. McDaniels</span>? With no Harden, the bench grew by exactly zero players tonight. Ariza played 37 minutes, Beverley played 33, Brewer played 30, Terry played 28 and <span>Pablo Prigioni</span> played 13. I wonder if McHale has discussed stashing McDaniels on the bench to diminish his value, because tonight I don't understand why he didn't at least get run in the third quarter with the Rockets up double-digits.</li>
<li>I'm tired of harping on Ariza's three-point shooting, but he went 1-7 tonight. That's all I'll say.</li>
<li>Did I mention I'm mad about the Beard suspension? Because I'm still mad. The Rockets should have won this one, and the league took it away.</li>
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<div><span>Harden will be back in action tomorrow night against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Grizzlies</a>. As far as I'm concerned, we're still on a five-game winning streak.</span></div>
https://www.thedreamshake.com/2015/3/3/8145885/rockets-hawks-final-score-chaos-prevailsEthan Rothstein2015-03-03T20:19:29-06:002015-03-03T20:19:29-06:00Josh Smith shushes the Hawks crowd<iframe src="https://vine.co/v/O0HAZVtuhh0/embed/simple" width="600" height="600"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>Josh Smith hushes his former home crowd after burying a 3.</p></p></div>
https://www.thedreamshake.com/2015/3/3/8145889/josh-smith-shushes-the-hawks-crowdBobby Steele2015-03-03T19:59:45-06:002015-03-03T19:59:45-06:00Terrence Jones does 720 to get open<iframe src="https://vine.co/v/O0XVgV0gXw9/embed/simple" width="600" height="600"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>Jones spins twice to get the open layup</p></p></div>
https://www.thedreamshake.com/2015/3/3/8145789/terrence-jones-does-720-to-get-openBobby Steele2015-03-03T17:30:03-06:002015-03-03T17:30:03-06:00Game thread: K.J. McDaniels time?
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<img alt=""Tapping you in, bruh"" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9t0D6U5RJxm2kJoQBxY2HjREprQ=/0x158:3360x2398/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45810878/usa-today-8353869.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>"Tapping you in, bruh" | Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>i'm not saying the Rockets will lose tonight, but it would be a surprise if they didn't.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> are an excellent team. So are the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Houston Rockets</a>. But only one of those two excellent teams will be missing their heart and soul because of a, frankly, <a href="http://www.thedreamshake.com/2015/3/2/8136327/james-harden-suspended-for-kicking-lebron-james-groin" target="_blank">questionable league decision</a>.<br><br>Weirdly enough, I'm more fascinated by tonight's game because Harden won't be playing. <span>Corey Brewer</span> is almost certainly getting the start, which makes sense. The starters will be him, <span>Patrick Beverley</span>, <span>Trevor Ariza</span>, <span>Terrence Jones</span> and <span>Donatas Motiejunas</span>.</p>
<p>The bench will be <span>Josh Smith</span>, <span>Jason Terry</span>, <span>Pablo Prigioni</span> and... WILL IT BE K.J. MCDANIELS TIME?!?! Or will Big Papa get his first extended minutes since the All-Star break?</p>
<p>The Hawks are a team of precision, passing and consistency. The Rockets, especially the lineups without Harden in them, thrive on creating absurd amounts of two-way chaos, play their freaking butts off, consequences be damned. They will make things interesting.</p>
<p>The Hawks will probably win. If they do, James Harden's MVP case will only be strengthened. If the Rockets win, it will probably be the most batshit insane fun win of the season, because there's no other way a Brewer-Smoove-T-Jones-Beverley-led team can win. Are you excited yet?</p>
<p>The game was selected as the "Fan Night" contest, so you can find it on NBA TV if you're not in the Houston area.</p>
https://www.thedreamshake.com/2015/3/3/8144927/rockets-vs-hawks-game-thread-is-it-k-j-mcdaniels-timeEthan Rothstein2015-03-03T15:39:48-06:002015-03-03T15:39:48-06:00Rockets-Hawks Q&A w/ Peachtree Hoops
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<figcaption>Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Ahead of Rockets-Hawks tonight The Dream Shake joined Peachtree Hoops for a Q&A about the future and present of each franchise.</p> <p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/users/Daniel%20Christian">Daniel Christian</a> from <a href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Peachtree Hoops</a> joined a chat about tonight's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Houston Rockets</a>-<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> match up. Without James Harden playing in tonight's contest the conversation quickly spiraled into a discussion of the playoffs, Harden's MVP status and if <span>DeMarre Carroll</span> could play on any other team.</p>
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https://www.thedreamshake.com/2015/3/3/8144563/houston-rockets-atlanta-hawks-big-questions-Peachtree-HoopsMax Croes2015-03-03T00:00:02-06:002015-03-03T00:00:02-06:00Houston Rockets vs. Atlanta Hawks game preview
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<img alt="Look to the left. Look to the right. Neither one of these players will play in the game tonight. " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9md3dRfhhB8mrF2fGEVnzV7MYpg=/11x0:4751x3160/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45804286/usa-today-8277665.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Look to the left. Look to the right. Neither one of these players will play in the game tonight. | Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>I was gonna write this preview but then I suspended it. </p> <p>This game was <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/02/sports/basketball/nba-game-of-the-week-rockets-at-hawks.html?_r=1">highly anticipated</a>.</p>
<p>Best team in the East. Hottest team in the West.</p>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Hawks</a> use a team-based strategy to score points. They're second in the league in assists and points allowed per game.</p>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a> use a beard-based strategy to do everything on offense. He leads the league in assists from a shooting guard.</p>
<p>It was shaping up to be one heck of a game. Two different philosophies going head-to-head. A tantalizing rematch of the previous meeting in which referees took over late and allowed the Hawks to win. Hey Tony Brothers, you're not invited to my birthday party.</p>
<p>Anyway, the game was going to be awesome. Then someone jinxed it.</p>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p>If the NBA was going to suspend <span>James Harden</span>, they would have done it already. He'll get fined, but that's probably it.</p>
— The Dream Shake (@DreamShakeSBN) <a href="https://twitter.com/DreamShakeSBN/status/572539201964515329">March 2, 2015</a>
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<p>Less than 3 minutes later, James Harden was suspended for a game and this game lost its luster, and it's hard to see Houston having much of a chance to win in the ATL.</p>
<p>Tonight, I think it's very likely that we'll see plenty of the bench. Not because McHale will pull a Pop and rest the starters, but because I can't see this game going any direction other than a blowout in favor of the Atlanta Hawks.</p>
<p><b>Prediction: </b><a href="http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120819083412/naruto/images/e/e3/Deva_Path.png" target="_blank">Pain</a></p>
<p><span>Rockets vs Hawks coverage</span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Peachtree Hoops</a></p>
https://www.thedreamshake.com/2015/3/3/8138263/houston-rockets-vs-atlanta-hawks-game-previewArmin Khansari2015-03-02T18:29:21-06:002015-03-02T18:29:21-06:00Harden suspended, will miss Hawks game Tuesday
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<figcaption>Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Rockets will be without All-Star guard James Harden tomorrow against the Hawks after a one game suspension was handed down from the NBA. Harden kicked LeBron James during Sunday's win against the Cavaliers. </p> <p><a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rockets</a> All-Star guard <span>James Harden</span> has been suspended by the NBA, the league announced today.</p>
<p>The league upgraded Harden's flagrant 1 call to a flagrant 2, thus the Rockets' leading scorer will miss Tuesday's game against the Eastern Conference leading <a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Atlanta Hawks</a>.</p>
<p>The Rockets' game Sunday against the <a href="https://www.fearthesword.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cavaliers</a> was played at playoff-level physicality. <span>LeBron James</span> and James Harden went back and forth on every play. The tussle came to a head, James attempted to rip the ball away from Harden at the end of the third quarter. Harden went to the floor, frustrated, and kicked James (not very hard) in the groin.</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-oDlrjF6a5E" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>The kick was uncalled for and shouldn't be a part of an NBA game. Did LeBron have to act like one of those fat guys being shot with a cannon after the kick? No. And, what about disciplinary action on James for <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thedreamshake.com/2015/3/1/8130315/patrick-beverley-and-lebron-get-physical">putting his forearm into</a> Patrick Beverley's chest while the two wrestled under the basket? My guess is Rockets fans aren't holding their breath waiting for that call to come from the league office.</p>
<p>The Rockets will be shorthanded against the Hawks without Harden and center <span>Dwight Howard</span>, who is still sidelined with a knee injury. Yes, it's only one game but every game counts in the Western Conference where the second and seventh spots are separated by only five games.</p>
<p>Who will step up for the Rockets? Or will the team be lucky to score 70 points on Tuesday? <span>Corey Brewer</span> has averaged 13.5 points per game in 24.2 minutes since the All-Star Break. What about <span>K.J. McDaniels</span>? He's only seen five minutes of action since being traded to the Rockets. But it's next man up once again for the Rockets.</p>
https://www.thedreamshake.com/2015/3/2/8136327/james-harden-suspended-for-kicking-lebron-james-groinRyan Dunsmore