NBA PLAYOFFS
Fred Faour: 5 observations from the Rockets' 116-108 loss to Utah in Game 2
May 2, 2018, 10:23 pm
James Harden and Clint Capela failed to get it done in Game 2. Tim Warner/Getty Images
The Rockets have been playing with fire with slow starts throughout the playoffs. It came back to bite them big time in Wednesday's 116-108 loss to the Jazz. The series now heads to Utah tied 1-1. Five quick thoughts on Wednesday's game:
Die by the 3: The Rockets are supposed to dominate at the 3-point line. That was not the case in Game 2. They hit just 10 of 37 from 3. Meanwhile, the Jazz hit 15 of 32. That was the difference in the game.
Another slow start: The Rockets once again failed to answer the bell, building yet another big hole. They came back in the third quarter, but were not able to withstand their charge. They had plenty of chances in the fourth quarter, but missed shot after shot.
Off the bench: For the second straight game, the Jazz bench dominated the Rockets bench, outscoring them 41-22.
Outshot: The Rockets hit just 40 percent from the field. The Jazz shot 51.2 percent and got several open looks. Besides struggling with shooting, the Rockets did not play good defense, which helped the Jazz shoot over 50 percent. Joe Ingles scored 27 on 7 of 9 3-point shooting, 10 of 13 overall.The result was an ugly defeat.
Struggling stars: James Harden scored 32, but hit just 9 of 22 shots. He was 2 of 10 on 3s. Chris Paul scored 23, but was only 8 of 19. Clint Capela scored an efficient 21, but the only other player in double figures was Eric Gordon, who hit just 5 of 16 shots for 15 points. Capela was the only Rocket to shoot over 50 percent.
The bottom line: This was an ugly game, and the Rockets gave up home court. But it is hard to imagine they will play another game this bad in the series. If so? Then it gets interesting.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
This week started on a high note for Astros fans as they were able to see Lance McCullers return and pitch in a game for the first time since 2022. McCullers looked good, only needing 13 pitches to get through the inning, and didn't allow any runs.
If McCullers continues on this path without any setbacks, we wouldn't be surprised if he's pitching for the big league club at the end of April or early May.
However, the outlook isn't nearly as positive for Luis Garcia, who is working his way back from Tommy John surgery. Garcia was expected to throw a live BP on Thursday, but those plans have now changed. According to multiple reports, Garcia is dealing with elbow soreness and will now see team doctors for further evaluation.
Luis Garcia faced hitters in October and, almost all winter, was considered ahead of Lance McCullers Jr. in their rehab schedules. It's unclear how things have derailed. The Astros reiterated this week they will not make any member of their medical staff available for interviews https://t.co/rrBg6EaG7j
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) March 20, 2025
This isn't the first time Garcia has dealt with a setback in his recovery. As Chandler Rome mentions in the post above, Garcia was expected to be ready to return before McCullers. However, complications have apparently forced the Astros to slow down Garcia's rehab, making his status for this season even more uncertain.
Fortunately for Houston, they weren't counting on Garcia or McCullers to start the season in the rotation. But, they were hoping to have both return at some point this year to add more depth to the roster.
If Garcia is shutdown from throwing for several weeks, even in a best-case scenario, it's hard to imagine he'll be ready to contribute over the next three months. The Astros would be wise to play it safe with Garcia, the last thing they want to happen is for him to need another surgery.
This also serves as a reminder that pitchers often require more than the typical 12–18 months to recover. Which is why counting on Cristian Javier to contribute this season, feels like a big ask for a player that had Tommy John surgery in June.