Rockets Aim to Bounce Back, Even Series with Lakers
The Other Guys. Mirror Vision. Must-Win?
“If we were in the wild, I would attack you. Even if you weren’t in my food chain, I would go out of my way to attack you,” a quote from the Will Ferrell action-comedy The Other Guys. And what’s slowly turned evolved from an action packed series into a series of comic events, the Rockets find themselves in need of help entering Tuesday night’s Game 4 against the Lakers. Houston trails L.A. in the series, 1-2, yet the Rockets have been competitive in all three games. Houston won Game 1. In Game 2, Russ went berserk, and Markief Morris and Rajon Rondo helped the Lakers steal a win.
In Game 3, LeBron James went Game 7-Mode, and dominated for an L.A. victory. More importantly though, was the play of role players, or the “other guys” in Game 3. The Rockets had only one player score off the bench. Kyle Kuzma had his best game of the series with 21 points, and Rondo came up clutch with 14 points and a few clutch threes to seal the win. Simply put, Houston’s still in the series. Similair to their first round series against OKC, Harden and co.’s biggest weakness is finishing games. Especially without Danuel House, who could miss the rest of the series, And the bench needs to produce more for the Rockets to beat the Lakers in Game 4, espeically without Danuel House Jr., whose shenanigans may keep him out for the remainder of the series.
L.A. made adjustments and beat the Rockets, playing Houston’s style in Game 3. Other than Anthony Davis, the only other big man that played for the Lakers was JaVale McGee, who only saw 8 minutes of action. In the last two losses to L.A., Dwight Howard hasn’t played either. Size isn’t winning this series for the Lakers. It’s Houston’s costly turnovers, lack of production off the Rockets’ bench, along with clutch shots and a dominant performance by King James. That’s why L.A.’s up 2-1 in the series. The Rockets need to leave it all on the court. House’s presence was sorely felt in the Game 3 loss. If Houston can get more production from the likes of Austin Rivers and Ben McLemore, the Rockets have a legitimate shot at evening the series tonight.
So is Game 4 a must-win for Houston? Technically, no. The Rockets could lose, and they’ll still live to fight another day. But tonight’s Game 4 ultimately determines the tone of the rest of the series. With a loss, Houston falls behind 3-1, and will need to beat super-motivated LeBron three straight times to advance. Good luck with that mission. That’s a mission Houston can avoid with a victory in Game 4. With a win, the Rockets knot the series at two games apiece, and get some confidence back. Tonight’s game will determine if Houston is still in it to win it. Game 4 is not a must-win for Harden, Russ, and the Rockets, but if they lose Game 4, they’re going to need a miracle of sorts to comeback against a revitalized LeBron James. If Houston’s “others”, guys like Ben McLemore, Austin Rivers, and Jeff Green step up and fill the void Houston’s house left. But they have to attack the Lakers from the onset and be ready to finish, or Houston’s season is one step closer to finished. L.A. and LeBron are at the top of the NBA’s food chain. It’s time for the Rockets to prove they belong in the same tier as L.A., and attack the league’s Alpha Predator… if they want to save their season tonight.
AdventHealth Arena: Orlando, Florida
Jersey Colors:
Los Angeles Lakers: (2-1): Yellow
Houston Rockets (2-1): Red
TV: 6 PM CT – TNT