Harden falters as Leonard strikes back
SAN ANTONIO — Kawhi Leonard. Gregg Popovich. Adjustments. That was Game 2. Tony Parker went down, silencing AT&T Center for an eerie minute before an echoing “Tony” chant began. The four-time world champion tried to hobble off the hardwood, then was carried into the Spurs’ tunnel by two teammates. “It’s not good,” Popovich said. Ryan Anderson went through three quarters when he literally couldn’t miss. LaMarcus Aldridge and Danny Green returned to life.
But 121-96 San Antonio on
Wednesday and this increasingly tense second-round series that returns to Houston tied at 1-1?
All because of Leonard, Pop and adjustments.
The latter is always the most overused word in the NBA playoffs, often employed as a lazy catch-all to explain the ever-changing complexities of the postseason. But it was the straight, simple truth in Game 2.
San Antonio’s MVP owned the Rockets’ most valuable player. And now it’s on Mike D’Antoni to adjust to Popovich by finding a new way to free up the man who has carried the Rockets all year.
“They played harder, and we didn’t quite have the fight we had the other night,” D’Antoni said. “It’s a series. It’s 1-1. … We know it’s not easy. These guys are good. They’re super well-coached, and we knew they were going to have a reaction, and they did. Now it’s our turn to react.” A bit of everything
Leonard was ridiculous: game-high 34 points, 13-of-16 shooting from the field, seven rebounds, eight assists and four quarters of absolutely relentless defense. Harden never was himself, was consistently shadowed and hounded, and ended up shooting an abysmal 3-of-17 from the floor in what ended up as a 25-point blowout.
“We put Kawhi on James because he’s a good defender and James is a great player. It’s no rocket science,” said Popovich, sarcastically underselling the most important decision of Game 2.
While the final margins of Games 1 and 2 were almost similar, the initial contest was the shocker of the playoffs thus far.
San Antonio inside the arena it owns, with the second-best regular-season team in the NBA playing beneath five championship banners that are impossible to ignore. The Rockets came 190 miles west along Interstate 10 to scorch the Spurs for a 30-point halftime lead that eventually became 39 before garbage time set in and the only reason left to watch was to see how many 3s the relentless Rockets could sink.
San Antonio swore it would recapture the pace in Game 2, turning its stars back into smooth scorers and slowing down the Rockets’ wide-open attack. When Popovich inserted veteran center Pau Gasol (gamehigh 13 rebounds) into the Spurs’ starting lineup, removing David Lee from the initial five, San Antonio reinforced its desire for immediate change.
The Rockets’ planned counterattack? Ignore what the Spurs did and just stick to what worked from late October through early May. Run, shoot, score — and defend enough when it mattered.
“If they want to hold (the ball) for 24 seconds, we can’t control that. If they want to post up all the time, we can’t control that,” D’Antoni said before Game 2 began. “But once that ball is either made or missed … you get those. We can definitely put our pace on to them.”
The Rockets never did during the game that Leonard dominated and Parker left.
Gasol was just the beginning of Popovich’s perfect adjustments. Leonard took Harden as his primary assignment. Green started 4-of-4 from the floor, while the once-MIA Aldridge began 3-of-5 with six inside points. San Antonio was bigger, more assertive and efficient.
It barely mattered, initially. The Rockets were within 33-30 after the first quarter, despite Harden only going 1-of-6 and shaking off hip pain.
Then Leonard returned to his Memphis-series self. The next best thing to LeBron James owned the second quarter, scoring 12 points and guiding the Spurs to a 13-point lead. When Parker hit a left-corner 3 — off a Leonard assist, of course — it was 61-48 San Antonio and Popovich’s crew finally looked like the 61-21 team it was during the regular season. Contrasting stars
As Leonard single handedly took control — locking down Harden; bringing the ball up the court and palming it in the air, waiting for an open lane or teammate — the Rockets’ leader endured his worst half of the postseason. Harden went just 1-of-9 overall from the floor, was 1-of-5 on 3s and never showed the sharpness or spark that normally define his game.
“I’m not concerned about James Harden,” D’Antoni said. “That’s the least of my problems.”
The should-be MVP only shooting 3-of-17 in Leonard’s face is a major problem on a night defined by reactionary adjustments.
If Parker misses multiple games, the Rockets should soon be in the Western Conference finals and will probably be staring at Golden State for the third consecutive postseason.
But Game 2 in San Antonio belonged to Popovich and Leonard. Now it’s time for D’Antoni and Harden to answer back.