Houston Rockets: 3 takeaways from Game 5 vs. Spurs

The Houston Rockets lost a back-breaking Game 5 to the San Antonio Spurs. What are the key takeaways from the loss?

Wow. Talk about a game. In a pivotal Game 5, the San Antonio Spurs outlasted the Houston Rockets 110-107 in overtime. You had pretty much everything in this game, from sloppy turnovers to stars like James Harden taking over for stretches.

Ultimately however, the Spurs made fewer mistakes and made the right plays at just the right times to take a commanding 3-2 lead in this 2017 Western Conference semifinals series. With that being said, let’s take a look at the key takeaways:

1. Rockets must stick to offensive game plan

If you watched the game like I did, you were left scratching your head (or more likely, throwing things at the TV) as you watched the Rockets’ offensive execution down the stretch of this game.

Throughout three quarters the Rockets had the Spurs playing right where they wanted. The pace was fast, the Spurs were taking uncharacteristic quick shots, and Houston driving to the rim and getting good looks from beyond the arc. Unsurprisingly, the Rockets led nearly the entire third quarter until a Danny Green buzzer-beater gave the Spurs momentum heading in to the final frame.

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However, late in the fourth quarter (and in overtime), the Rockets reverted to iso-ball, with Harden dribbling out the clock until attempting to drive by his defender. There were very few screens set, almost no off-ball movement, and with Harden tired and being defended very well, Houston’s offense stagnated.

For a team that can’t rely on consistent defensive stops, the Rockets must be committed to playing their style of basketball regardless if it’s the first quarter or the fourth.

The blame must be put on both Harden and Mike D’Antoni. Harden must know that dribble penetration to the rim was working all game, while D’Antoni must get on Harden (and others) for continuously stalling the offense. In fact, the Rockets played well enough defensively to have won this game with even a couple of typical Rockets’ offensive possessions.

I’d never thought I would type this about this season’s team but here it goes: The Rockets lost this game because of their OFFENSE. More accurately, their lack of an offensive attack resembling anything we’re accustomed to seeing from Houston was their downfall in Game 5.

2. Extend the rotation

This one is going straight to D’Antoni. If you have followed the NBA since D’Antoni’s days in Phoenix, you are familiar with his shortened playoff rotations. Often times those rotations have come back to bite his teams, and Game 5 was a clear example as to how that happens.

Toward the end of the fourth quarter and in overtime, most of the Rockets’ players looked completely exhausted, which most likely played a significant role in their offensive breakdown as mentioned above.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets had been employing an eight-man rotation so far this postseason, but with Nene out for the rest of the playoffs, that rotation was just seven players deep in Game 5. Because of that, four Rockets played more than 40 minutes, with Eric Gordon leading the way with 44 minutes.

After a long season and with this being the second round of the playoffs, it’s easy to understand why players got fatigued late in the game. However, there is a simple solution to this problem: extend the rotation.

Even extending the rotation one more player to give Sam Dekker a couple of minutes here or there could make the difference late in games. Dekker doesn’t have to even play more than 10 minutes.  Just giving Dekker 5-7 minutes could prove to be a difference-maker. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Dekker is athletic and somewhat of a threat from beyond the arc, perfectly slotting him in to a backup power forward role.

Mike D’Antoni must learn from these types of losses. Extending the rotation ever so slightly could be the difference between Houston’s season ending in Game 6 on Thursday and them extending the series to seven games.

3. Avoid foul trouble

This is easier said than done. However, the Rockets too often got several unnecessary fouls that are significant for a team that is now down to playing just seven players (or hopefully eight if Mike D’Antoni listens to the second takeaway above).

In Game 5, four Rockets accumulated at least four fouls. Both Ryan Anderson and Patrick Beverley had five fouls, with some of them being silly reach-ins or tough attempts to draw charges.

On the other side, the Spurs are one of the best teams in the league in playing disciplined defense without fouling. It is what makes their half-court defense so effective. Now of course, the Spurs have better defenders on their team, but the Rockets must know they have to avoid foul trouble with their shortened rotation.

Again, that is easier said than done, and obviously relies on how the referees are calling the game. Regardless, how the Rockets defend without fouling is something to monitor in Game 6.

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After that mentally and physically grueling Game 5, the teams head back to Houston for the first do-or-die game of the series. How will the Rockets respond both physically and mentally? Will the Spurs be able to close the series on the road? There are a lot of questions to be answered, making Game 6 extremely intriguing.