After huge opening series victory, Rockets grounded in Game 2 vs Spurs
The Houston Rockets come crashing down in Game 2 against the San Antonio Spurs
After the dominant performance from the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of the series, Game 2 was a humbling experience for the Rockets. The San Antonio Spurs ran out big winners, taking the game 121-96.
The series is now tied at one game apiece.
Playing from behind for most of the evening, the Rockets managed to come within five points before the end of the third quarter but, thanks to a 30-5 run to open the final frame, the Spurs ran away with Game 2.
Rockets were outscored 30-5 to start the fourth quarter.
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) May 4, 2017
In defeat, Houston enjoyed bounce-back performances from Ryan Anderson (18 points) and Eric Gordon (15 points) in Game 2. However, apart from those two, the majority of the Rockets struggled to find their offensive footing Wednesday night.
In particular, James Harden struggled mightily. Harden shot 17 percent from the field, and only hit two of his nine three-point attempts. He also only got to the charity stripe six times.
The Beard, and the Claw
The main instigator for Harden’s troubles was the superstar on the other end of the court. Instead of manning Trevor Ariza, Kawhi Leonard checked Harden from the opening tip.
Leonard stuck on Harden through the pick-and-roll and made his life a living hell. Harden was also doubled every time he went to the rim. All in all, the Beard had a night he would like to forget.
It is yet to be seen if Leonard can carry such a load on both sides of the ball all series. However, he definitely did the job well in Game 2, a game that the Spurs absolutely needed. Slightly better than Leonard, was coach Pop’s insane dad joke.
See what Pop did there in his explanation of putting Kawhi on Harden? "Not ROCKET science..."
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) May 4, 2017
Not is all doom and gloom for the rest of the series, though. The main positive that was spoken about Houston’s offense was that the variance in shooting more three-pointers than a game of 2k17.
Game 1 was a peak. The Rockets looked spectacular and they made the Spurs seem like they belonged in a rec-league. In Game 2, the tables were turned and Kawhi Leonard looked like the best player on the planet.
Which, to be fair, he isn’t too far off.
Must Read: Tony Parker OUT with a leg injury
Another twist to the series, though, is the health of Tony Parker. Right now, word is that he’s going to miss the remainder of the series. If that holds true, that’s a huge blow to the Spurs.
As the series shifts to Houston, it’s going to be interesting to see which team takes back control over the series.