I just got through watching this one and I've got a few thoughts.
- I'm thankful we won this one. I think I might go mute if not. Terrifying thought, isn't it?
- Welcome back, Kyle Lowry. While clearly not as fit as he will be, check this out: 5-10 shooting, 3-4FT, 6 RB, 7ST, 2STL, 2BLK, 4TO in 35 minutes. Yes, he took a bad shot right at the end. It was ill-advised. The rest of the time he attacked the basket like the Lowry of old - fierce, tough, physical, fearless. I still say he's the straw the stirs the drink for the Rockets.
- Welcome back, defense. This was a good effort. James Posey (a player I've always considered slightly fraudulent) shot well and took advantage of Scola's D by camping at the 3pt line. But that's not really Scola's fault, that's on the coach to change the matchup. If I have one criticism of Adelman, it's that he'll wait until some suspect like Posey has hit 3pt shots in a row before he acts to neutralize the problem.
- Luis Scola plays 30 minutes, scores 17 on 7-13 scoring, 9rb, 1blk, 1stl, 0PF.
- Welcome to the Houston Rockets, Brad Miller. Miller played a whale of a game. How many of his points came off drives on Roy Hibbert? Answer, a lot. Miller goes 9-16, 2-3FT, 3-3 3PT, 8RB, 5AST, 1BLK and 1TO. So while Hibbert was able to operate to the tune of 18pts, Miller won this matchup. The height inside didn't kill us, because Miller was able to abuse Hibbert in return.
- Welcome back, Shane. Shane frustrated Danny Granger to the point that Granger was acting petulant and cheap by the end of the game. Granger scores 17 on 7-18 shooting, going 1-6 from 3pt range. This is better than the usual 70pts with 18 3PTers he usually hangs on the Rockets.
- The Rockets could have folded and lost this game, withering under Posey's 5 3pters and Indy's 41% 3PT percentage. They didn't.
- It was apparently "Turn Back The Clock" night in Indiana tonight, as a basketball game from 1995 broke out, an arrangement that benefits Indy's healthy supply of chunky and stiff white guys, and Roy Hibbert, The Poor Man's Othella Harrington.
- Courtney Lee played pretty well, but possibly he shouldn't be in for end of games. Of course, if you want D, do you want Kevin Martin?
- Rockets miss FT. They don't nail a ton of 3pt shots. They win anyway. This is more like it. The Rockets didn't play fantastically, but they didn't throw a win away.
- Onwards to New York.