Houston is expecting to go far in this year's playoffs after offseason roster upgrades. However, things did not go as planned in Game 1. The Rockets could not seem to find their offensive groove as the Portland Trail Blazers got the win on the road. After both James Harden ad Dwight Howard struggled to find their shot, can the team even the series up before heading on the road?
Harden missed 20 shot attempts in Game 1, including two in the final seconds to seal the loss to Portland. He still managed 27 points in the opener, but that simply was not enough to get the win. Harden blames ball movement on the loss while a lack of defense allowed LaMarcus Aldridge to put up a career-high 46 points including an overtime quarter. Head coach Kevin McHale told reporters he spent much of the off day figuring out adjustments to open Harden and Dwight Howard up while limiting Aldridge.
Howard has been in this situation before. He reportedly tried to be the voice of wisdom after the loss. Howard pointed out that he was in a similar position with the Orlando Magic, noting the team lost Game 1 in 2009 and still made it to the NBA Finals. The center has been working heavily with Hakeem Olajuwon extensively this week and has been seeking advice for how to improve against Portland. Howard noted that he needs to demand the ball more and create better looking shots. A little defense would not hurt either.
The Blazers have the right game plan in this series. The team has said they do not plan on stopping players like Harden from shooting. He is averaging 16.5 attempts per game, but they are simply going to surround him on defense making things more difficult. It worked in Game 1, but can they repeat the performance?
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