Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Game 4 Grades and Analysis
In a game that was ground to a halt by the use of Hack-a-Shaq, the Los Angeles Clippers destroyed the Houston Rockets 128-95 on Sunday at the Staples Center.
Houston began intentionally fouling center DeAndre Jordan early in the first quarter and kept it up throughout the half. Jordan would finish the game 14-of-34 from the free-throw line. He had 26 points and 17 rebounds.
The strategy failed to make much of an impact, at least not one that hurt the Clippers. All it really did was rob the Rockets of any chance at offensive rhythm and put half their roster in foul trouble.
Shooting guard James Harden did what he could to overcome the clustercuss, posting 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists. But his personal offense wasn't enough to overcome the explosive Clippers on the other end.
Los Angeles Clippers
Chris Paul: A
Chris Paul never had to take over the game, but the star point guard certainly controlled it on the possessions in which the Rockets didn't foul.
The most important stretch may have been in the third quarter, when the Clippers were starting to pull away from Houston. Paul hit Jordan on back-to-back alley-oops that sapped the last bit of life from their opponents.
He finished the game with 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting, to go with 12 assists in only 26 minutes. This series has almost gotten to the point where it's just rest for Paul before the Western Conference Finals.
Like Paul, Blake Griffin's touches were significantly reduced by the deployment of Hack-a-Shaq. However, the forward still wound up with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, eight boards and three assists.
This is perhaps the best argument in favor of using this strategy. It did take the ball out of the hands of L.A.'s best players, but again, it destroyed Houston's rhythm as well.
DeAndre Jordan: A
Thirty-four free-throw attempts. Just let that soak in.
Kudos to Jordan for not allowing it to mess with his psyche, though. Despite being the subject of what could be a very embarrassing strategy, Jordan continued to do the things he does best.
His 17 rebounds were a game-high and he clogged up the paint for the Clippers.
J.J. Redick: A
J.J. Redick was another Clipper whose rhythm wasn't hurt much by the all hacking. He went 4-of-7 from three-point range and finished with 18 points.
Perhaps more importantly, though, Redick played solid defense against Harden. Almost every shot taken by Harden was a tough one, often of the step-back variety.
Matt Barnes: C
Even when Matt Barnes struggles offensively—he was 2-of-8 for seven points—he still manages to impact the game with his attitude alone.
Barnes is the guy who can get under opponents' skin. He'll commit hard fouls, sneak in some cheap shots and talk about it the entire time.
By doing so, Barnes has the ability to take big players out of a game emotionally.
Rest of Team: B+
It might not be just a few lucky games anymore. Backup guard Austin Rivers has been consistently strong throughout the postseason and had another good run with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting on Sunday. His solid play has been doubly important, allowing Paul to further rest his hamstring.
"Austin Rivers just heatcheck splashed you. Peace out, Houston.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) May 11, 2015"
Jamal Crawford was the other reserve guard who had a decent line, scoring 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting.
The rest of the bench finished the game in garbage time and scored 16.
Houston Rockets
James Harden: B+
Harden's final stat line is fine when you only look at the box score. But the eye test tells a different story. Harden was never able to seize control of the game—in part because of Redick's defense, but also because of the complete lack of flow to the game as a whole.
With the Rockets' backs against the wall, it may be time for a leader like Harden to talk to coach Kevin McHale and ask if they can just try to win conventionally.
No more Hack-a-Shaq. That may help the Rockets find more of a rhythm.
This was a nightmarish game for center Dwight Howard, who battled foul trouble throughout and finished with seven points and six rebounds.
He eventually fouled out, and then was thrown out for tossing the ball at a ref's feet. It was his second technical, after grabbing an official in the first quarter.
There was a stretch in the first half when it looked like Trevor Ariza might be able to shoot the Rockets into this game, but the Clippers were able to run him off the three-point line over the last 24 minutes.
The forward finished the game with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds.
Terrence Jones: C
With Howard clearly frustrated, the Rockets desperately needed someone to counter the physical play of the Clippers. Sounds like a job for Terrence Jones. However, the power forward simply wasn't able to pull it off.
That might not be his fault, though. At times, the refs were calling the game super-tight—and at other times, not tight at all. Jones was the victim of the quick trigger on one play, when he was T'd up for seemingly nothing.
He would finish the game with 10 points on 5-of-12 shooting and six rebounds.
Jason Terry: B-
Jason Terry did a good job offensively, knocking down open shots on the way to 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting.
But the other end was once again a problem. Terry can't cover point guards anymore, especially Paul. That throws a number of matchups out of whack, which is part of the reason why the Clippers dropped 128 points on Houston.
Rest of Team: D
A number of Houston reserves were used for no other reason besides the Hack-a-Shaq. The bench alone committed 21 fouls.
The regular rotation guys—Josh Smith, Corey Brewer and Pablo Prigioni—combined to shoot 3-of-13 from the field for eight points.
The only bench player who managed to be productive was backup guard Nick Johnson, who scored 10 points, mostly in garbage time.
Coming Up Next
Game 5 will be on Tuesday, May 12, at 9:30 p.m. ET in Houston.
The Rockets need to start from scratch. Throw out the Hack-a-Shaq strategy and try to return to the run-and-gun, pace-and-space style that got them the No. 2 seed in the first place.
The Clippers, meanwhile, should just continue down the path they're on. The Rockets haven't shown an inkling of an ability to slow down Paul, Griffin and Jordan.
Andy Bailey covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him @AndrewDBailey.
