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GSoM community member rogerwhooker wrote up a FanPost with reasons not to hate the Houston Rockets and I admire the effort.
I really do.
But I just can't bring myself to enjoy watching this team. And the fact that the Rockets are still alive in the 2015 NBA Playoffs will give me that much more reason to root hard for the Golden State Warriors to sweep these guys and move on to the NBA Finals.
Thankfully, as rogerwhooker mentioned, Tom Ziller of SB Nation has already detailed the many reasons the Rockets are at best unwatchable and at times detestable.
You can go back and read Ziller's piece in its entirety for the full haterific analysis, but I do want to highlight the prime reason I find this team so hard to watch:
JAMES HARDEN: Let's just say it: that beard is grotesque. He dresses like a color-blind serial killer. One of his central priorities on every possession is to draw a foul. Do you know how boring free throws are? He had to be shamed by YouTubers to give an effort on defense. Matt Barnes trash-talked Harden's mom and lived. As such, soft. Also, he's from Los Angeles.
With so many reasons to hate on this one guy, how could you not hate on the whole team?
Add to that the presence of Mark Jackson (former Warriors coach) and Jeff Van Gundy (former Rockets coach) doing the commentary and you have all the makings of a...whoa...shout out to those of you lucky enough to be attending tonight's game.
But perhaps the craziest thing about tonight's game schedule? The 2015 NBA Draft Lottery will occur during the pre-game show, which means that the lottery will occur during a conference finals broadcast that the Golden State Warriors are actually a part of; after decades of the lottery being the biggest postseason moment of the year for Warriors fans, the lottery is now an undercard for the Warriors quest for a conference championship.
Things done changed.
- - -
Who: Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets
What: Game 1, Western Conference Finals, 2015 NBA Playoffs
When: 6:00 p.m. PST
Where: Oracle Arena -- Oakland, CA
How to watch:
- National: ESPN
-
Online: ESPN3.com
Broadcast team:
- Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson & Doris Burke to Call Series on ESPN
- NBA Countdown with Sage Steele, Doug Collins & Jalen Rose Hits the Road for On-site Pre-Game Shows
Radio: ESPN Radio
Series schedule:
|
Date |
Time (PST) |
Telecast |
|
Tue, May 19 |
6 p.m. |
Game 1: Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors |
|
Thu, May 21 |
6 p.m. |
Game 2: Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors |
|
Sat, May 23 |
6 p.m. |
Game 3: Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets |
|
Mon, May 25 |
6 p.m. |
Game 4: Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets |
|
Wed, May 27 |
6 p.m. |
*Game 5: Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors |
|
Fri, May 29 |
6 p.m. |
*Game 6: Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets |
|
Sun, May 31 |
6 p.m. |
*Game 7: Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors |