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Rockets Take 3-1 Lead Over OKC

By Vince Massara

Apr 23, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Houston Rockets center Nene Hilario (42) reacts to a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter in game four of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 23, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Houston Rockets center Nene Hilario (42) reacts to a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter in game four of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Houston Rockets put together another win in a sub-par performance to take a commanding 3-1 series lead over the OKC Thunder

After defeating the OKC Thunder 113-109 in a come-from-behind victory in Game 4, James Harden and the Houston Rockets have taken a series commanding 3-1 lead.

In a series that many dubbed as the battle of the MVP candidates, both Harden and Russell Westbrook struggled throughout the game. However, both had their moments showing why they are among the best in the game. Whilst Westbrook only needed a half to notch up another triple-double, his late game offence included a few too many bricks off wild possessions at vital times.

This is almost perfectly juxtaposed with James Harden’s performance. Harden finished with 16 points on 5-16 shooting (0-7 from three), however looked good setting up plays and made some key decisions late in the game, including a couple of clutch baskets in the last few minutes.

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So, with the two main men both having mixed evenings, what other aspects helped Houston take a stranglehold of the series?

Battle of the Bench

Many pundits, myself included, will say things like “bench depth matters less in the playoffs because starters play more minutes”. This series though has bucked that trend. The Thunder have been a dumpster-fire with Westbrook off the court.

Game 4 was no different. In many games this season, the Thunder have gone out to early leads with Westbrook, only to see the lead quickly evaporate with the bench unit on the court. As written by The Ringer’s Roger Sherman:

"“Oklahoma City was 14 points better than the Rockets when Westbrook was on the floor, and Westbrook played for almost the entire game”."

This has not just been a story of Game 4, though. Throughout the series, the Thunder have outscored the Rockets by a total of plus-3 points with Westbrook on the court. However without Russ, the Thunder are minus-40 points after the four games.

The Rockets’ bench have frequently saved the day this series, with Houston coming out sluggish again in the opening quarters. In a game where Beverley and Harden both shot poorly from the field, the bench stepped up. Nene had the best playoff game of his career, scoring 28 points on 12-12 shooting.

Not bad for a player who averaged nine points in the regular season. Along with his attack on the rim, he also grabbed 10 rebounds in his 25 minutes off the bench. With Nene, the Rockets also had massive contributions from Lou Williams and Eric Gordon (18 points each).

Harden told reporters after the match:

"“That’s what a team is for. It’s not just one guy. I’ve believed in trusting these guys all year long. We say it every game that it’s not going to be just one or two guys that win this game. On different nights, it’s going to be different guys that step up. That was the case tonight.”"

With a disparity like this among the bench units, the Thunder stand no chance in coming back in this series.

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    • Battle of the coaches

    Often, when key players are not doing the job consistently on court, coaches tend to take more of a role. This is especially the case in a seven-game series where mathups become key.

    Mike D’Antoni completely out-coached Billy Donovan late in the game. D’Antoni turned to the unpopular, but at times effective, ‘hack-a’ strategy. The Rockets consistently fouled Andre Roberson in the final frame and Roberson hit an atrocious 2-8 free throws in a 42 second run.

    "“It’s not great for basketball, but it’s a rule, and we’ll take advantage of it,” D’Antoni told reporters after the game."

    The Thunder trailed by two points when the Rockets started fouling Roberson, and that had stretched to five when he shot his last attempt.

    Billy Donovan had a mixed night on the opposing bench, which was summed up in one short sequence. With OKC trailing by four with around 21 seconds left, Steven Adams deliberately missed a free-throw, grabbed the offensive rebound and passed to Westbrook to hit the clutch three, to shed the lead to a single point. This spectacular play was one of the best of the season. However, on the very next possession, they failed to foul the Rockets in time and allowed Nene to seal the win.

    The “Hack-a-Roberson” part of the fourth was another example of Donovan being lost at times on the sideline. He kept Roberson in too long as he was bricking a wall too big for the Thunder to climb. Whilst Roberson is easily the best defender for Harden, his free throw shooting was a large reason the Thunder lost the game.

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    With the dominance off their bench, and the gulf in coaching class, the Houston Rockets look set to complete the gentleman’s sweep in the next game.

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