Strange Lake City: Rockets Quiet Jazz, 104-101, Take Commanding 3-0 Series Lead
Ugly Masterpiece. Late Night Tunes. Staying the Course.
Not many saw this one coming. In one of the most bizarre games in recent memory, the Rockets held on to beat the Jazz, 104-101, for a dominant 3-0 lead in the series. Houston shouldn’t have won this game. Last season’s Rockets would have lost on Saturday night. Any past Harden-led Rocket teams would have fallen in this contest. But… not this Rockets team. Despite a historically poor shooting night from their MVP, Houston found a way to win. Harden started the game 0/15 from the field, marking the most consecutive field goals missed in his career. Utah’s defense put Harden out of sync early, and forced him into distributor mode. The Beard managed 10 assists, but couldn’t buy a basket until nearly the midway point of the fourth quarter. Luckily for Houston, the rest of the squad came ready to play, and never succumbed to the noise or pressure.
Chris Paul had 18 points, and carried the load for the majority of the game. Clint Capela was a force inside, picking up another double-double, with 11 points and 14 boards. P.J. Tucker, whose late rebounds sealed the win for the Rockets, had 12 points and 10 boards. Tucker also hit 3 of 4 free throw attempts in the final minute to give Houston the win. Eric Gordon had 12 points, and Austin Rivers chipped in with 11. Geral Green came out of nowhere and hit three long bombs to keep Houston within striking distance in the second half. Kenneth Faired only played 9 minutes, but still managed to compile 4 points and 5 rebounds in spare time. It was a complete team effort. On Saturday night, the Rockets proved they can win with their MVP at his worst. A scary thought for the rest of the league.
Harden was bad. At times, the worst he’s been all season. Amongst all the talk about his torrid shooting, this wasn’t just another off-night for Harden. This matchup displayed so much more. This game more than any other in his career, shows Harden’s growth as a player, leader, and superstar. The Beard started 0 for 15, and looked downright different. Utah had completely taken him out of his shooting rhythm. The Jazz made Harden feel them on defense, and sent multiple bodies at the reigning MVP. Still, Harden managed to find his teammates, something he’s never gotten enough credit for, and finished with 10 assists. Not to mention 6 steals, as Harden’s defense continues to be great night-in, night-out.
When the final frame came around, Harden found his shot, finishing the game 3 of 5 from the field. The Beard scored 14 of his 22 points the fourth quarter, including two big threes that kept the Rockets in a game they would have lost any other season. In years past, Harden would have rained it in, quit, said enough. Not on Saturday night. In Game 3, Harden saved his best tunes for end of the night. The MVP kept attacking, and never let the end-goal of taking Game 3 out of sight. Harden’s mental evolution and growth was on full display in Game 3. In the longest game of the season for Houston, Harden and the Rockets prevailed. It was an ugly masterpiece. The kind of game they would have never won earlier in the year, or last season. These are the type of games championship teams win. Every championship team wins games they’re not supposed to in the playoffs, when they’re not playing their best, and they have to grind it out. Game 3 in Utah will be a game to look back on if Houston achieves their ultimate goal of winning a title.
Houston took Utah’s best punch, but stayed the course, and got contributions from everyone in order to win their toughest battle of the season. This matchup was grueling. The crowd was the loudest the Rockets have played against all season. Not just because it was their first road playoff game, but Utah’s fans really came out in full support. They were loud and in unison from the opening tip until the final seconds. Jazz fans have a reputation for being rude and disrespectful, but they bring an energy level to Utah’s arena that few fan bases can match. Donovan Mitchell had his best game of the series, dropping 34 points, but Utah’s best player missed an open three late to tie the game, and essentially ensured victory for Houston. A win the Jazz desperately needed. And Utah played with desperation, heart, and urgency, in a must-win game with their season on the line. They now trail the Rockets 0-3 in the series, a deficit from which no team in NBA history has ever recovered. Houston collectively managed to survive Utah’s best punch. These Rockets are much hungrier than last season’s group. Now, they just need to take care of business in Game 4 to finish the series.
Harden and the Rockets stayed the course in Game 3. Despite his torrid shooting night, the Beard kept shooting. And the Rockets stayed in reach. When the Jazz would pull away. EG, Green or CP3, or (insert name here) would hit a shot to keep Houston in the game. The Rockets need to continue to stay the course and play as a team in Game 4. Utah’s fans will be louder. The Jazz are one of the few teams that play hard every single game. Houston needs to be ready for another grueling back-and-forth matchup on Monday night. James Harden isn’t going to miss his first 15 shots, and the Rockets will be better. Utah won’t be going down without a fight. Many people (myself included) expected the Jazz to win at least one game in this series. If the Rockets stick to their game plan, with a rejuvenated Harden, Houston should be able to sweep Utah. Not many saw that coming.