The Rockets (62-15) had their 11-game winning streak snapped in a largely inconsequential road matinee on Sunday vs. the San Antonio Spurs (45-32). James Harden (25/8) led the team in scoring, while Eric Gordon made a successful return to the lineup with 18 points in 29 minutes on 7-of-15 shooting.
Houston knew going into the game that it had already clinched the NBA’s best record and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, courtesy of Toronto’s loss in Boston on Saturday night. As a result, considering the lack of standings relevance, Chris Paul sat out for a second consecutive game with a sore left leg.
Our postgame show explores the key takeaways; including the importance of Paul against a Gregg Popovich-led defense; ongoing struggles for Harden from three-point range (1-of-6 on Sunday); and the significance of Gerald Green (11/8 in 29 minutes) again playing more minutes than Joe Johnson (0 points in 16 minutes), even after Johnson had a positive showing on Friday vs. Phoenix. Tune in: