Rockets' 2018 Collapse Ranks as Top-15 Postseason Meltdown of the Century

It's definitely a disappointing moment.

May 4, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) and guard Chris Paul (3) celebrate after the Rockets defeated the Golden State Warriors in game three of the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks gave basketball enthusiasts and sports fans a game to remember in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The Spurs jumped out to a insurmountable lead, taking a 29-point scoring chokehold by the end of the first half, with a 76-49 scoring advantage. 

Many turned the game off, at that point. If they hadn't turned the game off by the end of the opening period, in which the Spurs led 41-22. That usually signals the end of the game. In this case, it didn't. 

The Knicks stormed back, outscoring the Spurs 58-30 in the second half. The game drew shades of the Houston Rockets' 2018 Western Conference Finals Game 7 loss against the Golden State Warriors. 

Houston held a 15-point lead at home, in a close out game. A victory would've meant a trip to the NBA Finals for the first time in over two decades.

Houston lost 101-92. And although the Rockets didn't blow a 29-point lead like the San Antonio Spurs did in Game 4, that loss still ranks as one of the worst postseason meltdowns of the decade. 

In fact, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter ranks the collapse as the 15th-worst postseason meltdown of the century. In all of sports.

The writer's line of thinking is below:

"The Rockets won a franchise-record 65 games during the 2017-18 season, and they nearly put the Golden State Warriors away in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals before squandering a 17-point lead.

Despite that stumble, they again appeared to be in the driver's seat with a 15-point edge during the first half in Game 7.

In a cold-shooting night of epic proportions, the Rockets missed 27 straight three-point attempts and finished 7-for-44 from beyond the arc for the game.

The Warriors outscored them 33-15 during the third quarter and came away with a 101-92 victory on the road to their third title in four years."

Only two other ball clubs ranked ahead of the Rockets on this list, dating back to when the game was played in 2018. This year's Spurs ranked 11th and the 2018 Virginia Cavaliers ranked fifth.

The Rockets tried to run it back the following year (albeit without Trevor Ariza) and were eliminated by the Golden State Warriors once more, albeit in the Western Conference Semifinals this time.

The team ultimately punted on the James Harden and Chris Paul experiment after the second consecutive postseason defeat by the Warriors.