Houston Rockets Vs. San Antonio Spurs: Round 2 | Game 3: Sneak Peek Analysis

May 3, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Jonathon Simmons (bottom) draws an offensive foul on Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) during the second half in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
May 3, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Jonathon Simmons (bottom) draws an offensive foul on Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) during the second half in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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As much as we wanted for the Houston Rockets to repeat their success from Game 1, we all knew that wasn’t going to happen Wednesday night.

As much as we wanted for the Houston Rockets to repeat their success from Game 1, we all knew that wasn’t going to happen Wednesday night.

The Rockets were fleeced by the San Antonio Spurs and we got a dose of their nasty medicine, only taking the lead once and that was in the 1st quarter when it was 12-10.

I’d expect a better performance now that they’re on their home court but it still won’t be easy.

Let’s hope we see a better performance tonight here in the H.

So who’s leading the charge for the Spurs?

Kawhi Leonard leads the team in scoring (30.3 PPG), assists (4.6 APG), steals (1.9 SPG).  LaMarcus Aldridge leads in rebounds (7.4 RPG) and in blocks (0.8 BPG).

Let’s talk about what the Spurs do well.

Their offense remains robust.  The Spurs are 2nd in the playoffs in regard to offensive efficiency, averaging 116.1 points per 100 possessions.

They take care of the basketball quite well.  The Spurs are 1st in turnover ratio, with a meager 11.1 percent of their possessions ending with a turnover. 

They’re still great on the boards.  The Spurs are 2nd in rebound rate, taking down 53.1 percent of missed shots.

Next: James Harden To Sign A Super-Max Deal In 2017?

Injuries:

Tony Parker injured himself while pulling up for jumper late in the game.  He landed awkwardly on his left leg and had to be carried off the court to the locker room by his teammates.  He has been diagnosed with a ruptured left quad and is done for the rest of playoffs.

This is tough news to digest as he is one of my favorite players to watch and has been over the years.

He is expected to have surgery to repair the quad soon and I certainly hope he doesn’t have to retire but it’s long road ahead to recovery from an injury like this.

Source(s): Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, CBS Sports, Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical

Matchups to Watch:

  1. Patrick Beverley vs. Patty Mills
  2. James Harden vs. Danny Green
  3. Trevor Ariza vs. Kawhi Leonard
  4. Clint Capela vs. David Lee
  5. Ryan Anderson vs. LaMarcus Aldridge 

Prediction:

119-113 in a Houston Rockets’ win!

The Rockets back at home to take on the Spurs at Toyota Center.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CDT.

The game will be televised on ESPN and broadcast on NewsRadio 740 AM (KTRH), Sirius 207, XM/SiriusXM 86 (Internet 890) and La Ranchera 101.7 FM (KNTE) & 850 AM (KEYH) in Spanish.

Go Rockets.