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Russell Westbrook (0), Eric Gordon (10) and Robert Covington of the Houston Rockets celebrate during the second half of an NBA basketball first round playoff game against Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista , Florida. (AP Photo / Ashley Landis)
The law of averages says an Oklahoma City Thunder starter will make a relatively quick 3-pointer Monday night.
Someone better, or else.
Houston, which wasted the famous opportunity to reach the NBA Finals by missing 27 consecutive triples in Game 7 of the 2018 Western Conference finals, is one game out of the second round of these playoffs, after seeing the Thunder suddenly forget how to shoot. Saturday night The Rockets will take a 3-2 series lead in Game 6 against the Thunder in Lake Buena Vista, Florida on Monday night.
“We’ll go back to the drawing board, see what we did well, see what we didn’t do well,” Thunder guard Chris Paul said.
Houston rolled in Game 5, winning 114-80 on a night the Thunder missed 14 consecutive triples in a 19-minute stretch during which the Rockets outscored them 55-25, basically the entire margin of victory.
The Thunder starters combined to miss their last 17 attempts from 3-point range and combined for the full game, Oklahoma City’s first attackers were 1 of 21 from beyond the arc, the worst performance of any starting unit that attempted to minus 20 3s in a game since Portland went 1 for 21 in New York on November 13, 2001.
“We are connected, we are very aware,” Rockets guard Eric Gordon said Sunday. “A team like OKC is a really good team and people don’t give them enough credit. … Our main goal is to stand in front of them and get them to take controversial shots. “
Controlling emotions could be a challenge for both sides in Game 6. Dennis Schroder led the Thunder with 19 points in Game 5-18 in the second quarter, when Oklahoma City had its only lead of the night. But he was sent off midway through the third for hitting Houston’s PJ Tucker in the midsection; Tucker was also expelled after retaliating with a head butt.
Schroder was fined $ 25,000 Sunday for making contact in the groin area; Tucker was fined $ 25,000 for escalating the incident. Both will be available to play in Game 6.
If the Rockets win on Monday, they would play Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. The Lakers advanced by toppling the Portland Trail Blazers in five games, ending that series with a victory Saturday night.
Monday’s other game is Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat.
A look at Game 6 of the Houston-Oklahoma City series:
NEED TO KNOW: Oklahoma City is trying to avoid a fourth straight outing in the first round, while Houston is trying to reach the second round for the fourth year in a row.
KEEP YOUR EYE ON: What’s the score at halftime, because if it’s close: advantage, Houston. The Thunder have shown a tendency to struggle after halftime on the bubble. Oklahoma City has been outscored 92 points after halftime in 13 games at Disney, not scoring 40 points in the third and fourth quarters combined four times.
INJURY WATCH: Rockets G Russell Westbrook (quad) returned for Game 5, with seven points and seven assists in just under 24 minutes. Shot 3 of 13 so expect less rust Monday. “At this time of year, all that matters is the wins,” Westbrook said.
THE PRESSURE IS ON: Houston. The Lakers would have nearly a bye week if the Rockets don’t win Game 6.
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