James Harden shot 2 of 18, Houston shot below 37% as a team, and the Rockets dismantled the Minnesota Timberwolves 102-82 to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their round one playoff matchup.

The Rockets knew that in order to avoid another close call like Game 1 everyone would need to contribute alongside Harden. Planning, however, is different from execution, and Houston stumbled drastically out of the gate. Starting forward P.J. Tucker found himself in foul trouble early in the quarter, forcing him to sit in exchange for Gerald Green. The Rockets shot an abysmal 5-of-25 in the quarter, including a 2-of-9 three-point range effort. Harden’s performance was somehow even more worrisome, as he was 1-of-7 for the quarter. The Timberwolves pounded the inside and showed a relentless tenacity throughout the quarter, while shooting 9-of-23 as a team. What was most alarming was that it wasn’t Minnesota’s defense that was stifling the Rockets, it was simply awful shooting.

In a rare sub 20-point first quarter showing for the Rockets, it seemed like there was a justifiable cause for concern for the No. 1 seed. That was when the Houston team that posted 65 wins in the regular season showed up. Led by Green and Chris Paul, the Rockets went on a quarter-long rampage, out scoring the suddenly ice-cold Timberwolves 37-17. Harden remained in his slump, and stretched his cold streak to 1-of-12 before heading to the locker room. At the same time, Green had racked up 12 points in 14 minutes, on 4-of-7 from 3-point range.

Houston cruised to a victory from that point on, despite Harden’s individual shooting struggles. Eric Gordon continued his slow playoff start, shooting 3-of-13 for 9 points; however Paul and Green picked up the slack, contributing 27 and 21 points respectively.

The same could not be said for the Timberwolves, who were expecting a bounce back game from star center Karl Anthony-Towns after scoring only 8 points in game one. Towns fired out of the gate in Game 2, scoring 5 points in the first 6 minutes. Bizarrely enough, that would turn out to be the only points he would contribute. After an incredible collective first quarter, the Timberwolves went ice cold from the field. Forward Nemanja Bjelica led the team with 16 points, and was one of only three Timberwolves that scored in double digits.

Takeaways

This is not another Rockets playoff team of old.

Game 1 looked very reminiscent of the frustrating playoff Rockets we’ve all come to know; that being a one-dimensional offense where everyone on the team fades under the lights and Harden is forced to play hero-ball for 48 minutes. If Harden had performed like he did in Game 2 on any previous Rockets playoff team, the foregone conclusion would be that they lost. Instead, we watched as Paul and Green assumed command of the offense and soundly eviscerated a porous Minnesota defense. This comes on the heels of a 24 point performance from Clint Capela as well. In two games the Rockets have proven that they no longer live by the Harden and die by the Harden. And just wait until Gordon heats up and Ryan Anderson and Luc Mbah a Moute return.

The Timberwolves proved how perfect they need to play to win.

Minnesota showcased an aggressive penetrating offense in the first quarter, with driving layups and sharp shooting from mid range. They also succeeded in forcing Tucker into foul trouble, while holding the Rockets to 20% shooting from the field as a team. This was their opening haymaker, and it was a blow that still only secured a 5-point lead heading into the second quarter. If that was the best that Minnesota has to throw at Houston, the Rockets should wrap this series up on the road without issue.

Clint Capela has arrived

How do you follow up a 24 point, 12 rebound, 3 block performance against one of the elite big men in the game? Follow it up with an 8 point, 16 rebound game and force Towns to sit for all but 4 minutes in the second half due to his ineffectiveness. Capela has been a quiet force all season, overshadowed by a Hall of Fame point guard and a presumptive regular season MVP. The playoffs, however, are where basketball gets gritty and you need an inside presence to stay afloat. National broadcasters are going to talk about Capela like he’s just now performing at an All-Star level, but the truth is that he’s been doing it all season.