Reducing turnovers crucial to series win
The Rockets’ five turnovers Wednesday matched their fewest in a playoff game, with the final turnover taken when they intentionally took a shot-clock violation in the final seconds.
Their 42 turnovers in the series are two more than the fewest ever in a five-game series, as the Rockets fulfilled one of their goals going into a matchup with the Timberwolves, who were fourth in scoring off turnovers in the regular season.
The Rockets’ 8.4 turnovers in the first five games of the playoffs are the least in the NBA. The 7.8 points off turnovers they allowed per game were the least, more than five less than the nextbest Celtics have given up.
“Limiting our turnovers gives us extra possessions offensively,” guard James Harden said. “We’re already pretty tough to guard offensively, but if we get a couple more possessions per game, opportunity for more points. Our entire team, not only me and Chris ( Paul), our entire team we preach make the easy pass and the ball will find you. If you have a shot and an opportunity, shoot the basketball. We’ve done a pretty good job of that.”
Team welcomes rest, practice
Though the Rockets had played just five games since the previous break in the schedule, they did not mind getting time before the second round while the Thunder and Jazz work their way through their first-round series.
“I think it’s good,” forward Trevor Ariza said. “It will give us time to rest and give us time to work on things that we didn’t do so well. But the fact that we got it over with, it’s an encouraging thing.”
With the Oklahoma City comeback Wednesday, the Thunder and Jazz will play Friday in Salt Lake City with the Jazz leading 3-2. If the Jazz win, the Rockets’ secondround series would begin Sunday in Toyota Center. If the Thunder force a seventh game, the winner of that game will face the Rockets beginning Tuesday in Houston. Either way, the Rockets will have one practice day in which they know their opponent.
“We’ll have the next day,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We’ll break it down. If Utah wins (on Friday), we’ll break that down. If OKC wins, we’ll wait until Sunday.
“We have plenty of time to prepare, get in there and do what we do.”
After a day off Thursday, the Rockets will have at least two practice days, as they did before opening their first-round series. Though they got off to a sluggish start offensively, the time off was far preferable to a return trip to Minneapolis for a Game 6 no longer needed.
“It was key,” forward P.J. Tucker said. “We wanted to be able to come in and take out the series early. I think we got pretty locked in early on.
“At first it was tough but once we got our defense going, they (the Timberwolves) didn’t let up at all.
“They didn’t make it easy on us at all, but I like the way we responded every time they came back.”