Just because we knew it would happen doesn’t make it any easier to digest.
In the last two games of their first-round playoff win over the Mavs it became clear to most of us that – no matter who they played – the Rockets would get throttled in the second round. Dallas took Houston to five games without two of its starting five.
And, sure enough, last night the Clippers – without playmaking point guard Chris Paul – waltzed to a 16-point win in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series in Houston.
How did the Clippers do what the Mavs couldn’t?
Mostly, they exploited the Rockets’ porous defense and had six players score 10+ points, led by Blake Griffin’s 26-point, 14-rebound, 13-assist triple-double.
Think about that. A team without its All-Star point guard and with a reputation as a group of players that has difficulty creating its own shot went into Houston and scored 117 points.
Defensively, the Clippers used Matt Barnes to help harass James Harden into a game-high nine turnovers.
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Makes you wonder if the Mavs could’ve beaten Houston without Rajon Rondo, but with a healthy Chandler Parsons.
We’ll never know. But, yeah, I think we kind of already know.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
