Aussies struggle as Rockets soar
JOE Ingles started hot, but quickly chilled as the Utah Jazz imploded in a 113-92 loss to the Houston Rockets in game three of their NBA Western Conference semi-final series.
The win in Salt Lake City yesterday (NZ time) gave the topseeded Rockets a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Ingles sank the first basket of the game, a three-pointer from well beyond the arc, but he missed his next six shots, his teammates were also off target and the Jazz trailed 70-40 at halftime.
The Rockets led by as much as 38 points during the rout in front of a stunned Utah crowd.
Ingles had six points, missing eight of 10 field goal attempts.
It was a far cry from his career-high 27 points in the Jazz’s emphatic game two win in AP Houston on Thursday.
The Jazz’s other Australian, Dante Exum, was also not as effective in guarding Houston’s leader James Harden, who controlled the game with 25 points and 12 assists. Exum spent had six points from 14 minutes on the court. A day after the Philadelphia 76ers’ Australian rookie Ben Simmons had the worst game of his career scoring just one point in a loss to the Boston Celtics, his rival for the AP NBA’s rookie of the year award, the Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell, also floundered with 10 points and three turnovers turnovers.
Game four is in Salt Lake City tomorrow. - AAP