liny195
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 Geplaatst: 30-08-2018 07:36:15 Onderwerp: Both teams are |
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The Houston Rockets were the best team in the NBA in the regular season.
They played like it Wednesday night http://www.patriotsauthorizedshop.com/authentic-adrian-clayborn-jersey , using a balanced scoring attack to rout the Golden State Warriors 127-105 and even the Western Conference finals at one game apiece.
James Harden and Eric Gordon each scored 27 points on a night Houston had five players score 16 points or more.
We can beat anybody, anywhere at any time playing the way we play, coach Mike DAntoni said.
The Rockets didnt trail after the first quarter and led by double digits for most of the night. They head to Oakland, California for Game 3 on Sunday night feeling much better after rebounding from a deflating 119-106 loss in the series opener.
P.J. Tucker added a playoff career-high 22 and Trevor Ariza had 19 as both bounced back after struggling in Game 1. Tucker had just one point in that game and Ariza scored eight, but was limited on defense after collecting his fifth foul early in the third quarter.
I never worry about my offense its all on defense, Tucker said. If we get stops well be able to run. It changes the game and it changes the way we play and we know that.
Kevin Durant had 38 points after scoring 37 in the opener, but Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for just 24 points after the pair went for 46 in Game 1.
Houston wasnt able to slow down Durant, but did a much better job of limiting open 3-pointers by Thompson and Curry, and the two made just 3 of 12 attempts.
They were desperate tonight and played like it, and we werent and it showed, Golden State coach Steve Kerr said.
The Warriors made three free throws to get within 11 early in the fourth quarter before the Rockets scored the next 11 points, with 3s from Gordon Sandy Koufax Jersey , Tucker and Harden to make it 111-89 with about 6 1/2 minutes to play.
Durant made a basket after that, but Houston scored the next eight points to extend the lead to 119-91 with about five minutes left.
The Warriors got frustrated in that stretch, with Durant getting a technical for shoving Harden in the back and Draymond Green pushing Ariza out of bounds seconds later. It was then that Kerr sent all of his starters to the bench for good.
Gordon came off the bench to make six 3-pointers, Tucker tied a playoff best with five and Harden added three.
They were more settled tonight and they hit timely shots, Durant said. The first quarter was still the most important part of the game. Eric Gordon hit two big 3s and that kind of settled them in. Those shots did it for them.
Houston avoided losing consecutive games for the first time this postseason and the Warriors lost in the second game of a playoff series for the first time since the 2015 NBA Finals, snapping a 10-game winning streak in such games.
We got outplayed the whole game we got it handed to us, Kerr said. You can look at it any way you want and parcel it out, but it didnt matter who we had out there tonight we got beat.
Houston led by as many as 19 in the first half and was up 64-50 at halftime. The Warriors cut it to 74-64 with five quick points from Durant, but the Rockets opened it back up to 89-72 when Gordon made an off-balance layup before crashing to the court while being fouled and made the free throw.
The Rockets were up by 16 to start the fourth quarter but Golden State got within 98-86 with about 10 minutes left. Curry had five points in that span, including his first 3 after missing his first six attempts of the night.
Curry finished with 16 points and Thompson was 3 for 11 for his eight points.
TIP-INS
Warriors: It was Durants 19th straight playoff game with at least 20 points. Curry made one 3-pointer to extend his NBA playoff record of 81 straight playoff games with at least one 3-pointer. Durant and Curry were Golden States only players with more than 10 points.
Rockets: Houston improved to 8-0 this postseason when leading after three quarters. Houston made 16 of 42 3-point attempts. Paul finished with 16 points.
A LITTLE SHORT
Grammy Award-winning rapper Lil Wayne took the Rockets first shot for charity before the game. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the 5-foot-5 Waynes shot was a little short. The New Orleans native Ravens Hayden Hurst Jersey , who has attended several playoff games in Houston this postseason, still received a loud ovation from the crowd.
THEY SAID IT
Curry on Durant: Hes been amazing. Hes making plays. Hes just aggressive and I think we all need to feed off that, the focus and determination.
UP NEXT
After Game 3, the teams will play Game 4 on Tuesday night in Oakland before returning to Houston for Game 5 on Thursday.
LeBron James has perfected a signature, soul-crushing shot that also seems to describe whats happening again to the Toronto Raptors.
The fadeaway.
With cold-blooded precision, James worked the 24-second shot clock down to single digits before sinking one fadeaway after the next in Game 2 on Thursday night, each swish pushing the top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference closer to ending a season that was supposed to conclude differently.
Instead, its a replay: another Raptors extinction is expected.
Back from LeBronto, as some have nicknamed Canadas multi-cultural metropolis, James and the Cavaliers featuring a rejuvenated Kevin Love will host Game 3 on Saturday night. They look to tighten their stranglehold on a semifinal series that has gotten away from the Raptors.
In the Easts other semifinal, the Philadelphia Sixers are trusting their process and that Ben Simmons will shake off a horrible performance in Game 2 before they fall into their own 3-0 hole against a Boston Celtics team that added a spectacular comeback to a season of overcoming long odds. Boston wiped out Phillys 22-point lead on Thursday to open a 2-0 lead.
For the Raptors, this is all so familiar Youth Josh Sitton Jersey , so painful.
They insist that the magnificent James, who has won eight straight playoff games against the Raptors and eliminated Toronto from the past two postseasons, is not in their heads. Thats what the Raptors are saying; they might not believe it.
After James dropped shots and jaws with 43 points on 28 shots with 14 assists and eight rebounds in Game 2, All-Star forward DeMar DeRozan insisted the Raptors will fight back.
Its the first one to win four, he said. Its not over.
History begs to differ.
James is 21-0 in playoff series in which he has held a 2-0 lead, and the 33-year-old seems intent on dispatching the Raptors for a third straight postseason and maybe get to his eighth straight Finals.
When he retires, thats what you admire what hes done, said Toronto coach Dwane Casey. Right now hes the enemy and weve got to do a better job of not being part of history. Weve got to make LeBron work harder for his catches and work harder for some of his possessions. Youve got to live with something. Some of those shots are indefensible.
A closer look at Saturdays games:
CELTICS AT 76ERS
Boston leads 2-0. Game 3, 5 p.m. EDT, ESPN
NEED TO KNOW
The Sixers are headed back to the Wells Fargo Center where they won 30 regular-season games and two more in a first-round playoff series over Miami. Philly won a franchise-record 16 straight games to close the season, so a comeback isnt totally out of reach. But history and a Celtics team clicking is working against the Sixers. Boston has won all 36 playoff series when it has a 2-0 lead.
KEEP AN EYE ON
Simmons. He was a leading contender for rookie of the year and a regular threat to notch a triple-double. But where was he in Game 2 when he failed to score a field goal for the first time? Simmons said he was overthinking. Perhaps his mind was racing from Bostons physical defense, which kept him from driving to the basket and forced him into five turnovers.
INJURY UPDATE
Jaylen Brown returned to the Celtics after sitting out the opener with a strained right hamstring. He came off the bench and played 25 minutes Youth Pernell McPhee Jersey , scoring 13 points and grabbing four rebounds.
PRESSURE IS ON
Sixers coach Brett Brown. The playoffs are about adjustments and he needs to make one to free Simmons from Bostons defensive clutches. If Simmons continues to struggle, Brown may have to stick with backup point guard T.J. McConnell, who sparked the Sixers with eight points, five assists and two steals in 17 minutes of Game 2.
RAPTORS AT CAVALIERS
Cleveland leads 2-0. Game 5, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
NEED TO KNOW
James continues to ascend and astound. Hes averaging 34.4 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists and 41.7 minutes in his 13th postseason. He has led Cleveland in points and assists in 10 consecutive playoff games, tying Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson for the longest such streak in postseason history.
KEEP AN EYE ON
Torontos defense on James and Love, who scored 31 in Game 2. Casey has to try something new to slow down James because nothing is working. His ability to post up creates a dilemma: guard him with one player and he gets to the rim; double-team him and risk him finding an open teammate for an uncontested shot.
The Raptors need to force some mistakes after the Cavs had a franchise playoff record-low three turnovers in Game 2.
INJURY UPDATE
Both teams are relatively healthy.
PRESSURE IS ON
DeRozan and Raptors guard Kyle Lowry. Theyve spent the past two years chasing and not catching James. The only way for the Raptors not to be considered pretenders again is for them to dethrone King James and theyre running out of time.
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