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HOUSTON – The desperate 36-footer Donovan Mitchell crossed the backcourt in a miserable moment, perfectly embodying Utah Jazz's offensive problems in the 122-90 loss to the Houston Houston Houston game.
Mitchell had no choice but to launch a prayer after receiving a pass so far from the basket, just before the shooting clock had expired, which had been scratched from the misfire. The Rockets' aggressive defense had stifled all the Jazz's actions on possession. It was a theme throughout the night.
"Their physical appearance has disrupted us on defense," said Jazz coach Quin Snyder. "The ball stopped and got stuck on one side of the ground, we just need to be more determined in those situations."
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James Harden has collected 29 points and 10 assists to help the Houston Rockets defeat Utah Jazz 122-90 on Sunday night in the first game of a first round playoff series of the top five.
Did a late March match in Milwaukee reveal the plan to slow down James Harden?
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The Rockets kept the Jazz at 39% of the shot on the ground (7 out of 27 over a distance of 3 points) and forced 18 turnovers in the rout. This is the kind of dominant defensive performance that gives the Rockets, a historic elite offensive team, the confidence of being legitimate title contenders.
"It does not surprise me that we can defend," said Rockets coach Mike D & # 39; Antoni. "At all."
Houston, one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA during the first half of the season, has excelled in this regard since the break from the All-Star game. Only Utah has surpassed Houston in terms of defensive efficiency since the All-Star break, with the Rockets having only 105.3 points per possession over this period, a major factor in their league best performance. 20 to 5.
"That's what we need to do," said Rockets superstar James Harden, who recorded highs in the 29-point game and 10 assists. "That's the way we have to play the defense, we have to be aggressive, we have to disrupt their course, their games and things they like to do and make sure they're not If we do not do it, we do not have a chance … Defensively, we've been stuck in the past two months. "
Reserve guard Austin Rivers blinked after the Denver Nuggets' loss on March 28 when he said the Rockets would win a title if they continued to play in the elite defense. This is a belief that reigns in the Houston locker room.
"It's something we always emphasize," said forward PJ Tucker, best defender of the Rockets. "When our team is aggressive, our defense is at another level, we are physical at box-offs, all switches, and we act aggressively and we get in people, driving them to drive. that, we put the pressure on the offensive so that it tries to play the good games ".
The Jazz often made bad decisions under duress or had to settle for low percentage shots in the first match. With Eric Gordon as the lead defender, Utah's favorite Donovan Mitchell had a particularly difficult night finishing with 19 points out of 7. -18 shots without help and five turnovers.
"It's a match, and you have to learn from it, but I can not get help and five turnovers," Mitchell said. "No matter how many minutes you play or whatever, if you get five turnovers, you have to look in the mirror and find a way to adjust."
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