NBA PLAYOFFS

Fred Faour: 5 observations from the Rockets' 116-108 loss to Utah in Game 2

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

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM

After another poor performance from former Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson, the Cleveland Browns' season is starting to look like an uphill climb. Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb is out for the year, and Cleveland fans aren't too pleased with the way Watson is playing, especially considering the massive contract extension he signed with the team. And we didn't even get to the off the field drama that comes with Watson.

However, Houston fans are invested in the Browns' season outcome as well, with the Texans holding the Browns' first round pick in 2024, and having sent their own first rounder to the Cardinals in the Will Anderson trade.

So each loss for the Browns, means a better draft pick for the Texans!

For Houston, it looks like they have their QB of the future in CJ Stroud. And he'll be on a less expensive rookie contract for the next several years, giving the Texans more cap space to upgrade the roster.

With all of this in mind, is it fair to question if the Texans dodged a bullet when Watson demanded a trade?

DeMeco Ryans vs. Lovie Smith

Plus, we're only two games into the season, but Lovie Smith's defense was much better (with a similar roster) than what DeMeco Ryans' defense has shown thus far, and DeMeco has the benefit of Will Anderson rushing the QB.

Are the struggles on defense more about the roster GM Nick Caserio has put together, or does this slow start fall on DeMeco?

Don't miss the video above as we break it all down!

If you enjoy the videos, subscribe to our new channel SportsMap Texans on YouTube.

And listen to The Bench with John Granato and Lance Zierlein weekday mornings on ESPN 97.5 and 92.5 FM.

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome