Houston Rockets' Supporting Cast Makes Big Statement and Saturday NBA Takeaways
The fuel had been poured. All the Houston Rockets needed to do was light the match and ignite the flame—which is exactly what they did in Saturday’s 118-108 Game 1 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
After Mavericks owner Mark Cuban went on record bemoaning Houston's lack of depth in an interview with Grantland's Kirk Goldsberry, the Rockets stepped out and used a well-rounded effort to dispatch the Mavericks in the opening act of their Texas tangle.
Per usual, James Harden strutted his MVP-caliber stuff to the tune of 24 points (4-of-11 shooting, 15-of-17 from the line), 11 assists and two rebounds. But it was ancillary contributions from Harden's underappreciated supporting cast that pushed Houston toward the finish line and allowed it to break through the tape.
Starting in place of the injured Patrick Beverley (wrist), 37-year-old Jason Terry put years of off-ball catch-and-shoot experience to work, dropping 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 4-of-7 from three.
Then Terrence Jones got in on the action with 19 points, nine boards and six dimes, while Josh Smith padded his final line with 11 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Or how about Clint Capela, who admirably chipped in eight points, six rebounds and a pair of swats while filling in for Dwight Howard (11 points, five rebounds and five blocks), who battled foul trouble all night.
Trevor Ariza did his part as well, totaling 12 points, 11 rebounds and six helpers while the Mavericks' Chandler Parsons—the man who formerly occupied his spot in Houston's starting lineup—limped his way to 10 points on 5-of-15 shooting while battling knee pain. And for good measure, Corey Brewer got hot with a late flurry, scoring 13 of his 15 points in the final frame. Cuban remarked to Goldsberry:
"There's no more predictable team than the Rockets. ... You know exactly what they're gonna do. But James Harden is so good. That's what analytics have begot. Right? Predictability. If you know what the percentages are, in the playoffs, you have time to counter them. Whether you're good enough to do it is another question. Because they are very talented, and James Harden, I think, is the MVP. Because that's not a very good team over there.
"
Houston's second unit underwhelmed all season long, ranking 23rd in scoring and 25th in field-goal percentage, according to Hoopsstats.com. The Rockets were also a gargantuan 14 points worse per 100 possessions on offense with Harden off the floor during the regular season, according to NBA.com.
There has been—and will continue to be—a heavy reliance on Harden's playmaking abilities. As there should be.
But if Saturday night proved anything, it was that the Rockets possess contributors necessary to capitalize on Dallas' overwhelming determination to cap Harden's productivity.
Houston assisted on 26 of its 38 made field goals—42 percent of which came courtesy of the league's second-leading scorer. According to the Rockets' Twitter account, Harden's facilitation resulted in a career first:
Whether the Rockets were using their speed and size to wreak havoc in transition or merely picking apart Dallas' 18th-ranked defense in the pick-and-roll, they boasted more than a singular, bearded dimension.
Now, it's on Dallas to adjust with a chance to even the series looming on Tuesday night.
As the regular season demonstrated, the Mavericks unquestionably possess the offensive firepower necessary to crack Houston's defensive code. But if Game 1 was any indication, the pressure will be on Dallas' rim-protectors and wing defenders to clamp down on a well-rounded rotation chock-full of unheralded shooters.
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Golden State Dazzles Early and Coasts Late Against New Orleans
The Golden State Warriors snatched a 106-99 Game 1 victory against the New Orleans Pelicans, but it didn't come without some tense late-game moments.
After opening up an 18-point first-half advantage, the Warriors were outscored, 58-47, over the game's final 24 minutes as Anthony Davis went bonkers during the fourth quarter.
In his first career playoff appearance, Davis finished with 35 points (13-of-23 shooting), seven rebounds and four blocks in 40 minutes. According to NBA TV, Davis' postseason debut was historically significant:
The 22-year-old also continued to defy the laws of physics with a monstrous alley-oop finish in the final frame.
In other words, it was just another day at the office.
However, Davis' best efforts were squashed by 34 points from Stephen Curry on a day when all five Warriors starters finished in double figures.
And speaking of defying physics, Curry saw Davis' jam and raised him one absurd left-handed reverse layup:
Klay Thompson added 21 points while Draymond Green flirted with a triple-double, posting 15 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks.
In order to give Golden State a run in Game 2, the Pelicans will need to hold out hope for a quick recovery from Tyreke Evans, who departed in the second quarter with a left knee contusion and didn't return.
According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Evans' ailment may be more serious than originally believed:
These two will get back to it Monday night at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT, when Davis will look to sustain his stellar production against the league's top-ranked defense.
However, he'll need a little more help in the early going to even things up in enemy territory.
Rose Shines in Postseason Return
Derrick Rose did not disappoint in his first postseason appearance since 2012.
Zooming around the United Center floor for 27 minutes during the Chicago Bulls' 103-91 victory, Rose dropped 23 points on an efficient 9-of-16 shooting, including an encouraging 3-of-7 from three. The last time Rose converted on at least three-long range attempts was a Jan. 27 victory over the Warriors.
Rose looked particularly explosive while dropping 10 points in the second quarter, as Bleacher Report's Sean Highkin observed:
And what's a vintage Rose performance without a little aerial excitement?
Aside from Rose, Chicago's offense was bolstered by a game-high 25 points from Jimmy Butler, 13 bench points from Aaron Brooks and yet another double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds) from Pau Gasol.
Although the Bucks kept pace with 29 first-quarter points, they failed to crack 25 in any subsequent quarter and only tallied 40 second-half points.
As head coach Jason Kidd told reporters, per Highkin, the final three quarters were more indicative of Milwaukee's offensive ceiling:
Michael Carter-Williams and Giannis Antetokounmpo scored nine and 12 points, respectively, in their postseason debuts on identical 4-of-13 shooting.
All told, the Bucks shot 39.3 percent from the field and 25 percent from beyond the arc.
If the Bucks want to generate steadier offensive output in Game 2, Antetokounmpo will need to get the rock in his hands moving toward the basket. He was only sporadically active around the rim Saturday but proved capable of using off-the-dribble quickness to maneuver past Butler.
Getting the Greek Freak in a rhythm against such a stout one-on-one defender won't be easy, but Milwaukee needs to find a consistent source of offense—and he can be just that.
Washington Steals Home-Court Advantage
It may have been an offensive slog, but the Washington Wizards' 93-86 overtime win over the Toronto Raptors certainly didn't lack for drama.
Despite entering the fourth quarter with a nine-point edge, Washington devolved into a state of shot-making ineptitude characterized by frantic mid-range attempts late in the shot clock.
As a result, Toronto capitalized with a 26-point fourth quarter punctuated by Greivis Vasquez's game-tying three (and Antoine Walker-esque shimmy) with under 30 seconds remaining:
Washington righted the ship with an 11-4 overtime cushion to seal things, but there wasn't anything pretty about the scoring displays.
Both squads shot worse than 40 percent from the field and 29 percent from three, with paint points accounting for more than half of each team's total output.
John Wall (10 points) and Bradley Beal (16 points) shot a combined 11-of-41 from the field, but Washington's 2-guard made his presence felt with a clutch bucket that sent Kyle Lowry to the bench for good:
Paul Pierce steadied Washington's shaky effort with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including a 4-of-7 mark from three.
The Truth also backed up his pointed remarks about Toronto's lack of an "it" factor by repeatedly drilling big-time triples and embracing his villainous role after Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri addressed fans pregame, saying, "We don't give a s--t about 'It,'" per The Washington Post's Scott Allen.
Pierce responded to Ujiri in stoic fashion following the win, according to the Toronto Sun's Ryan Wolstat:
The Raptors are now historically bad in Game 1s, according to ESPN Stats & Info:
Considering Washington was seven games below .500 on the road during the regular season while Toronto won 66 percent of its home contests, the Raptors are in a spot conducive to bouncing back after a two-day layoff.
Next time around, they'll need Lowry (seven points) and DeMar DeRozan (15 points) to shoulder the load in order to solve a stingy Washington defense.
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