Burn Notice: Rockets Outlast Warriors in OT, 126-121, For Gritty Game 3 Win
MVP Delivery. Unsung Heroes. Crazy Look.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Al Pacino’s famous line from The Godfather Part III, after Houston’s victory in Game 3: “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!” On Saturday night, just when many thought Houston was an afterthought in this series, the Rockets survived a Warriors’ comeback, and won a gritty Game 3, 126-121 in OT, to pull back into the series. The MVP finally delivered when the Rockets desperately needed an Unguardable Tour-style performance from their superstar. Houston had their best team win of the series, but the Rockets don’t withstand Golden State’s furious late rally in Game 3, without the Beard. James Harden had his best performance of the postseason, dropping 41 points on his best shooting night of these playoffs, to go along with 9 boards and 6 assists. Houston needed every last point, as Golden State kept Rocket fans on the edge of their seats for the entire game. The Rockets gutted out a gritty OT victory, to pull back to within a game in the series. More importantly, Houston avoided the terrifying 0-3 Hole, an insurmountable deficit in NBA lore. Golden State now leads the series, 2-1, the identical position these teams were in a season ago in the Western Conference Finals after three games. The only difference is this season, the Warriors have home-court advantage, and the series will end in Golden State, unless the Rockets can miraculously string off three more consecutive victories against the greatest team ever assembled. Houston just needs to win three of four, and if their unsung heroes keep leading the way, they just might be able to shock the world.
The Warriors hung around all night. After getting out to an early lead, the Rockets jumped on the Champs for a 9-point halftime edge. Golden State would fight back to send it to overtime, but Harden hit two big threes to seal the victory for Houston in OT. Harden finally looked like the version of James Harden we’d seen in the regular season. Not that Harden had played poorly these playoffs, he hasn’t. The Beard just hasn’t lived up to his own exceedingly high standards. That changed in Game 3, and Harden got some help from the squad. Maybe all it took was a trip back home or three days off to get situated, but Houston collectively played their best game of this series.
Eric Gordon, and P.J. Tucker have been the unsung heroes of this postseason. EG had 30 points, in arguably the best performance of his career, playing Robin to Harden’s Batman. Splash Gordon has been slowly getting hotter and hotter since the All-Star break, and is now Houston’s second scoring option after Harden. Tucker, as Coach Mike D’Antoni said after the game, “just wouldn’t let us lose.” P.J. continues to play with the sort of fire and intensity it’s going to take in order to knock out a juggernaut like Golden State. Besides Harden, they’ve been the keys to keeping the Rockets in this series. Tucker had 12 rebounds, and was all over the place defensively. Houston withstood a 46-point night from Kevin Durant, who continues to play like the best player on earth. Tucker guards Durant better than anyone, and although it may look like Tucker didn’t defend well in the box score, P.J. had an extraordinary game, as he continues perform like the NBA’s top role player. The Rockets got contributions from their bench: Austin Rivers and Iman Shumpert combined for 18 points, as Rivers continues to matchup well against the Warriors, exposing Stephen Curry’s deficiencies, while limiting his abilities at the same time. Don’t believe the false narratives floating around. Golden State’s coddled superstar is not hurt. He’s just drowning in Austin’s River. Clint Capela had his best game of the series, notching a double-double of the 13 points and 11 rebounds variety. Speaking of boards, Houston outrebounded Golden State by 20 on the glass. It the key factor that allowed the Rockets to keep the Warriors at bay in Game 3.
After the game, Harden and Paul, sat next to each other at the podium. “How does it look?”, Harden asked, about his eyes, still bloodshot red. Paul turned to the MVP with a smirk, “you look crazy.” It might seem crazy, but the Rockets are in the same position they were last season after 3 games to the Warriors, down 2-1. Houston has a great chance to win the series, although they still have an uphill climb. Game 4 is another must-win at home on Monday night. The Rockets need another loud night from the fans, and another collective team performance to even the series in Game 4. Just when you thought they were out, Houston’s back in the race. The team everyone loves to hate. Houston’s task at hand still remains as challenging as accomplishments get in professional sports: beat the best team of all time in three out of four games. Al Pacino’s character knew the life he was pulled back into in The Godfather Part III. A dangerous one, where few men get out alive. Houston knows what they’re in for, the dogfight of all dogfights. Very few teams (one, Cleveland-2016) have advanced past Golden State in the Steve Kerr-era. The odds are still stacked against the Rockets. In fact, no team has ever beaten a Durant-led version of the Warriors in a playoff series. It might look crazy, like Harden’s eye, but Houston’s got a better shot to pull themselves back into this series in Game 4… now more than ever.