Things didn’t start great for the Houston Rockets on Friday.
Kevin Durant was ruled out of Game 3 of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers because of a sprained ankle with L.A. leading the series 2-0.
It only got worse from there.
Houston blew a six-point lead in the final 30 seconds as LeBron James hit a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left that forced overtime in the Lakers’ eventual 112-108 victory that pushed their series lead to 3-0.
Everyone knows what a 3-0 lead means in a best-of-seven series, but here are the key takeaways from a Game 3 that feels like the Lakers stole it.
Durant’s late scratch from Ime Udoka’s starting lineup forced his hand to start third-year guard Reed Sheppard, but the young sharpshooter struggled overall, finishing with 17 points on 6-of-21 shooting from the floor and 4-of-13 from deep, and it was his turnover that led to James’ heroic 3.
The 21-year-old had a few bright moments attacking closeouts and a rare drive-and-finish with contact, but he fell victim to the Lakers’ pressure more often than not, finishing with five turnovers. Sheppard’s ability to space the floor and operate as a primary and secondary ball-handler has been vital in Houston’s offensively challenged season, but his shortcomings — namely, defensively — have been utterly exposed over the course of the series.
Sheppard is an aggressive defensive playmaker who certainly doesn’t lack in effort, but his size and level of physicality aren’t enough to keep up with a very lengthy, tough Lakers group. It’s apparent Udoka is hesitant to play Sheppard alongside Alperen Şengün for coverage reasons, but if Sheppard’s jump shot isn’t falling, which could potentially offset issues at the other end, his minutes become challenging to overcome or maximize. (It doesn’t help matters that Şengün continues to shoot ineffectively — 27 shots for 33 points on Friday night — and is unable to take advantage of post-ups against smaller defenders and convert at the rim.) Whether Durant is able to go in Game 4 or not, Sheppard — and Şengün — must be sustainable offensive sources or the Rockets’ season is over.
Because of the national storylines that have dominated this series — one more matchup between LeBron James and Durant, the absences of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves — not much attention has been paid to Rui Hachimura, the calm, composed presence paying dividends for an in-control Lakers team.
Hachimura, averaging a modest 13.5 points this series, absolutely lit up the Rockets for 16 first-quarter points on 6-of-6 shooting, giving the Lakers an adequate cushion in an important road Game 3.
Head coach JJ Redick has used Hachimura in a plethora of ways; as a screen setter for ball-handers, as a floor spacer and also as a play finisher. His combination of size and high release point makes him a difficult cover for any of Houston’s defenders, and his quiet consistency has been a bright spot all season and a much-needed source of scoring while Dončić and Reaves remain sidelined. Hachimura finished with 22 points and hit four of his seven 3-point attempts.
Lakers’ defense continues to deliver
The Lakers, who have seemingly pinned the Rockets back offensively by a fluid defensive scheme, continue to impress. With Durant missing, the prevailing thought was whether that would taper Los Angeles’ propensity for frequent traps and doubles, allowing Houston to play 5-on-5 basketball. That was anything but the case.
The Lakers mixed in varying waves of pressure, whether it was by sending random doubles at Sheppard and Şengün, trapping at odd angles or making the opposition work late into the shot clock, resulting in low-percentage shots. On drives, the Lakers made sure to have multiple players with hands and feet in the way, rotating at the rim and making life difficult for the Rockets in the paint.
In addition, Redick seems to have placed a great deal of importance on getting back in transition, limiting the league’s fourth-most-efficient regular-season transition unit to only 15 fast-break points in Game 3. The Lakers prevented a number of surefire makes in transition, the biggest reason why the Rockets rank among the bottom six in playoff transition efficiency.
Regardless of what ultimately happens to Houston in this series, the version of Jabari Smith Jr. the Rockets got in Game 3 — the confident, aggressive, three-level shot taker — is what this team needs moving forward on a nightly basis.
Smith was in a groove on Friday night, ending his night with 24 points on impressive 6-or-10 shooting from deep. His importance as a glue guy and connective tissue has spearheaded his time as a Rocket, but what has stopped him from taking the next step has been the ability to make smaller defenders pay.
A fluid, efficient Smith, paired with Durant, suddenly makes Houston’s half-court attack that much more potent, reduces Los Angeles’ defensive gambles and creates an additional consistent threat on the floor. Houston needs that now more than ever.
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