Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Primer: Harden vs Westbrook

How the Rockets Win

For the Rockets, the formula is simple: keep doing what you’ve been doing all year, and put up enough points so that a mediocre Oklahoma City offense can’t keep up. This shouldn’t be too hard – Houston’s offense isn’t some smoke and mirrors show that will be exposed in a seven-game series. They’re second in the league in true shooting percentage and third in effective field goal percentage.

It’s not only that they have shot it unbelievably well this year; it’s where those shots have come from. 46.1 percent of their field goal attempts are three point shots – easily the highest figure in the history of the league. Their shooting percentage on those shots ranks right in the middle of the pack at 35.7 percent, but when you shoot it enough from deep, that rate is more than enough.

There’s no reason the Rockets can’t keep doing against the Thunder what they’ve been doing to the rest of the league all season long, especially since Oklahoma City’s strength lies in its size. If OKC is going to have two of Adams, Kanter, and Gibson on the court at all times – which, given the dearth of other options, they have to – the Rockets should continue to find more than enough three point opportunities to win easily.