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.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.