On the TNT set Kenny “The Jet” Smith tried to compliment Charles Barkley — and Barkley would have none of it. Smith gave Barkley credit for something Barkley often says, that the NBA playoffs are all about “making adjustments.” (The 7-game series NBA playoff format lends itself to virtual chess-playing by NBA coaches, and the result is often very dramatic differences from game to game.)
But after watching the Houston Rockets drop Game 4 to the Utah Jazz, Barkley withdrew his own sentiment. Smith talked about how the Jazz had made adjustments after Game 3 to come out on top. Barkley just said no. He wanted to talk about the Rockets. The Rockets, Barkley said, “don’t make adjustments. The Rockets play one way.”
Wait, the Rockets won’t do anything different in Game 5 — after missing all 13 of their 3-point attempts in the 4th quarter? That’s right. “[Rockets head coach] Mike D’Antoni don’t make adjustments… That’s the thing about the Rockets. They’re not gonna change. Mike D’Antoni…gonna give that ball to James Harden, he’s gonna score, step back, shoot threes. They ain’t gonna make adjustments, that’s how they play,” says Barkley.