1. NOTHING STOPS THE MACHINE: After an absolutely horrendous first half in which both teams employed hack-a-Shaq and everything was just gross, the Rockets decided to come out and try and actually play in the third.
A 22-4 run to start the quarter, and that's it. The Rockets lost the rope in Game 3 according to Kevin McHale. In this game they plummeted 200 feet to their doom. This was a top-10 defense in the league this season that has completely lost its identity, and quite honestly gave up in Game 3. The Clippers made them quit with precision and skill.
Lobtropolis got loose, J.J. Redick once again was en fuego with 15 points in the third quarter alone, and DeAndre Jordan had 14 points in that quarter, including 4 of 6 from the free-throw line. The Clippers are simply unafraid of anything after facing the Spurs. I likened it to a near-death experience this week. The Clippers have faced basketball extinction vs. the flawless Spurs and won. The Rockets do not scare them.
It was a clinic. Twenty-one points on 7-of-11 shooting with eight boards for Blake Griffin.
2. THE ONLY THING DEFENDED WAS ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: The Clippers shot 63 free throws in Game 4. The Rockets shot 30. Ninety-three free throws should not be taken in a single contest under any circumstances. What's sad is that the strategy has been proven to be ineffective and wasn't effective in this game, and yet it continues to be employed, with no consideration for the awful product it turns a beautiful game into.
The Rockets' best defense was still hack-a-Jordan, though. That's how bad their defense was.
Houston surrendered in this one, and its effort was enough to make you wonder how it ever got the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. There will be talk of Moreyball and whether it works, whether they were a slight of hand in the regular season, but the reality is that if the Rockets had played like they did in the regular season they would be in this series. They have gotten completely away from that, and barring a miracle, their season is over because of it.
This wasn't a poor gameplan, or a bad matchup, or injury luck despite the Rockets missing Donatas Motiejunas and Patrick Beverley. It's a team that collectively lost itself. And there's no tactical adjustment you can make for that.
The Rockets are toast.
Oh hey by the way, Dwight Howard fouled out in the early fourth and had two technicals for ejection.
3. LOBTROPOLIS, PLAYOFF EDITION: It's been three years, and Lob City is still impressive to watch.
