NBA Playoffs Gm 2: Houston Rockets Keep Dallas Mavs In Check 111-99
We are in full swing of the NBA Playoffs and our Houston Rockets are taking over this series with swagger.
This is exactly how I hoped this team would look in the postseason, minus the injuries.
Just think if Donatas Motiejunas and Patrick Beverley were healthy?
We’d be damn near unstoppable!
But the Rockets are doing what they’ve done all season — managed to play the ultimate game of survival of the fittest with the resources that they have.
So far, the Rockets are winning that game.
As I’ve said previously, this particular match up in the first round couldn’t have been more favorable for the Rockets out of all of the opponents they faced.
They had their number all season, winning three out of the four meetings and it’s showing in this series.
Simply put, we’re just the better team and there can be no denying of that.
Take that Mark Cuban!
I knew things were going to be off a roaring start when James Harden euro-stepped his way to the Rockets first points of the night.
The victim?
Rajon Rondo. Harden faked him out so good that he tried to sell a flop to play it off but the refs didn’t buy.
Harden ended up sinking the jumper while Rondo was on the floor picking up his clothes figuring out what the hell happened.
Harden would go on to score five unanswered points right out the gate.
Clint Capela was able to get some early action in the first quarter and it didn’t take him that long to score his first points of the game off a layup.
This caused the Rockets to take their largest lead of the game — six points — with 2:39 left in the quarter. Rockets 20, Mavs 14
Both teams continued to grind hard and as the dust settled, the Rockets trailed the Mavericks 24-23 at the end of the 1st.
The 2nd quarter was bit tighter between the teams but the Rockets were able to a brief four-point lead after a Harden drive-in with 54 seconds left.
That was his 16th point of the game as the Rockets led 51-47.
The Mavs then went on a 6-0 run to take the lead into the half 53-51.
Although the Rockets shooting had elevated to 50 percent for the quarter, they missed 17 shots in the paint definitely explaining why the game continued to be close.
Let me tell you something.
Dwight Howard was absolutely sensational and looked as best as he ever has. He dunked, he scored, he attacked the boards as our franchise big man should be doing.
Josh Smith was his point man for the majority of his dunks as they seemed to build an incredible rapport with the immense amount of lobs that he was throwing.
In the 3rd quarter, the Rockets took a seven-point lead which was their largest of the game thus far after Jason Terry hit a jumper with 3:47 left.
But the Mavs fought their way back to trail the Rockets by one after Monta Ellis sunk a three-pointer with no time left on the clock, giving him his 22nd point of the game. Rockets 81, Mavs 80
Let’s talk about the 4th quarter!
Those last 12 minutes belonged to Smith and his nickname should be slightly modified to the Smoove operator as a result!
He played hard on both ends of the court!
Through most of the half of the 4th quarter, it seemed he and D12 were practicing alley-oop drills.
Live Feed
Space City Scoop
How the Mavs were unable to stop such a simple play was laughable and it benefited the Rockets not only on the scoreboard but the momentum of their play as well as rallying up the crowd!
Not one, not two but FIVE alley-oops were lobbed from J-Smoove in that quarter and their timing with each of those couldn’t have been more impeccable.
J-Smoove even had a launch pad trick on his own by connecting on a stunning one-hander all on Tyson Chandler with 2:15 left!
I had to yell in jubilation when I saw that! It was unreal!
I recorded this game as well and I had to press play/rewind, again, again and again!
Wow!
More from House of Houston
- Are you the 2021 FanSided Sports Fan of the Year?
- Houston Texans: 4 reasons Romeo Crennel is right coach right now
- Astros-Twins Wild Card Series: 5 things to know as MLB postseason begins
- Houston Texans: The Most Underrated Sports Drought Ever
- Houston Texans: J.J. Watt’s early case for NFL Hall of Fame
After the Rockets were done blowing smoke up the Mavs you-know-what, they were comfortably ahead and had the game in hand.
They held on to win 111-99!
I’d also like to note that the officiating for this game was inconsistent at best and I’m being nice by saying that.
Just what justification do they have calling a flagrant foul on D12 with 5:17 left in the 4th when he continued to get the short end of the stick, not getting any calls or even worse, the refs falling for all of the flops!
Any way, the Rockets did what they needed to win; and, for that, I’m thankful.
For the first time in nearly an eternity, D12 was the leading scorer for the Rockets. He finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in 33 minutes of action.
Harden had 24 points and six assists, going a perfect 13-for-13 from the free throw line.
Apr 18, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center
Dwight Howard(12) controls the ball during the first quarter as Dallas Mavericks center
Tyson Chandler(6) defends in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
And J-Smoove…need I say more?!? He had 15 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, a playoff career-high for him.
Corey Brewer threw in 15 points and Capela was quite productive — he had five points, four rebounds and one block in 10 minutes of action.
Yep, Joey Dorsey will officially be riding the pine for the foreseeable future.
Ellis led the Mavs with 24 points.
Despite the Rockets shooting 6-for-20 (30 percent) from the behind-the-arc, they were able to prove that don’t necessarily have to live by the three to win.
The Rox held the Mavs to 37.1 percent shooting from the field and 27.3 percent from the three-point line.
What a night!
More from Houston Rockets
- Houston Rockets and Texans: Two different coaches with one glaring similarity
- Houston Rockets: Dig in, make threes, win series
- Houston Rockets: The time to make a statement is now
- Houston Rockets: Rest Russell Westbrook for remainder of the OKC series
- Houston Rockets: G2: What has put the team in driver’s seat against OKC
And the Rockets will have an opportunity to get even more of a edge as this series shifts to Big D for the next two games.
The Rockets take on the Mavs this Friday at American Airlines Center.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT.
The game will be televised on ESPN/ROOT Sports Southwest and broadcast on SportsTalk 790 AM (KBME).