A Game 5 loss when fellow MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard couldn't finish the game, missing the end of regulation and overtime after tweaking his left ankle? "They're better than us right now". Before Thursday, the Rockets had been 17-5 at home when facing elimination over the past 25 postseasons, the best record in the National Basketball Association in that span. James Harden and Co. were predicted by many to run and gun their way past the veteran Spurs.
Who: San Antonio Spurs vs. "We didn't have the juice". For the second game in a row, they kept the tempo to their liking, taking away Houston's ability to score in the open floor. But even without a gimpy Leonard, who was averaging 24 points and 10 rebounds in the series, the Spurs were relentless while receiving contributions from everyone.
"I mean, I really just didn't have a rhythm at the beginning of the game", Harden, who had 10 points on 2-for-11 shooting, with seven assists, three rebounds, six turnovers and a minus-28 rating, told reporters afterward. Houston was already down 50-29 when Harden took his first shot midway through the second quarter.
Perhaps Houston simply couldn't recover from failing to close out Game 5, but that only partially explains such a lifeless performance from a 55-win team with its season on the line.
Harden wasn't available on Friday, but took blame for the loss after the game. "I've been on both sides of this thing". The Rockets, with James Harden and an array of three-point shooters, looked ready to unseat the Spurs from their place in the Western Conference hierarchy in a Game 1 win, when Houston made 22 threes and scored 126 points. A 109.5 defensive rating in the playoffs probably won't get you into the Conference Finals or beyond. "Everything falls on my shoulders", he said during a post-game press conference.
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Security officials yesterday acknowledged these reports, but said they had not monitored any "significant" or "specific" threat. The US embassy had also issued an advisory at the time, warning Americans against travelling to Bohol and nearby Cebu island.
Harden took responsibility for Houston's poor performance in the postgame press conference.
The Spurs carried that momentum into Game 6 in Houston, and Harden didn't respond. After winning Game 1 by 27 points, the Rockets won just one of the next five. "Coach [Mike D'Antoni] and I saw him briefly after, we wanted to give him some space, and we're gonna meet with him longer shortly". "I know they feel as bad as I do. Hopefully this will spur us on". The Rockets' gambit to have Harden banging with LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol got him into early foul trouble, and may have been part of the reason why he lacked his usual bounce on offense.
That will be a task for Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey, who did a brilliant job last summer in hiring D'Antoni and then building a team that fit his vision - including a pair of questionable signings in Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson that proved to be ideal fits.
The Spurs move on to play the superior and favorites Golden State Warriors, knowing LaMarcus Aldridge is alive and well, while Patty Mills, Jonathon Simmons and even Dejounte Murray can play big roles if asked to.
4. Mike D'Antoni While Popovich was adjusting swimmingly to life without a Hall of Fame point guard and a first team all-NBA forward by mixing in seldom-used bench players who had established some degree of trust throughout the regular season, D'Antoni was watching his team crumble under the weight of losing.NENE.
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