Solomon: Harden has ramped up his postseason game
Rockets appear well-suited for this undertaking
Instead of being transported from their five-star hotel to the stadium by bus, perhaps the Utah Jazz should have arrived in a hearse.
James Harden could have sauntered in wearing those dark, hooded Grim Reaper sweats he so likes, in lieu of the silky, expensive-looking short set he sported on Sunday.
And public-address announcer Matt Thomas could have opened the introductions with a somberly tone: “We are gathered here today …” The Jazz funeral has begun. Yeah, I know, Rockets forward Luc Mbah a Moute didn’t author the Instagram post over
the weekend that indicated he was at a Jazz funeral — his social media manager was responsible for the joke — but everyone at Toyota Center on Sunday afternoon was at a Jazz funeral.
If coach Mike D’Antoni can keep his team engaged enough to not drop the casket this week, Rockets fans will be second-lining next Sunday after Houston buries the Jazz in this Western Conference semifinal. (Do be careful traveling, Clutch City fans. Dancing in the streets might be illegal in Salt Lake City.)
Game 1, a 110-96 win, was too easy. And the Rockets played two lousy quarters.
After rolling up as much as a 27-point lead, settling for a 64-39 halftime edge, they were outscored in the third and fourth quarters as they coasted home.
It is the same lack of urgency we saw from them throughout a first-round series against Minnesota.
Panic time? The Rockets were so lackadaisical in that best-of-seven that it lasted all of five games.
D’Antoni won’t let up
“My job is to nitpick and try to get better where we’re not good,” D’Antoni said.
The tricky part is identifying where a team that is so good, great at times, is not good.
D’Antoni’s search for where his team is not good will end up in their humanity more than their ability.
“We’re up 25-30 (points) … it’s human nature to kind of relax a little bit,” said forward P.J. Tucker, who matched a career playoff high with 15 points.
So you’re telling me Harden is human?
Harden had more difficulty trying to get a handle on Chris Paul’s son after the game than he did handling the Jazz.
For the second straight series, the Rockets’ star let an opponent know from the start it was due to get worked. He tallied 20 points in the first half and finished with 41 to go with seven assists and eight rebounds in 37 brilliant minutes. (Harden lit the Timberwolves up for 44 points in Game 1 of that series.)
Jazz coach Quin Snyder said his team needed to force the Rockets to shoot poorly from the 3-point line while not allowing them to get to the foul line.
Harden ruined those plans singlehandedly, making seven of 12 from long range and almost matching the entire Jazz roster by going 10-of-11 from the foul line to Utah’s 13-for-22.
Harden’s game is at a different level than ever in the postseason.
The previous two seasons, he averaged 2.8 3-pointers a game on 28.7 percent shooting in the playoffs. Thu far this year, he is averaging 4.5 3-point makes a game at 42.2 percent. And that includes a 1-for-10 clunker in Game 2 against the T-Wolves.
No one has been able to stop Harden all year. The Jazz won’t either. If he has a bad game in this series, that’ll be on him, not because of what’s being done to him defensively.
The same holds for the Rockets as a whole. They won a league-best 65 games, losing only half as many contests (17) as the Jazz (34).
“Offensively, I think this team and us, we’re just different,” Harden said. “We’ve seen so many different defenses throughout the year that it prepared us for this moment.”
What can the Jazz do? As we saw Sunday, on half a good day, the Rockets are simply the better team.
Paul didn’t play great but added 17 points and six assists, with an uncharacteristic seven turnovers — one below his career worst in a playoff game — yet Houston won with ease.
Rubio missed
Utah has excuses. The Jazz played late Friday night, traveled to Houston on Saturday, had to take the court midday, and did so without starting point guard Ricky Rubio (hamstring injury).
Give’ em a couple of good nights’ sleep, some Tex-Mex, and a barbecue plate. Then what?
Rubio might make a difference, but if this is a short series, he might not even step on the floor.
Still, Jazz forward Jae Crowder, who scored 21 points off the bench, doesn’t sound discouraged.
“We haven’t given up all year, and we don’t plan on giving up now,” he said.
The Jazz are dead; the funeral has begun. Poor things just don’t know it.