Short-Handed Rockets Falter, Keep Spurs’ Hopes Alive in 123-105 Loss
All Due Respect. Quick Regroup. Rest Before the Storm.
Russell Westbrook retuned, but without The Beard, San Antonio’s sense of urgency overwhelmed Brodie and co. The Spurs outplayed Houston from the opening tip, demolishing the Rockets, 123-105, as they try to keep their season alive. Houston rested James Harden in this one, and we got to see the first bubble action of DeMarre Carroll. Basically, this was an experimental game for rotations and lineups D’Antoni will use in the playoffs. Brodie led the Rockets in scoring, but missed a ton of easy layups and was a little out-of-control, leading to too many Rocket turnovers. Jeff Green had another solid game with 17 points. the NBA journeyman’s proven to be the perfect fit in Houston, where he’s playing some of the best basketball of his career, in his mid 30’s. Ben McLemore wasn’t quite as sharp from deep, but still had 16 points, as he’s proven to be a consistent role player for the Rockets when the playoffs get under way.
DeMar DeRozan had 23 points, as the Spurs controlled the game from start to finish. One thing they can’t control: their own destiny. San Antonio needs to win out and hope Portland and Phoenix each lose a game for the Spurs to continue their historic playoff run.
Harden got a breather with the second half of a back-to-back tomorrow against the much better Indiana Pacers. It’s a loss, but all due respect, these games happen, and with the Rockets lined up to be the four or five seed (with a slight possibility of still catching Denver for third), the outcomes of the remaining games don’t mean much. The Rockets need to focus on getting healthy, and getting their bodies in the best shape for the playoffs, which are days away.
Houston regroups quickly with a chance to put the pieces of their blowout loss to the Spurs in the past, quickly. The Rockets play another matinee affair on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers. Indy is a solid playoff team out East, still positioning themselves in the best spot for the playoffs. It’ll be Houston’s toughest game left before the playoffs. Hopefully the squad regroups and gets an impressive victory.
I say impressive, because Russell Westbrook will now be resting. However, James Harden returns, which is always good news. Speaking of good news, Eric Gordon is expected to see court time on Wednesday against the Pacers. Hopefully Splash Gordon can find his rhythm quickly, as Houston’s struggled lately offensively, especially early on in games. The Rockets need EG at his best in the playoffs if they want to reach their ultimate goal. And resting’s never a bad idea, especially before the storm that is the NBA Playoffs: the games that really count … when the sense of urgency gets dialed up to the moon.