Guards stand tall in road win
Harden and Westbrook combine for 72 points as Utah has no answer for small-ball attack
SALT LAKE CITY — Rockets guard Russell Westbrook spent a few moments chatting with Jazz fans in the corner of Vivint Smart Home Arena, which in a happy change, both sides of the conversation seemed to enjoy.
Fans told him to “shoot the 3, shoot the 3.” Westbrook answered, “OK, OK”
Then in a flash, Westbrook took off on the baseline, James Harden sent him a lob, and Westbrook screamed his way through an alley-oop flush.
He and Harden also provided a highlight reminder of how from start to finish, no matter what else went well for the Jazz, they could not stop the two-fisted knockout punches of the Rockets backcourt in a 120-110 win for the visitors Saturday night.
The win moved the Rockets into a tie with the Jazz for fourth in the Western Conference and secured the head-to-head tiebreaker. They came in very aware of the stakes.
“That was the message coming into the game,” Westbrook said. “We gave them one in Houston, obviously. This was for the tiebreaker when it came down to it. We came in with the right mindset and got a big win.
“We know that we’re the only team that’s in our way, and every night we’ve got to take the challenge of being the best team in the league.”
The Rockets also seemed to make a statement about the advantages they give themselves in a lineup filled with shooters, especially once they started to defend with the same execution and aggressiveness they had on the other end.
The Jazz again put 7-foot defensive anchor Rudy Gobert on Westbrook, but Gobert not only was limited to two blocked shots and six rebounds, he seemed to tire in the fourth quarter after a long night spent trying to keep up with one of the swiftest guards in the league.
“It’s very huge,” Westbrook said. “It tires them out. I’m pretty sure he’s not used to running up and down the court like that.
“I don’t know if it’s working. I do what I want, get to the basket, shoot, drive and kick. Pace and speed is something you can’t scout for. And that’s what I got to my advantage.”
Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni did point out that the Jazz were playing the second half of a backto-back while the Rockets had come in after a rout of the Warriors, a difference that might have had a lot to do with Utah’s 1-of-9 3-point shooting in the fourth quarter.
From the start, the Rockets were getting great looks.
They made 8 of 9 3-pointers to start the game, but could not pull away until the second half when they began defending, too.
The Jazz so routinely beat the Rockets off the dribble in the first half, they scored 40 points in the paint.
Though the Rockets give away some rim protection with the centerless lineup, they typically make up for it by forcing more turnovers than any team in the league since going small. The Jazz, however, had just three with three minutes left in the half.
Harden had then steals on consecutive possessions, and when the second half began, the Rockets had turned around their defense. The Jazz had a more manageable 24 points in the paint in the second half and committed eight turnovers while making just 36.4 percent of their shots and 12.5 percent of their 3s.
“That’s what we got to do,” Harden said. “We got to guard. If we guard at a high level, like we’ve been doing, sky’s the limit for us.”
When Donovan Mitchell took off in the fourth quarter, scoring 18 of his 31 points, Harden and Westbrook needed to close out the win. With the Jazz within seven and the Rockets having hit just one field goal in four minutes, Harden set up Westbrook coming up to the elbow, dropping a pass for him and screening to leave Westbrook wide open from 17 feet.
“Cash money,” Westbrook said.
Minutes later, with the Jazz down just seven again, Harden pulled up with 19 seconds on the shot clock and nailed his sixth 3-pointer to finish off the win. With that, he and Westbrook had combined for 72 points, helping the Rockets move to 8-3 since going small.
“That’s what we do,” Harden said. “We have two guys, or more than two guys, that are able to put pressure on that rim. If teams want to come in and help, then you get our shooters open shots. Pretty simple.”