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Houston Rockets – James Harden Showed up Too Late, Jeremy Lin Didn’t
On good game from James Harden doesn’t erase all the wrong and bad he did for the Houston Rockets through the entire series, as the Houston Rockets somehow lost 99-98 to the Portland Trail Blazers in game 6, knocked out of the playoffs in the first round for the second straight season, while Jeremy Lin was once again put in the wrong kind of situation and didn’t really make the most of it.
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Houston Rockets – Jeremy Lin Teaching Winning Basketball to James Harden
The simple fact? If there was no Jeremy Lin in game 5 for the Houston Rockets against the Portland Trail Blazers, they’d be out of the playoffs. They are still behind, but a huge game from the demoted point guard, along with Dwight Howard being massive on both ends of the floor countered another awful performance from James Harden to come away with the 108-98 win.
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Houston Rockets – James Harden & Jeremy Lin in Their Last Chance Saloon
Every game, if there will be more than one game, is a back-against-the-wall one for the Houston Rockets. James Harden will try to prove that the strategy of giving him the ball and hoping that something good comes of it finally works, while Jeremy Lin, although reality tells us otherwise, might get another shot at trying to prove to Kevin McHale that this season has been one huge mistake, and he can be of huge help to the team.
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Houston Rockets – Jeremy Lin Punished, James Harden Doesn’t Change
The Houston Rockets find themselves on the verge of elimination after losing 123-120 to the Portland Trail Blazers in another overtime game between the two teams. Jeremy Lin made a huge blunder at the end of regulation, maybe blowing a win for his team, but James Harden continues to be immune when it comes to accountability for mistakes, resulting in another bad performance from him when it mattered the most.
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NBA Playoffs – Houston Rockets Should Worry About James Harden
There are tests for NBA coaches planted all through the season for them to show their merits, and the ability to learn from mistakes. James Harden had some impressive numbers in the game 3 win over the Blazers, although he did more wrong than right for his team. Jeremy Lin? Without the ball, in the wrong role, he still managed to make the best of a crummy situation, and make a few big plays that saves the season for the Houston Rockets.
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Houston Rockets – James Harden is Saved by Jeremy Lin
Somehow, the Houston Rockets are still alive in this playoff series. Maybe it has something to do with Jeremy Lin diving for a ball James Harden lost and then giving it a wide open Troy Daniels to knock down the biggest shot of his career, helping the Rockets win 121-116 in overtime against the Portland Trail Blazers, getting their first win in the series, narrowing the lead down to 2-1.
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Houston Rockets – James Harden Not Letting Jeremy Lin Out of his Shadow
This is close to treading water, but sometimes it is frustrating to see how badly a team is coached, and the bullheadedness of some NBA coaches with other options just there next to them to use. Kevin McHale isn’t willing, or isn’t strong enough, to move James Harden off of his perch where he feels very comfortable, but is also playing very badly at the moment, and turning to Jeremy Lin out of the blue either isn’t going to happen or isn’t going to help.
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Houston Rockets – James Harden Getting Worse, Jeremy Lin Made Redundant
Smart teams, with a good head coach, make adjustments between and during games when things don’t work. Kevin McHale simply isn’t in that category. Otherwise he wouldn’t allow James Harden to do the things he does as the Houston Rockets lose (112-105) to the Portland Trail Blazers for a second time in the postseason, while allowing his defense to become irrelevant, almost like he’s done to Jeremy Lin.
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Houston Rockets – Kevin McHale, Not Jeremy Lin or James Harden, is What Matters
To every issue the Houston Rockets have – from James Harden hogging the ball at the wrong time, to Jeremy Lin being underused; and Dwight Howard being underused; to Patrick Beverley risking his NBA future; and a team defense that is embarrassing to watch sometimes. Players should be blamed for mistakes they make, but when there are so many on a talented and better than what we’re getting from them team, the fingers should be pointed at the head coach, Kevin McHale.
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Houston Rockets – Jeremy Lin Can’t Fix What James Harden Ruins
Leading your team in scoring doesn’t mean you aren’t hurting your team. James Harden was awful in overtime and too wasteful for most of the game as the Houston Rockets lost home court advantage with a series opening loss at home, that was almost prevented by Jeremy Lin, who once again wasn’t used enough which didn’t stop him from coming through in overtime, although it wasn’t enough.