To-do list grows after loss
While all’s not lost, Rockets have to play with sense of urgency
These aren’t Donald Sterling’s Los Angeles Clippers.
They weren’t last year at this time, either, according to the NBA, which banned the former owner for life on April 29 for racist comments. That was two days after the Clippers protested before a playoff game against Golden State, gathering at midcourt to turn their red warm-up jerseys inside out to hide the team’s name and logo. The Clippers lost that game. But they came back on the night of Sterling’s banishment to win, ultimately eliminating the Warriors.
Although the Clippers lost
in the next round in six games to Oklahoma City, coach Doc Rivers said his players became a team.
“We needed that,” he said. “The adversity was good for us.”
No Paul? No problem
So you thought the Clippers would curl up in a corner of Toyota Center on Monday night because they were playing 48 hours after winning a grueling seventh game on the West Coast against the defending champion Spurs, traveled to Houston for the start of another series against a rested team and were without point guard Chris Paul? Charles Barkley did. “The Clippers got no chance,” he said on TNT before Game 1 of the Western Conference second-round series. “I don’t think they have a chance without Chris Paul.”
Asked to elaborate about whether he meant the series or merely Game 1, Barkley said, “In either.”
If the Clippers were listening, they weren’t paying attention.
Perhaps the Rockets were.
Josh Smith said after the game the Rockets were aware “the head of the snake is gone …” before adding, “and we didn’t take advantage of it.”
After jumping out to a 13-point second quarter lead, they either were lulled into complacency or subdued by the Clippers’ determination. Take your pick. Neither was good for the Rockets. They lost the game 117-101. That’s not all they lost. They lost home-court advantage.
They lost a chance to influence when Paul returns from his hamstring injury. If the Rockets had won, the Clippers realistically would have had no choice but to play him in Game 2 on Wednesday night at Toyota Center. Now, having taken care of the business by winning at least one game in Houston, the Clippers could rest him again so he will be closer to 100 percent for Game 3 on Friday night at Staples Center.
‘Edge’ was missing
So is now the time for Rockets fans to panic? Not really. Even after Monday’s loss, and despite all evidence to the contrary, Barkley said, “I still think the Rockets are going to win the series.”
It’s possible, but they need things to happen for them in the next few games that didn’t in the first one.
They need to match the Clippers’ effort. In a heavily edited version of coach Kevin McHale’s two-minute postgame monologue about the Clippers’ greater sense of urgency, he said, “They played with more of an edge … they wanted it more … they kicked our (butts).” All true.
Dwight Howard has been an offensive force in the playoffs. His teammates need to get him more than three fourthquarter shots even with DeAndre Jordan guarding him. The Rockets’ bench is deeper than the Clippers’ bench. Yet, the Rockets’ reserves had only a 28-26 scoring advantage. They, especially Smith, need to play like they did in the first-round series against Dallas. McHale needs to dig deeper into the playbook to find something that works coming out of timeouts. The Rockets need to take care of the ball.
MVP effort by Griffin
Most of all, they need James Harden to play like the MVP he should have been named Monday.
They need him to play like Blake Griffin.
Without Paul for the first time this season, Rivers told Griffin he would have to be the head of the snake. Although Griffin is a power forward, Rivers told him to be a point forward. He would need to score and facilitate the other scorers and, when he facilitated too much, Rivers reminded him to score.
“He goes to the middle of the field and picks people apart, kind of like Tom Brady,” teammate Matt Barnes said.
Griffin finished with 26 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists — his third triple-double of the playoffs.
It all starts with Harden
Harden had 20 points and 12 rebounds but disappeared for stretches. All he will be remembered for are his nine turnovers.
The Rockets don’t need him to do everything — as he often was required to do during the regular season — in order to beat the Clippers. He does have to play better than he did in Game 1, better than he too often has played during postseasons past and present.
“I’m the catalyst for everything on the offensive end, and I’ve got to do a better job,” he acknowledged.
The Rockets need MVP Harden, not MIA Harden.