If KD is out, the Rockets have no excuse to lose to the Warriors! - Stephen A. | First Take

With Katy injured this ends well, I'm not going to say it's over, but what I will tell you is that there is no

excuse

for the Houston Rockets not to win this series, I can tell you that right now, I mean, if you listen. Max Kellerman has been one of the leaders with this argument if cp3 had not gone down the Houston Rockets would

have

won the West last year and probably the championship, that's what they said last year against a healthy Kady, a healthy Steph Curry and a Klay Thompson healthy. Well guess what now CP3 is healthy and so is James Harden and PJ Tucker and so is Eric Gordon and the team and KD goes down.

They all won games three and four with a healthy KD on the court averaging 35 per game they won. Game three and four with KD doing what he's doing we can

have

him all postseason and last night you were down by over 20 before you came back and took the lead before KD went down and somehow now you have an

excuse

to

lose

oh Devils. no no no no no no no this is what this is about here when it comes to James Harden and cp3 that's not just James Harden this he doesn't care that he's older you know there's ISM lettuce and this dissipation and the skill set but the mind It's tough and we hear that a four-year, $106 million contract sounds like you can still play.

You're a brilliant, brilliant basketball player. It's time for this to happen and this is your chance. This is the biggest opportunity the Houston Rockets have ever had. in a championship in the James Harden era and the bottom line is there are no excuses, if there was ever a point where there are no excuses for them, right now you handle your business in game six because God help you and your reputation if you

lose

the game. six without KD and then you go back to the Oracle for game seven and although the odds are against you I'm willing to bet Houston will be the favorite because you have James Harden and cp3 taking care of your business, I'm not going to say It's over because We saw what Steph Curry Thompson can do and what he's willing to do because they both stepped up when Kevin Durant went down, but there's no excuse for me, Houston, this one's yours, he definitely took what's going to go well, There are a lot of excuses for Houston now, which is that they are down three games to two and Golden State has a home court, that's the excuse, look, let me show you what I mean, let's say they now have an advantage against Golden State because Golden State already It doesn't have Kevin Durant, we all know Kevin.

Durant is an asset even though his point differential and win-loss record don't change much when Durant is out, as long as Steph is on the court. However, we know that in the playoffs it is different. Golden State had a tough time getting over the hump before KD arrived. That's true, but let me show you what I mean, let's say without KD, you now think Houston should be a solid favorite and better than two to one, they say they have a 70% chance of winning game 6 in Houston and let's say what do you think. if they do that, they should be better than a two to one favorite to win in Oakland to win an Oracle, that's a 70% chance, let's say better than two to one, you know what that means, you know what 70 times they said what 7 times. is 49, they are still under 50% to win both games, they are more likely to lose the series simply because they bet on a great team, even without KD, they are a great team, I mean, even though they lost to LeBron and Kyrie. when they were fully loaded they didn't have a good dollar, that's true, the year before they went six games when LeBron didn't have Kyrie or Kevin Love, but we seemed a little vulnerable for a team that has been as good as them.

I have been in the regular season though, there is a formidable team, they are a powerful team at least even without KD and when you give that team a one game lead and they have home court you are just the underdog, still Stephen It's the series hasn't ended one way or another. The Rockets now have more chances than they had. They should have won that game last night, but they have a better chance than they did. In fact, Golden State is simply up 3-2 at home. on the court there are still the favorites, well listen

first

of all, I am willing to admit that it is when we say the word technically theoretically, of course, it is not because there is a game 7 in the Oracle, but would you stop with the damn numbers for once you have? those eyeballs and yours, come on man, use it, come on, max, with those Beetlejuice eyes and you're covering it up with the numbers, max, you know what time it is, bro, come on, listen, here's the deal, this is the deal, the maximum guys were in the arena. last night arguing well you know what hey we won without KD in the past before he got here stop Andrew Bogut was younger Harrison Barnes was there doll was younger Livingstone was younger we all know they're not now equals, so it's not just about what you have, but what you lost and Kevin Durant and what you don't have in terms of your depth, they are not the same.

I want to rest, which is why Steve Kerr went out of his way to praise this. team because he knows they dug deep to get it yesterday, come on maximum, you can't look at Harden in CP3 and not see, this is yours for the taking, there's no excuse not to do this, look, CP3 should be hungry and that should. makes a difference, but let's start with the Warriors, are they different? Yeah, let's not pretend it's the exact same team. Iguodala still with the fate of the universe at s

take

on that team, give me a Gua Dolla to hit any other time. but you know, under pressure, give me a big buck, but the point is that even without KD, Steph is still an MVP caliber player.

Yes, you have an MVP caliber player on your team. Five stars is Klay Thompson, an All-Star caliber player. Yes, you have a five star in a four star, what about Draymond Green? Yes, you have an All-Star, you have an MVP and two All-Stars and Draymond Green was one play away from being Finals MVP, by the way, against the Cavs when they lost in game seven. If the Cavs hadn't won, Draymond was about to be MVP and you have Iguodala, a former Finals MVP who can still play, no they are not what they were, you are right, yes they are vulnerable, but damn, you have an MVP two, all- Stars and a former Finals MVP on your team still use that, that's a powerful house, you were more vulnerable, you were vulnerable, where KD on the court, man, you were vulnerable.

I can understand if we settled there and had Golden State as the prohibitive favorite and they should

take

this series, but it was tied 2-2. Oh, they were down 20 and they came back and took the lead with KD online arguing. Just saying, if that's what you are.