Rockets know it won’t be easy to close out Thunder
Finishing a series that’s been loaded with tight games will be difficult
As the Rockets reconvened on the Toyota Center floor, playoff T-shirts added to the seats and a sense they were reaching the first-round finish line, they knew they were fortunate to be a win away from the second round. It might have been the best thing they could take from the day’s session.
The Rockets lead the Oklahoma City Thunder 3-1 but also had ample reason to be wary.
“We’re one shot away from (the verge of ) a sweep,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said, “probably two shots away from being down 1-3.”
In the three games since the Game 1 blowout, the Rockets have outscored the Thunder by an average of two points per game. Prior to the Rockets’ rout in the final regular-season meeting of the teams, the previous three games between them were decided by three or fewer points.
The Rockets said “the closeout game” could be the toughest. It will have to be monumentally difficult to be tougher
than the games played.
“The hardest thing in sports is to close a series out,” D’Antoni said. “We all know that. We have to win this game for all kinds of reasons.
“Hopefully, we’ll have the right mindset. We have to start the games better. We haven’t done that, yet. There’s a lot of things we can improve on, but we also know we’re going to take their best shot and we have to be ready to respond.
“They shouldn’t be complacent. We’ve barely survived them. It won’t be easy. It will be a slugfest out there.”
The Rockets insist they will be ready to see the Thunder’s best. But they also have said throughout the series they would overcome their issues with slow starts and have not, falling into double-digit holes in each of the past three games. Still, after needing a late push in Game 4 on Sunday to come home with a 3-1 lead, the Rockets said they would not assume they are in control of the series, just in front.
“This is a team that’s not going to give up,” Rockets forward Trevor Ariza said. “They’re going to play hard all the way to the end. You can’t go in there just thinking they’re going to lay down. They’re not. We have to go in with the mentality this is the last game of the series and if we don’t win, we’re going to be in trouble.”
Ongoing problem
Returning to Toyota Center will not be enough to prevent a slow start. The Rockets trailed by 15 in the first quarter of the previous game on their home floor. But they did believe they could keep a roll going if they can get on one.
“We’ve got to get off to a good start,” guard James Harden said. “The whole series, our second halves have been pretty good, especially defensively. We’ve got to get off to a really good start, offensively, get a good rhythm and carry that for four quarters.
“Just come out with some urgency. We’re at home and it’s a closeout game. If that’s not enough, I don’t know what to tell.”
For the starters to improve early, they likely will need center Clint Capela to bounce back from a disastrous Game 4. The Rockets were outscored by 25 points in Capela’s 17½ minutes on the floor before Nene stepped in to take over the game.
New lineup unlikely
Asked if he would keep the starting lineup as it has been, D’Antoni was not definitive, offering a “we’ll see.” But he added that the mindset is not to “panic,” indicating a change is unlikely.
“He underperformed last night,” D’Antoni said of Capela. “He understands that. I think he’ll snap back. I think he’ll be fine. But these are great experiences for him. He has a great future. He’s young. He has to go through this. It’s not all going to be roses. But he’s always responded because he’s got a good heart, and he’s a good guy.”
Only nine teams have come out of a 3-1 hole to win an NBA playoff series, though Rockets guard and Chicago native Pat Beverley pointed to the Cubs’ World Series comeback as a reminder nothing can be assumed.
The tight games also offer a reminder of the danger of letting the Thunder prolong the first round.
“It’s been a tough series,” Harden said. “(Tuesday) would be a great way to end it off in the first round. It’s not going to be easy. They’re going to come in, give it their all and go down with a fight. We have to make sure we keep our composure and execute.”
His choice of the word “fight” was likely not accidental. The Rockets had to win “a brawl” in Game 4, D’Antoni said. They know what to expect with Oklahoma City playing to extend its season.
“Playoff basketball is never pretty,” he said. “You don’t win by being cute. You win by your heart and mind and guts.”