Houston Rockets Clobber Utah Jazz 117-91; Seize No. 2 Seed

It’s official.

Your Houston Rockets are the 2014-15 Southwest Division Champs!

Not only that but the Rockets have secured the No. 2 seed and will face the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of a best-of-seven series!

This was the match up that I preferred over any other opponent in the West.

The Rockets have had the Mavs’ number this season, winning three of their four meetings.

The series will certainly not be a cake walk but taking on the Mavs gives them a more favorable match up and a better chance to get out of the first round this year.

Because, bar none, that’s the ultimate goal for this season and the rest is just gravy after that.

This team is too damn good to be bounced out of the first round.

If the Rockets continue to play the way they should and the way they have the last three games, they’ll be quite successful against our rivals situated just hundreds of miles on I-45 North.

Late last week, we all were wondering whether or not if we would be hobbling into the playoffs with no home court advantage after what the San Antonio Spurs did to us.

But no need to fear, these gutsy Rockets have risen to the occasion to close the deal when they needed to the most.

Let’s talk about the slow but steady destruction of the Utah Jazz that the Rockets spearheaded last night.

The Rockets jumped on things early and took 13-4 lead with 7:08 left in the 1st after James Harden confidently knocked down two from the charity stripe.

But Rockets continued to keep that pedal to the floor, ending the 1st already leading by 11 points, 31-20.

In the 2nd quarter, the Rockets continued to step on their throats, leading by as much as 32 points with 1:31 left after a Jason Terry three-pointer. Rockets 62, Jazz 30

Harden had to have the last word of the half, sinking a three-pointer with one second left, getting him his 14 point of the night as well. Halftime Score: Rockets 65, Jazz 35

The Headband of Brothers — Terry, Josh Smith and Corey Brewer — were quite active — nailing key shots, playing suffocating defense accompanied with hearty rebounding and hefty shot-blocking.

That was the difference-maker in terms of why the Rockets had so much success in the 1st half.

Harden led the Rockets with 14 points, J-Smoove had 13 and Brew had 10 at the half.

Holding a team to 35 points in a half should be heralded to begin with.

It was more of the same for the 3rd quarter as the Rockets maintained what they had built up earlier.

Brew helped the Rox take a 39-point lead after a signature, quick-dunk of his, their largest of the game at that point. Rockets 91, Jazz 52

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That dunk was assisted by the Beard, netting him his 10th assist of the game — with him already having 16 points/11 rebounds, he earned his 4th seasonal triple-double which tied the franchise record that Hakeem Olajuwon has held for 25 years.

The Rockets held on and finished up the 3rd on top, 93-60.

By the end of that quarter, Rockets’ reserves such as Clint Capela, Kostas Papanikolaou, Joey Dorsey and Nick Johnson were already subbed into the game as the Rockets had this game tightly wound around their fists.

In the 4th quarter, K.J. McDaniels checked into the game with 8:47 left and made his presence known for those final minutes including an intimidating one-handed dunk in transition with 1:25 left.

Capela was crashing the boards, playing defense and had a notable, eye-opening dunk just before McDaniels with 1:53 left in the game.

The Rockets eventually coasted their way to a 117-91 win with barely breaking a sweat.

Although Harden’s triple-double headlined the night, Dwight Howard had 14/8 in 21 minutes of action while Terrence Jones threw in 15 points, Brew with 14 and J-Smoove with 13.

We were certainly treated to a block party as the Rockets swatted 13 balls on the way to victory as well.

Bryce Cotton led the Jazz with 14 points while Rudy Gobert had 8/8 and three blocks on the night.

So that’s it, Game No. 82 is in the books!

Houston Rockets Seize No. 2 Seed; Clobber Utah Jazz 117-91

By Brian K. Patterson | Apr 16, 2015

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