Rockets vs Cavs
The Cavaliers were far more accurate in all areas of the floor, but were felled by their inability to keep up on the so-called hustle stats. They committed nine more turnovers, took 15 fewer free throws, and gave up a whopping 20 offensive rebounds, which
Heading into yesterday’s match between the Rockets and the Cavaliers, everybody and his mother predicted a shootout, and that’s exactly what they came up with. By the time the final buzzer sounded, they combined for 229 points off 83 field goals, 33 from three-point territory. As far as National Basketball Association set-tos go, theirs exhibited relatively token defense for stretches at a time, but no matter. Each stuck to what had hitherto led to success, which meant the nets kept swishing.
It’s no surprise, really, because the way the Rockets and the Cavaliers have played is reflective of the league’s increasing emphasis on efficiency. Simply put, their goal in every set is to get either a three or a two in the paint; midrange heaves, long noted by advanced metrics as the least productive of all available options, are no-nos. And yesterday was no exception. Most Valuable Player candidate James Harden, for example, took 28 shots all told, and only two were not in the restricted area or from beyond the arc. That said, the outcome was decided the traditional way. The Cavaliers were far more accurate in all areas of the floor, but were felled by their inability to keep up on the so-called hustle stats. They committed nine more turnovers, took 15 fewer free throws, and gave up a whopping 20 offensive rebounds, which, in turn, led to 15 second-chance points. All things considered, it’s actually a wonder they still had an opportunity to steal the contest.
For the Cavaliers, the loss means yet another step back and closer to the competition. They’re just two games ahead of the Wizards and the Celtics in the battle for the top spot in the East, and their sputtering finish to the regular season puts in question their readiness to defend their title. On the flipside, they can argue that their four-six slate in their last 10 games is hardly indicative of their strength; All- Star Kevin Love remains out due to a knee injury, and they’re another front-liner away from a full roster.
Meanwhile, the Rockets have managed to improve on their middling showing against competition with positive records. They’re not likely to upend the Spurs or the Warriors for the Number Two spot in the West, but they at least have some more breathing room vis-à-vis the fourth-running Jazz. And if they find themselves meeting the Cavaliers anew, it means they’re in the Finals, where they’ll be confident of their chances to rinse and
repeat their winning formula.