Foul Balls: Rockets Fall to Thunder Late in OT, 119-107, in a Hardened Loss
The Dort Problem. Stop Trying to Splash! Where in the World Was RoCo?
Houston’s daring attempt at a victory with OKC’s season on the line turned from probable, into a problem, late in regulation and overtime, as the Thunder outlasted the Rockets, 119-107 in OT. Chris Paul delivered in the clutch, as OKC inched closer towards Houston in the series, now trailing 2-1. Despite another horrendous shooting night, Houston had a 5-point lead with less than a minute in the game, but OKC rallied, and along with some questionable calls, dominated OT to get back in the series. The NBA admitted today that an errant inbound pass from P.J. Tucker was indisputably touched by Stevan Adam. The pass was nicked and the ball spin changed directions going out of bounds. In the face of common sense, the refs turned their heads, and gave the Thunder the basketball. A huge call that swung the game with 24.4 left on the clock. Had the refs made the correct call, it would’ve been Rockets ball with 24 seconds left, up 103-101. Instead, the Thunder took possession, and hit a three to go up by 1 point, 104-103. Houston’s Danuel House Jr. was fouled with under 10 seconds in the game. House made the first, but missed the second, and the rest was history. Chris Paul missed a layup at the end of regulation, but he dominated in overtime. CP3 had his best game of the series, scoring 26 points, and guiding OKC to a dominant 15-3 scoring advantage in the extra period.
Nonetheless, the Rockets (besides Jeff Green) were once again cold from long range. James Harden led Houston with 38 points, but fouled out late in the game, when the Thunder where gaining momentum. At least the Uncle Jeff Tour continued. Jeff Green continues to be a pleasant surprise for the Rockets. Green who scored 22 points, has shown he’s the perfect fit as a big in Houston’s micro-ball style. Eric Gordon had 18 points, but hold your horses. EG and the Beard combined to shoot only 5-for-25 from long range, and despite having a chance to win late, the Rockets gave this one away, with the help of sloppy officiating and poor shooting. Hopefully, Houston’s wakes up next game.
The Rockets have a Dort problem. What’s a Dort problem, you ask? OKC’s Luguentz Dort, who’s proven he just may be the best one-on-one defender in the NBA today. Dort guarded Harden, the league’s premiere score and one-on-one aficionado, for a majority of the game. Don’t be fooled by the Beard’s 38 points. They weren’t easy. Harden struggled against Dort more than he’s gone against any player this year. I haven’t seen anyone with Dort’s ability to stay in front of the Beard using his feet and self discipline on defense. Makes for a tough task for the Beard, but his facial hair’s grown for toughness. Harden had a difficult 38, not the most efficient of nights. But, if the Beard’s as focused as they say he is, James should be back with a vengeance. Dort may be an All-NBA Defender on the rise, but Harden’s an MVP-tier player in the prime of his career, aiming to advance to the next round.
Someone who’s seemed to lost complete control and focus, Eric Gordon, needs to stop shooting the ball, if he’s not going to exploit his explosive driving ability. EG basically shot the Rockets out of this contest. Gordon went only 2-for-10 from distance, implying he needs to stick to attacking the basket. Unlike Harden, Eric Gordon doesn’t have the green light to shoot whenever he wants, from wherever he pleases, especially when EG’s not taking great shots from deep. Houston Coach Mike D’Antoni should’ve taken him out and given someone like Ben McLemore or Robert Covington more minutes. EG played 41 minutes, likely got tired legs and couldn’t hit a shot. OKC’s CP3 got a bit of revenge, with a few dirty shots below the belt to Harden and Austin Rivers, at different moments in the game.
Meanwhile, Robert Covington and Ben McLemore combined to play only 36 minutes. D’Antoni made some questionable coaching decisions in Game 3. Ben McLemore has been one of Houston’s best three-point shooters, and Robert Covington is the squad’s best defender on the perimeter. RoCo played 19 minutes after getting into early foul trouble. But there’s still no reason why he shouldn’t have been on the floor in crunch time. Benny Mac didn’t make a basket, playing only 17 minutes. When EG is hoisting ill-advised shots and making poor decisions, Coach D’Antoni needs to sub Gordon for RoCo or Benny Mac. Either way, RoCo, Houston’s best perimeter defender, and Benny Mac, the guy who led the NBA in 3-point shooting during the first half of the bubble, both deserve more playing time. The Rockets especially needed RoCo, a starter, down the stretch on defense. D’Antoni’s coaching decisions, especially late in the game, were head-scratching. Coach needs to have more faith in RoCo and Benny Mac, and EG’s Fun Meter does NOT come with a green light. As a coach, you can’t just let Gordon shoot you out of a game with poor shot attempts, especially with EG’s driving ability.
Russell Westbrook has been officially ruled out for Game 4, meaning we’ll have these same guys in red reppin’ the good guys next game. A contest in which Houston needs to up their sense of urgency, and play smarter. Coach needs to make better decisions in Game 4, plain and simple. In certain situations, RoCo and Benny Mac are two of the most valuable players in these Houston lineups. Hopefully they get more minutes in Game 4. With Brodie still sidelined, the Rockets need everyone to step up for Houston to regain momentum in the series. Because if the improbable happens, and the Rockets don’t get their act together in Game 4… Houston may have a problem.