Rockets reserves fuel runaway Game 2 win
Austin Rivers made a jab step to his left and then brought the ball back to his right, gaining a step past Chris Paul as he entered the lane.
With the Thunder's help defense arriving late, Rivers reared back and threw down a righthanded slam that brought James Harden, Russell Westbrook and the entire Rockets bench to their feet. Rivers flexed his arms at the group as he made his way back down the court.
It was the kind of night the Rockets reserves were having.
If there was ever a time for the Thunder to take advantage of the Westbrook- less Rockets, it was when Harden was sitting on the bench. But Rivers and the rest of the Rockets put together multiple scoring stretches that deflated the Thunder as Houston topped Oklahoma City 111-98 in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series Thursday in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
With Harden shooting below his average, just 5-of-16 from the field and 2-of-11 from behind the arc, the Rockets needed everyone else to make an impact. And they did. If it wasn't Rivers, it was Danuel House, if not House, then Eric Gordon or Jeff Green.
“All I want to do is contribute, and like I said at the beginning of the year, do more for this team,” House said after posting 19 points and nine rebounds. “Last year I felt like I let people down, including myself.
“So this year I came in with a new mindset, a new mentality. It's great to have great leaders such as Harden and Russ, all the older guys that's instilling confidence in me and telling me to play my game the best way.”
The Rockets went on a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter to give Houston its biggest lead of the night. The final push would be all the Rockets needed as they held the lead the rest of the way. Harden, the lone star without Westbrook, was impressed with his team's performance.
“Unbelievable,” Harden said of the run. “That was the game right there. The guys just took it upon themselves to guard and we felt a sense that Oklahoma City was getting tired and we just kept pressing the gas on them. That was a gamechanger right there for us.”
Of the eight Rockets who stepped onto the floor, seven of them scored in double figures. Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said it is exactly what he wants to see from his players while Houston is without Westbrook.
“Right now these guys are clicking,” D'Antoni said. “They're following everything the coaches are saying, so they're doing a heck of a job.”