Houston Rockets Are Clearly a Team Built to Be a Bridesmaid
Behind every successful team, there's someone or something pushing them to greater heights. For example:
- Michael Jordan being cut from the varsity,
- Albert Einstein being told he wouldn't amount to anything, and
- Stephen King having editors reject his first manuscripts 30 straight times.
For the Golden State Warriors, it's just possibly the Houston Rockets.
One way or another, season after season, the Rockets just don't make life any better for themselves.
This time around, when Golden State's Stephen Curry spent the early semi-final games being erratic and then Kevin Durant came up lame, Houston finally seemed like it had the hoops gods smiling down upon them.
After all, didn't everyone say last spring's difference was Chris Paul's absence? So, now ...
Yeah, right.
With their playoff lives on the line against the Dubs yet again, Houston proved their proficiency in falling short. Dudes held Curry scoreless in the first half but were tied at the intermission, 57-all.
That's because one Splash Brother was still splashin' and Steve Kerr's defensive scheme was still working.
Conversely, Houston's featured duo had Paul firing on all cylinders -- even before tip-off -- but Harden again looking like he'd already started the off-season.
Put it all together, and you've got the Dubs taking Game 6, 118-113, and getting an extended between-series playoff break, themselves:
There it is. A total team effort when one was required, which is usually the way of all championship-caliber clubs.
Lotsa table-setting credit's gotta go to Dubs' GM Bob Myers, too, for juggling contracts the way he does and Houston doesn't. The Rockets poured mega-dosh into a pair of stars without taking a hard look at how to improve their supporting cast.
Somehow, they keep thinking the law of averages say their same-old, same old has gotta toss a bone to them someday.
As the rest of the world knows, that's the thinking that has Wile E Coyote staying hungry.
Same rocket.
Every damn year.