The second quarter started with Gordon following a Spurs turnover with a 3-pointer to get the lead back to 15, but San Antonio chipped away and had the lead down to three points before the teams went to the locker room with the Rockets leading 57-53. That's nothing like the type of basketball they played against each other during the season series, when the Spurs outscored the Rockets by an average of 104.8-102.8 while winning by six, two and two. Pairing Harrell at the five, with James Harden, Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza and Ryan Anderson has resulted in a staggering +20.0 point differential in just under 175 minutes together. They should never do this but they doubled Harden outside the three-point line on at least two occasions in the third quarter, which led to two threes on wide-open looks for the Rockets. On Monday, the organization announced that the 34-year-old suffered a left adductor tear. However, he only tallied five assists and the rest of the team combined for only 49 points. Nene was injured in the 1st quarter of Sunday's win and did not return to the game leaving Houston to defend San Antonio's big men shorthanded. He was even more productive during the playoffs, averaging 10.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game while shooting 70.6 percent from the floor. The rockets have to seize the opportunity and win the next game. With Nene on the shelf, the Rockets must now look elsewhere to find the production that he has provided them all of this postseason.
"It wouldn't be a very good situation if me and Clint got into foul trouble".
Harden remained in the game after the timeout and drained a step-back 3-pointer of the 7-foot Pau Gasol with the shot clock about to expire. He scored 15 points in Game 1 and recorded 28 points in Game 4 on 12-of-12 shooting.
In the first half of Game 5, a groin strain on an otherwise routine play reshaped the Rockets' entire rotation.
Former Jays slugger Encarnacion makes his return to Rogers Centre with Indians
Yandy Diaz was recalled from Triple-A Columbus on Monday and started in left field for Cleveland, going 0-for-3 with a walk. Goins' homer, his third of the season, came off Trevor Bauer (2-4) and landed in the second deck in the second inning.
"He's pretty much on the ideal team for the way they play and what their goals are offensively". "A little bit of rim attacks, a little bit of shooting the 3".
The main critique of the Rockets usually devastating offense is what happens when the three-point shots don't fall. Now and again he'll get a putback or back tap an offensive board, but that's about it; even when he had that explosion in Oklahoma City not many points were scored from traditional post-ups. Dekker had 10 points and seven rebounds in that December game and played in the first half on Sunday after Nene went out. Once Capela comes off for his first stretch, we're likely likely to see the Rockets go small.
"We got home court advantage back they don't want to give us any more advantage than we have already", Green said.
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