Memories of 3-1 turnaround remain fresh
If the Rockets would benefit from knowing a team can come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series, they did not need to look hard to find an example.
After winning Game 5 of the 2015 Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Rockets rallied from a 19-point third-quarter deficit in Game 6 to force a Game 7, winning the series in Houston. But when asked about a few players that have first-hand experience from being a part of that game and series, forward Trevor Ariza pointed out, “Chris was, too.”
Though Ariza, James Harden and Clint Capela (who played four minutes in that game) are the only players that remain from the Rockets’ roster that night, Chris Paul, the former Clippers star, had not forgotten it.
“He mentioned it,” Harden said.
“We were in a series against the Clippers and Chris, so he talks about that. We know how important (Wednesday’s) game is, obviously. We’re going to play like it.”
Only 11 teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a playoff series, most recently the Cavaliers to beat the Warriors for the 2016 NBA championship.
“Our whole thing is just to stay locked in and stay focused into what we’re doing,” Ariza said. “Everybody knows it takes four games to win a series in the NBA. Until we get the fourth game, nothing else matters. We have to play every possession as hard as we can and stick with the grind.
“Nothing has been accomplished. We haven’t done anything yet.”
50-point quarter is ‘cute’ to D’Antoni
With the Rockets taking another place in the NBA record books, scoring 50 points in the third quarter on Monday, they described the feat as “pretty cool” and “cute.” It was, if nothing else, among the goals Mike D’Antoni laid out when he took over as Rockets coach before the 2016-17 season.
“It’s pretty cool just to put up 50 points in a quarter,” guard James Harden said. “I think it’s only been done once before that. That just shows how fast we can get it rolling. We haven’t been particularly been shooting the ball well in this series. (It) was a good run for us.”
The Rockets scored the most points in a post-season quarter since the Lakers scored 51 against the Pistons in 1962. They broke the record for points scored in a quarter in the playoffs by a road team.
“That’s how good our players are and how good they can be,” D’Antoni said. “That’s just something that doesn’t really matter. It’s cute. It’s like getting a triple-double. Oh, OK. It doesn’t really matter. It’s a mark.
“I was just really impressed with the way they came out focused in on their defense and took the game on and did what they had to do.”
The most points the Rockets had scored in a quarter this season were 48 in the third quarter against the Jazz in November. Their most on the road were the 45 they put up in the first and second quarters in Phoenix in November.
They scored 42 in a fourth quarter against the Timberwolves in Minneapolis in February. Even including Monday’s game, their most points in a second half are the 72 they scored that night.
“We got close a couple times throughout the season,” forward Trevor Ariza said. “It was always a goal of ours to get 50 in a quarter. Coach has been preaching that since he’s been here. We got to do it. It was pretty good.”
Mbah a Moute’s return still on hold
Rockets forward Luc Mbah a Moute began shooting over the weekend but still has not been given a timetable for his return from a dislocated shoulder. Mbah a Moute said last week that he had been progressing more quickly from the injury suffered April 10 than he did when he dislocated the shoulder in December, forcing him to miss a month. But the Rockets have not estimated when he might return.
“He’s closer,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “It’s still too early to put a timetable on it, yet. Next week, he’ll be reevaluated. I think he’ll be real close next week, but I don’t know that for sure.”
P.J. Tucker and Clint Capela, who took hard falls Monday were not on the injury report and were at Tuesday’s practice. Timberwolves guard Tyus Jones is questionable for Game 5 with a sore right knee.
Fan rewarded for long trip
A day after Rockets guard James Harden tossed his shoes to Meng-Han Yang ,a 23-year-old student who made the 7,138-mile trek from Taiwan to see his favorite NBA team Monday at Target Center, Harden said he meant to give the fan something to remember the trip after Game 3 on Saturday. Harden forgot after the loss.
“I saw him in Game 3,” Harden said. “I wanted to do something for him, but I just couldn’t think. We lost and my mind was racing. He came back with that same sign in Game 4. I was like, ‘Let me take care of business and I’ll make sure that trip was worth it.’
“I can appreciate things like that, fans coming all the way from Taiwan just to watch me play in Minnesota. That’s a pretty good feeling.”