NBA Playoffs Game 3: Houston Rockets Best Dallas Mavs 130-128
Apr 24, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Houston Rockets onward Josh Smith (5) reacts in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center. The Rockets beat the Mavs 130-128. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
This Houston Rockets team is getting ever closer to getting out of the first round!
I’m excited, you should be excited, the whole damn city should be excited as far as what’s transpiring for our beloved basketball team.
In past seasons, we’d just settle for making the playoffs and build off of that but the difference now is that it’s expected.
The bare minimum expectations for this season are that the Rockets get out of the first round and things are looking like that we will!
Historically, there has never been a team in the first round that has climbed out of a 3-0 hole so history is on the team’s side.
But let’s not count the chickens before they’re hatched — there’s still one more game to play.
This team just has to do what it has been doing one more time and then they can go and advance to face the next opponent.
I have to admit — the Dallas Mavericks played quite hard considering that they’re without Chandler Parsons and Rajon Rondo — of which the first listed has been dealing with injury for quite some time and the latter…well, let’s just say he doesn’t like Rick Carlisle.
Rondo’s already looking forward to where he’ll be going next — could his next stop be in H-Town?
He’s already rumored to be headed to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Any way, let’s talk about this game the Rockets played — far from perfect but they closed out when it was most needed!
The Rockets came out guns a-blazing and their lead was as much as 12 points after Terrence Jones connected on a reverse layup with 4:07 left in the 1st quarter. Rockets 27, Mavs 19
TJones had a nice start reeling off 10 quick points and four rebounds right out of the gate.
He had been silent for most of this series and it was good to know that he was attempting to make a solid impression early.
But unfortunately, the Rockets started to let things slip after leading 37-28 with 1:55 left, causing the Mavs to go on a 8-0 run led by Monta Ellis and Amar’e Stoudamire to pull within one point. Rockets 37, Mavs 36
But Josh Smith wasn’t having it and put a stop to the Mavs momentum providing a big-time three-pointer and a runner for a total of five points to put the Rockets back up by six — 42-36 — at the end of the quarter.
The start of the 2nd quarter did not fare as a positive for the Rockets — Dirk Nowitzki and J.J. Berea both worked together to get the Mavs a little closer, pulling within one point, 47-46 with 9:11 left in the quarter.
Trevor Ariza countered with dunk of his own to put them back up by three on the next possession but the Mavs worked to not only take a 50-49 lead with 6:38 left, their first in awhile but to go up by as much as 13 points toward the end of the quarter.
This was after an unobstructed, unfettered dunk Ellis completed to put the Mavs up 70-57 with 1:13 left.
The Mavs had the momentum at this moment and the Rockets were not necessarily making the best decisions as far as their shooting.
I do think Kevin McHale waited way too long between those Mavs runs to call timeout to get his troops back in order.
I’ve thought like that whole season so what I saw was nothing new.
Nonetheless, the Rockets worked enough to trail the Mavs 72-65 at the half.
Next: What Happened In The 2nd Half?