ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Lakers 4/18/2026 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 1)

Luke Kennard calls Game 1 ‘a special moment’ after having career night
luke-kennard-calls-game-1-214439082.html

 

Rockets are beat by shooters of Golden State Warriors year by year but still stock up non-shooters in their rebuild. Lol.

How stupid the Rockets organization.

 

Dude killed the Rockets with injured hands.

Ime is ****ing soft. Where's your tough defense? Leave it in your drills?

 

But we know he wasn’t LOL…he wore his heart on his sleeve

 

I wish we had a young talent like Paolo or Cade. Smh

 

We still have to find a way to score, but I don’t see the Lakers doing this again. Those are tough contested shots and they knocked them down.

 

Cut off because your post was far longer than any of mines! So let this be my last 'long' post on this subject...

No one literally thinks that the Rockets run 'No Plays' as I said in that post, The rockets actions result in 1 on 1s, which makes the entire point of the play pointless unless you're trying to get KD/Sengun 1on1. Since Amen, Reed, Bari are not reliable 1on1 players yet and even Sengun is debatable there since some nights...well look at last night.

The plays you linked...literally show what I Was talking about???
Me: For example, how many plays would end with Amen just slashing to the rim last night with a defender in his face? How many times did he get open dunks? Look at the shots Luke was getting vs the ones Reed gets.

Those first two plays and the ones with Amen running the break is exactly that. It's not half court offense that people want to see, yes, if Ime spams more of it (and he should) it should beat the Lakers, but it won't beat practically any other team in this playoffs outside of the play-in teams I guess

That play where Sengun got the 3 seconds wasn't complex? They tried to get it to Alpi down low, saw it wasn't there, then Amen saw Reed open who touch passes it to Jabari whose hesitation locked up Sengun who was boxing out caused him to get 3 seconds because he likely thought the ball was going up. Not even a bad sequence. Amen's pass was just too high which made Reed have to jump to catch it otherwise its an open corner 3 for him.

Sengun hitting one legged jumpers, that's his thing, but its not good offense. It's a good player making a tough shots, which is literally what good players do, that's why they get doubled...but its only good offense because the player hits the tough shots. None of KD's shots are 'Good' offense, they only are because KD is taking and making those shots. Which we are only going to win this series (and any series) if Sengun plays to his all-star level and hits those shots.

Reed taking long contested shots is not good offense, but we tolerate it because he can get hot and make them and because we are starving for offense on most nights. What people want to see is EASY OPEN looks. We want to see easy buckets that are made because of the gravity of Sengun and KD, not just hoping they carry the offense night in and night out.

And you are the only NBA fan (including coaches and players) I've seen this year defending Ime's offense so I'm not sure you can really talk about others taking me seriously. Even going so far as trying to make it like OKCs offense is anywhere similar to what is being done here. SGA-less OKC still beats this team, they still get better looks than this team when we have KD on the court...

Posting plays isn't analytics, that's numbers and stats, which say the Rockets offense is garbage and has consistently shown that Ime's teams struggle offensively.

I think we've said all we can on the subject to each other respectfully but you can have fun defending Ime's offense for the rest of the playoffs for however long the Rockets play in it.

 

Well you have one of the worst gms and coaches in the league. Not surprised

 

I’d rather see Tristan Newton or Xrawford get playing time over Tate

 

You just could not wait for the real game, couldn't ye?

 

Did we really contest those shots?

 

For the record offense is ran by committee approach:


A: I don’t use an offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator thing. The way I learned and what helped me become more well rounded is to do a little bit of everything. That’s the way I learned for seven years under Pop. We have guys who scout (opposing) teams. We have a game plan for how we’re going to defend these guys and what offensive concepts work against them. I think it helps (coaches) grow, which I’m big on.

For me, I like to hear different voices. I want the players to hear different voices, not just the same guy talking about defense. I think it works for the team. Pop is well-rounded and he wanted us to be focused on everything, player development, relationships, offense, defense, game plans, everything.

 

If KD comes back next game, I still think we will win this series in 6 or 7 but the next round against OKC is going to completely expose us. And no, I'm not delusional enough to think we're one FVV away from beating OKC in a playoff series.

 

Yes

 

I'm sure finger nails painting guy does too...

 

DFS and Durant are both above average shooters historically. They increased Reed's role. Okogie shot well this season.

Who are you talking about?

 

Based on one game?

 

I love how you proved that the Thunder don't rely on pick & rolls and isolation by showing an end of period inbounds length of court pass & shot - very amazing stuff, much ball movement, is that the Princeton offense?

The point isn't that the Thunder never pass the ball or move off the ball, obviously they do; the point is that large swathes of their half court offense - surprise - relies on the individual brilliance of the best perimeter player on the planet (arguably ever, given his phenomenal efficiency) more so than any coaching wizardry.