TNT basketball analyst Kenny “The Jet” Smith knows what the Houston Rockets need to do after falling behind 2-0 in their hard-fought series against the defending champion Golden State Warriors. All the TNT guys — Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Ernie Johnson — characterize Game 3 in Houston as a “must-win” for James Harden and the Rockets. But what do they need to do to turn things around and hold their home court?
[related: Houston Rockets Star Chris Paul Warns Clint Capela About Media]
Shaq says stop the turnovers, a point on which everybody agrees. But Smith says the Rockets are executing on only half of their most valuable play — the pick and roll. The pick is coming, says Smith, but there is no roll for the Rockets so far against the Warriors. “In this series,” says Smith, “the roll has been null and void. Clint Capela has not been part of this series. His roll has been stopped and stymied…If they don’t figure out a way to involve the roll…because it’s the nights when [Capela] has 22 points and 15 rebounds that they become a little big unstoppable.”
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