James Harden, Rockets Destroy Donovan Mitchell, Jazz to Push Series to 2-1
The Houston Rockets wrestled control of the Western Conference Semifinals back from the Utah Jazz after a 113-92 victory in Game 3 on Friday to take a 2-1 series lead.
James Harden and the rest of Houston's lineup wasted no time asserting themselves by shooting 61.5 percent in the first quarter to take a 39-22 lead after 12 minutes. They kept up that pace throughout the game, posting their biggest margin of victory so far this postseason.
The Rockets missed a golden opportunity to hold serve on their home court in Game 2. They came back from 19 points down, taking the lead in the fourth quarter, but were outscored 24-14 in the final eight minutes to let Utah tie the series at one.
The Jazz have been excellent at home all year with a 31-13 record, including the playoffs, prior to Friday. This was a statement win for the top-seeded Rockets at Vivint Smart Home Arena after a lackluster showing 48 hours ago.
Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni noted following the Game 2 loss that his team was resting on its laurels.
"We can correct our energy and we can correct the necessary focus that we need to have," D'Antoni told reporters on Thursday. "You get lulled into sleep. You think this stuff's easy. It's not easy. This is the NBA. This is the [conference] semifinals. We kind of got lulled into it, and we paid for it."
After coming out flat on Wednesday, Houston's first quarter on Friday set the tone for what was to come the rest of the game:
The balance displayed by Houston's offense was critical to this win. Four of the five starters scored at least 11 points, and Eric Gordon, who scored 22 in the first two games combined, tied Harden for the team lead with 25 points.
Clint Capela was doing everything on the court with 11 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and four blocks. The Rockets center was a force on defense, preventing Jazz players from having any success in the paint.
Chris Paul chipped in with 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists and zero turnovers in 31 minutes. He was coming off a playoff career-low three assists in Game 2.
Houston's long-distance shooting was the only thing that wasn't working. The Rockets connected on just 30.6 percent (11-of-36) of their threes, but they didn't suffer as a result because they attempted six fewer than they averaged during the regular season (42.3).
The Jazz at least avoided matching their worst playoff loss in franchise history:
Of particular concern for Utah is finding a way to get Donovan Mitchell back on track. The star rookie had another rough shooting game with just 10 points and connected on just four of his 16 attempts. It's the second straight time Houston has held him under 30 percent from the field in the series.
Mitchell didn't receive the help he saw in Game 2. Joe Ingles, coming off a career-high 27 points, contributed just six on 2-of-10 shooting in Friday's loss.
The Jazz were swept by the Rockets during the regular season, so this series was always going to be a difficult task for them. Any confidence gained from Game 2 vanished when Houston asserted its will on Utah's home court.
If the Jazz are going to make this a series, they will need to quickly block out everything from Game 3 as they look toward Sunday.
The Rockets were the best team in the NBA during the regular season, and they showed why in this win. Their offense was unstoppable after adjusting to what didn't work in the previous game. One more win in Utah will put them in the driver's seat to close out the series at home in Game 5.
