Aaron Holiday being 0-for-the-series is amazing

Lakers were in the bonus before a single foul had been called on them

Shooting foul on Amen Thompson's nose for getting in the way of LeBron's elbow

Kevin Durant: “Bet.”

Key wording in the Shams/KD report is "after further testing," which discovered the bone bruise. As I said Friday, all initial indications were that it was a minor injury. That's why I was suspicious of funny business. This may be accurate, but if so, it's a big initial miss by the medical team

#NowWatching #FourDaysInAprilAndMay

Greatest comeback in NBA history starts today, lads

These are always so lame. It’s not high school, fans are paying to be entertained.

Couldn’t cheat any more and this is the result

I’m not as angry about this as I normally would be, since the shot went in. So it’s not like anything wasn’t “earned.” That said, it’s just comical that there aren’t any consequences whatsoever when someone fails this blatantly at their most basic job description

Are we sure the Rockets' medical team should have even allowed him to get out of bed without crutches?

How it appears certain people on The Other Site think "treatment" goes for a minor ankle sprain:

Totally normal, nothing to see here

The moronic troll accounts are saying stuff like "see, this proves him right," ignoring that he had 9 turnovers (!!!) in G2 and committed baffling late-game turnovers all season long. Spoiler alert, sports teams tend to follow the example set by their leader. Who wasn't even on the bench tonight.

Curious if all the toxic positivity assholes who ran me off the other place are still convinced this is totally normal. Up 6 with the ball, at home, under 30 seconds. #HoustonSports Oh, and maybe the only “superstar” who won’t even show up to support his teammates, season on the line

So predictable

Sengun steals a LeBron pass and dunks it to make it a 6 point game

To be fair, it’s happened quite a few times this year in the regular season

#Rockets not named Jabari Smith Jr., in a virtual elimination game, are 3/24 on 3s

If they call this a flagrant in the NBA playoffs, cancel the sport.

Aaron Holiday is playing some of the worst basketball I've ever seen in my life

Reed Sheppard is a very talented young player, but the idea that the #Rockets could save their season by turning over the keys to him as a *point guard* was so silly

Raptors take a 1-0 series lead in games that Actually Count #IYKYK

Anyway, new #Rockets pod from today on where we’re at entering Game 3. TL;DL, there are quite a few sources of blame.

In the most #HoustonSports development of all-time, Kevin Durant is now questionable for Game 3 with a left ankle sprain. Last two games, questionable with a bruised right knee

Thanks Grok

Few port-mortem thoughts: I think my biggest issue with the 2020s #Rockets is they don't seem bold enough, strategically. And when you come out of the tanking years without a transcendent prospect (Wemby, Cade, Flagg, etc.), you’ve got to be cut throat. Playing the middle won't be good enough.

I’m not *blaming* Kevin Durant, but one thing I hope tonight makes clear, it would be absolutely ridiculous to go all-in and mortgage every future asset you have because he’s on your roster. He’s still a very good player, yes. But there is a huge gap relative to the 1As on legit title contenders.

Update, asshole?

It's really not. Biggest fraud in sports. Could've traded him for a haul one year ago, now you have a Sabonis/Kings situation. Great work.

Does it matter? Absolutely not

It's the most embarrassing playoff performance I've ever seen.

The Rockets are getting swept by a Lakers team without their two leading scorers, and their best player will be 38 when next season begins. The Astros are at least 10 years away from contention. The Texans threw away maybe the most gift-wrapped Super Bowl path in NFL history. #HoustonSports

Blatantly off LA

The problem is not that call in a vacuum, it's to grant two FTs for the Lakers on an inconsequential bump 40 feet away when the Rockets were fouled on multiple shots (one a 3) and neither were called

To call THAT for free throws, after not calling the blatant foul on the KD 3 or the Sengun hook. Beyond corrupt. Series, season over. NBA gets what it wants. (Yes, the Rockets are obviously very culpable, as well.)

Yup. Tari can't make a point-blank layup, Rui makes a contested middie with a hand right in his face.

Beyond unacceptable how many times the Rockets don't even get a shot off on key possessions

Game is there for the taking, if they can, you know... score

KD corner 3, Amen basic dribble, impossible

Jake LaRavia airmailed a corner 3 and is limping... but he's playing the Rockets, so he got a steal after all that

The challenge of make anyone other than Luke Kennard beat you is seemingly impossible

Amazing two-way sequence from Amen Thompson

Down 8, under 9 to go to avoid one of the most humilating losses in franchise history. Opponent in bonus. Gulp

Luke Kennard took Aaron Holiday to the park

The Rockets have to work insanely hard for anything. Luke Kennard can just waltz inside for an uncontested layup.

Lakers didn't win the challenge, but sometimes the reward is worth the risk

Oh, coaches are allowed to challenge? Wouldn't know that based on the multiple automatic overturns that the Rockets passed up

So much of this just comes down to Alperen Sengun and Reed Sheppard. If the former can't make bunnies and the latter misses open 3s, this is an extremely flawed team. You are accepting some suboptimal tradeoffs because they are supposed to be good at those very things

The Rockets are shooting open corner 3s and shots inside 5 feet like it's November, so I can't blame them