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The Rockets were smart coming off their loss in Game 1, and despite most detractors dismissing their chances before tipoff, they came out to play with an aggression and energy that was not on display in the first game. They changed their approach to the game, pushing the pace on each possession, capitalizing off turnovers and sharing the ball much better than they did in Game 1.
The results were quite spectacular, as this game was pretty much a beatdown of sorts for the Oakland-based franchise. This is the heaviest defeat for the Golden State Warriors in the postseason this year, and the game was effectively over with more than 5 minutes on the clock and the Rockets leading by 28 points at 119-91 - a margin 1 point lower than their largest lead of 29 points.
The following are the player ratings from the game:
Chris Paul - 7.5/10
Stat line: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 6-of-14 (42.9 fg%), 1-of-5 (3p%)
Chris Paul is yet to find his shooting stroke in this series, but he was the catalyst for much of the Rockets' transition play today. He was a pesky defender as usual, but the stat line supports his case tonight as he netted 3 steals.
CP3 has so far outplayed his opposite number and 2-time MVP Steph Curry on both ends of the court, and he had an ankle-breaker in Game 1 fashion today as well. The Point God also knocked down a Harden-style step-back jumper from mid-range that got the fans raving.
His best work on the night was as an assist man, but he did not hoard the ball for 15-odd seconds to rack those up - as he was prone to in Game 1. A couple of his assists to teammates Capela and PJ Tucker will surely be making the highlight reels for the game.
James Harden - 9/10
Stat line: 27 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 9-of-24 (37.5% fg), 3-of-15 (20% 3-pt)
Harden had more dribbles during game 1 than Curry, Klay, and Durant combined - 550 of them. Like his teammate Chris Paul, The Beard let go of the ball-hoarding that plagued the Rockets' offensive flow in Game 1 and nearly always made the most efficient play in this outing.
Harden was well-nigh unstoppable off the dribble, converting some gorgeous layups while also earning 6 free throws - he knocked down all 6 of them. He set the tone offensively for the Rockets, as he is wont to in most games. He kept the ball moving except on the occasions that he didn't have an elite defender guarding him.
Harden's night was slightly marred, however, by his inefficient 3-point stroke on the night - he converted only 3 of his 15 attempts from downtown. Barring this, however, he was as good as you would expect him to be. We are yet to see an MVP-level performance from him this series, but this game was a step in the right direction from the MVP favorite for this season.
Trevor Ariza - 9.5/10
Stat line: 19 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 7-of-9 (77.8% fg), 1-of-3 (33.3% 3-point)
Ariza bounced back from a stinker of a Game 1 with a dominant display that reminded fans of his play from the 2008-09 season when he was a crucial member of the Lakers' championship run. He set the tone defensively and guarded Kevin Durant about as well as anyone in the world is capable of, and his very first play of the game was a steal on the Slim Reaper.
Ariza opted not to jack up 3s as he usually does, instead, using his still-elite athleticism to get to the hole and finish or create a scoring opportunity for a teammate with the Warriors' defense collapsing on him. This aggressive driving game allowed him to net a season-high 6 assists, while he did not miss a single shot from inside the 3-point arc.
Ariza finished with a +/- of +26, which was the highest among the Rockets' starters. If Ariza continues to play the same way, he will be messing with Steve Kerr's sleep patterns before too long.
PJ Tucker - 9.5/10
Stat line: 22 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 8-of-9 (88.9%, fg), 5-of-6 (83.3%, 3-point)
Like his teammate Ariza, PJ Tucker rose to the occasion after a lackluster performance in Game 1. He was unconscious from downtown on the night, making 5 3-pointers while using just 6 attempts for a spectacular 83.3% conversion rate on the night. He capitalized on the fact that the Warriors were forced to collapse on Paul's and Harden's drives, with all of his attempts either open or wide-open and coming from the corner - the most efficient 3-point shooting spot on the floor.
Tucker was also an excellent defender for the duration of this game, as he usually is. He saw extended minutes at the center position in the 4th quarter, and his presence on the court allowed D'Antoni to field a 5-out lineup and put the game way beyond the Warriors' reach.
Hot shooting games like this have been rare in Tucker's career so far, but if he keeps getting those wide open looks from the corners, one would be hard-pressed to bet on him bricking those shots.
Clint Capela - 6/10
Stat line: 5 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 2-of-3 on field goal attempts (66.7%)
Capela's offensive game is primarily based on the pick-and-roll sets run by the Rockets which have Harden, Paul or Eric Gordon as the ballhandler and him as the roll man. Steve Kerr has completely taken that element of the Rockets' offense out, which means that Capela has to find other ways of impacting the game.
The Warriors also run fewer pick-and-roll sets than anyone, which means that his usual defensive role in this series is quite different from what it is against other opponents. He did hold his own guarding the 3-point line, though he had some trouble shutting Steph down in the early stretches of the game.
To Capela's credit, he crashed the glass with a vengeance, gathering 3 offensive boards in 30 minutes of game time while totaling 10 overall. He will be better in the games to come - he is one of the most consistent players in the league.
Eric Gordon - 10/10
Stat line: 27 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 8-of-15 (53.3% fg), 6-of-9 (3-point)
Eric Gordon was the X-factor in the Rockets' lineup before the series, and he has now successfully bounced back from the shooting slump that limited his offense in the 10 games he played before this series. Coming into the Conference Finals, Gordon was shooting a putrid 31% from downtown, but those figures have improved after 2 good shooting games.
Gordon was tied with Harden as the team's top scorer on the night, and he also finished with a team-high +/- of +29 in 32 minutes of game time. D'Antoni fielded him for some minutes alongside both Paul and Harden, and he capitalized on the extended run he got with some nice buckets.
Gordon also shot 5 free throws and made all 5 of them, while he was the only Rocket to tally a block during this game. He brought his A-game on defense as well to round off what was a perfect night for him.
The rest of the bench
Gerald Green - 6/10
Green had another passable outing as the 7th member of the rotation. He achieved nothing memorable on defense, but he collected a highlight-reel play with a dunk in transition. Tallying 3 points, 2 rebounds and a +/- of +9 in 14 minutes of game time, Green was also an adequate defender.
Luc M'bah a Moute - Unrated
M'bah a Moute only played 6 minutes, and the primary reason for this was his inability to buy a bucket - he missed a couple of easy layups in the first half and was promptly withdrawn after a botched out-of-bounds play. He returned in garbage time to tally his first points of the series.
Joe Johnson - Unrated
Iso Joe has only seen garbage minutes in the postseason so far, and the trend continued today. He had 2 rebounds and missed both of his shot attempts
Tarik Black - Unrated
The center had 2 points, 2 rebounds and was only brought on in garbage time for 3 minutes.
Ryan Anderson - Unrated
Ryno has been sub-par this playoff season, and he only saw 3 minutes of garbage time while tallying an assist.
Aaron Jackson - Unrated
The undrafted 31-year-old who fills the last roster spot on the Rockets came on in garbage time and scored 4 points and nabbed 2 rebounds.
Guess the Lakers players!
