Notes for Game 3: Rockets vs LA Lakers - Second Round of 2020 NBA Playoffs

Posted: September 8, 2020 -- 10:31 a.m. CT

Game 3 of the best-of-7 second round series between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers tips off Tuesday night at 8 p.m. Central Time on TNT. The series is tied 1-1

Playoff Series Stats and Notes
• The series is tied 1-1… it is the fourth time the Rockets have split the first two games of a playoff series under head coach Mike D'Antoni… the Game 3 winner in those situations went onto win each of those three series (Rockets 1-2 mark).
• Houston has led at the start of the fourth quarter in seven of the nine games this postseason but are 4-3 in those games after going 16-2 when leading after three quarters of play in the first three postseasons under head coach Mike D'Antoni (2017-2019)… Houston is 8-15 when tied or trailing heading into the fourth quarter under D'Antoni.
• The Rockets had 109 points in Game 2 against the Lakers… Houston is 4-1 when scoring 110+ points this postseason (41-13 in 2019-20) and 1-3 when failing to do so (4-15 in 2019-20)… the Rockets are 19-3 when scoring 110+ points in the playoffs under head coach Mike D'Antoni (going back to 2017) and 9-17 when failing to do so.
• The Lakers scored 117 points in Game 2 marking just the second time Houston allowed 110+ points in regulation this postseason… the Rockets were 21-3 when holding the opposition below 110 points during the regular season (5-1 this postseason) and are 26-6 when doing so in the playoffs under head coach Mike D'Antoni (going back to 2017) and 2-14 when failing to do so… Houston held OKC to 80 points in Game 5, tying for the 10th-fewest allowed in playoff franchise history.
• Houston shot 44.9% in Game 2 after shooting 48.1% in Game 1… the Rockets are only 2-2 when shooting 45.0% or better this postseason after going 29-7 during the regular season but are 3-2 when shooting below 45.0% after going 15-21 in 2019-20… Houston is 15-7 when shooting 45.0% or better in the playoffs under Mike D'Antoni (going back to 2017) and 13-13 when shooting below.
• The Lakers shot an opponent playoff-high 56.6% in Game 2 after the Rockets held opponents to 40.3% shooting over the previous four games, including a franchise opponent-low 31.5% by OKC in Game 5… Houston was 20-5 when holding the opposition below 45.0% shooting during the regular season and is 19-4 when doing so in the playoffs under head coach Mike D'Antoni (going back to 2017) and 9-16 when failing to do so.
• The Lakers shot 56.6% in Game 2… Houston was 5-7 when opponents shot 50.0% or better during the regular season and is 2-9 when that has occurred in the playoffs under head coach Mike D'Antoni (going back to 2017).
• Houston has outshot its opponent in four of the nine games this postseason (3-1 mark)… the Rockets were 25-3 when outshooting the opposition this season and 19-25 when failing to do so… Houston is 18-3 when outshooting its opponent in the playoffs under head coach Mike D'Antoni (going back to 2017) and 10-17 when failing to do so.
• The Rockets had 22 threes made per game in Game 2 vs. the Lakers, marking their third game with 20+ this postseason… that ties the NBA record for the most games in a single postseason (Cleveland in 2016)… regular season and playoffs combined, Houston is 47-6 when having 20+ threes made per game under head coach Mike D'Antoni (going back to 2016-17)… the Rockets only had 20+ threes made per game in the playoffs in franchise history once prior to this postseason
• Houston has taken 56.5% of its shots from 3-point range this postseason (54.3% over the final 27 games in the regular season and 50.1% overall).
• The Rockets have recorded more threes made per game than their opponent in all nine games this postseason and are averaging 6.3 more per game… Houston has averaged 4.3 more threes made per game (209 total) than its opponent in 48 playoff games under head coach Mike D'Antoni (going back to 2017)… Houston averaged 4.7 more threes made per game than the opposition over the final 27 games of 2019-20, up from a +2.7 differential over the first 45 games (+3.4 per overall)
• Houston lost Game 2 despite hitting 10 more 3-pointers than the Lakers… the Rockets are 1-2 when having 10+ more threes made per game than their opponent this postseason after having going 11-0 when doing so during the regular season… regular season and playoffs combined, the Rockets are 63-6 when having 10+ more threes made per game than their opponent under head coach Mike D'Antoni (going back to 2016-17).
• The Rockets lost Game 2 to the Lakers despite shooting a playoff-high 41.5% from 3-point range… Houston was 16-0 when shooting 40.0% or better from behind-the-arc during the regular season and is 7-3 when doing so in the playoffs under head coach Mike D'Antoni (going back to 2017)… the Rockets were 24-1 when shooting 37.0% or better from downtown in 2019-20 (only loss was without Harden/Westbrook) but are 2-2 this postseason.
• The Lakers shot 44.4% from 3-point range in Game 2 after the Rockets did not allow an opponent to shoot better than 37.1% prior this postseason… Houston was 6-11 when the opposition shot 40.0% or better from behind-the-arc in 2019-20 and is 3-8 when that occurs in the playoffs under head coach Mike D'Antoni (going back to 2017)… opponents are still shooting just 33.3% from 3-point range this postseason (34.9% in 2019-20).
• Houston is averaging 25.0 free throw attempts this series after averaging 16.4 in the First Round vs. OKC… the Rockets ranked second in the NBA with 26.1 free throw attempts per game during the regular season… Houston ranked sixth in free throw attempts differential (+2.3) during the regular season but averaged 7.6 fewer per game than OKC in the First Round… the Rockets have 13 more free throw attempts than the Lakers this series
• Houston only has 6 fewer rebounds than the Lakers this series after being outrebounded by an average of 6.6 rebounds per game in the First Round series vs. OKC… the Rockets have not outrebounded their opponent in any of the games this postseason… Houston was outrebounded by an average of 10.7 rebounds per game over their final 27 regular season games and by 3.6 rebounds per game overall in 2019-20… the Rockets were outrebounded by 20+ boards 20 times in 2019-20.
• The Rockets only had 7 steals in Game 2 vs. the Lakers after recording 10+ in each of the four games prior which was the longest streak in franchise playoff history… Houston is averaging 9.44 steals per game this postseason… the Rockets ranked third in the NBA with 8.71 steals per game during the regular season and was 20-8 when having 10+.
• The Rockets have forced 16+ turnovers in each of the past five games after doing so once over the first four games this postseason… opponents had 15+ turnovers in 27 of the final 31 games this season and Houston ranked tied for third in turnovers forced overall (16.2 per).
• The Lakers outscored the Rockets 54-26 in points in the paint in Game 2 after Houston outscored opponents by a total of 24 PIP through the first eight games this postseason… the Rockets did not allow more than 46 PIP in any of the first eight games this postseason… Houston is still allowing just 38.4 PIP this postseason, down from 51.5 per game during the regular season (26th in NBA).
• The Rockets bench is being outscored 74-30 this series and by an average of 8.3 points per game this postseason… Houston's reserves outscored the opposition's bench in 14 of the final 33 games during the regular season after doing so just three times over the first 39 games.
• Houston has only recorded more than 13 fast break points once this postseason and is averaging 9.4 per game… the Rockets were ninth in the NBA in fast break scoring (14.6 per) during the regular season.
• The Rockets are averaging 20.6 points off turnovers this postseason and have scored 20+ four times… Houston scored 20+ points off turnovers in 19 of the final 31 games during the regular season after doing so 13 times over the first 41 games… the Rockets ranked fourth in the NBA in points off turnovers in 2019-20 (18.9 per).
• The Lakers are averaging 19.0 fast break points this series after Houston did not allow more than 11 fast break points during any of the seven First Round games vs. OKC (6.0 per)… the Rockets ranked 27th in fast break points allowed this season (opponents 15.1 per).
• The Lakers had an opponent playoff-high 27 points off turnovers in Game 2 after the opposition averaged 11.6 over the first eight games this postseason… Houston was 22nd in points off turnovers allowed (opponents 17.8 per) during the regular season.

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Here are some quick player-based statistical notes from the Rockets postseason:

Player Playoff Notes
• James Harden is averaging 30.1 points per game, 7.6 assists per game and 5.3 rebounds per game this postseason… since joining Houston in 2012-13, he is averaging 28.4 points per game, 7.0 assists per game and 5.7 rebounds per game… Harden and Russell Westbrook are two of seven players in NBA playoff history with 100+ playoff games to have averaged at least 23.0 points per game, 5.0 assists per game and 5.0 rebounds per game.
• Harden has scored 30+ points in five of the past seven games and six times overall this postseason… he has the second-most 30-point playoff games (27) of any player dating back to the 2017 playoffs (Mike D’Antoni’s first postseason with Houston)… Harden has scored 20+ points in 68 of his 82 playoff games as a Rocket, including 30+ 39 times (30+ 40 times in his playoff career).
• Harden is shooting 48.3% this postseason and has shot 50.0% or better in five of the nine games after doing so a total of seven times in 44 over the previous four postseasons (2016-2019)… the Rockets were 21-5 when Harden shot 50.0% or better in 2019-20… he shot 41.2% from the floor in his first seven postseasons as a Rocket.
• Harden has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.13 this postseason, up from 1.66 during the regular season and 1.43 in the 2019 playoffs.
• Russell Westbrook missed the first four games this postseason with a right quad strain but has played the past five, averaging 15.6 points per game,8.2 rebounds per game and 4.4 assists per game… including the playoffs, Houston is 10-9 in games he has missed … Westbrook joins LeBron James as the only players in NBA playoff history with more than 25 games played to have averaged at least 25.0 points per game, 7.0 rebounds per game and 7.0 assists per game.
• Russ had a Rockets playoff-high 13 rebounds in Game 2 and is averaging 10.3 rebounds per game over the past three games… he was second on the team in rebounding during the regular season (7.9 rebounds per game)… Westbrook averaged 10.9 rebounds per game over the previous three postseasons with OKC (2016-2019).
• Eric Gordon has scored 20+ points in a playoff-high three straight games and six times overall this postseason after doing so six times in 36 games played during the regular season… he is averaging 19.3 points per game overall this postseason (17.8 in 2019 playoffs)… Gordon averaged 16.6 points per game in the 21 wins he appeared in this season compared to 11.5 points per game in the 15 losses he played in.
• EG has scored 18+ points in seven of the nine games this postseason... after scoring a career-high 50 points at Utah on 1/27, he did not have more than 17 points the rest of the regular season (11.6 points per game in 17 games played over that span).
• Gordon is shooting 14-of-29 from 3-point range over the past three games after shooting 8-of-43 over the first six games this postseason… he shot 40.0% from behind-the-arc in the 2019 playoffs.
• P.J. Tucker had 18 points in Game 2 vs. the Lakers, tying for his second-highest point total this season/playoffs… he has scored 10+ points four times this postseason and in 18 of his 37 playoff games as a Rocket compared to doing so in 58 of his 236 regular season games with Houston.
• Tucker has grabbed 10+ rebounds three times this postseason (13 times in playoff career) and is averaging 8.2 rebounds per game, including 10.0 rebounds per game this series… he averaged a career-high 6.6 rebounds per game in 2019-20.
• Robert Covington is averaging 16.8 points over the past five games after averaging 8.0 the first four games this postseason and 12.9 points per game overall… he averaged 8.1 points per game in his only other postseason with Philadelphia in 2018… Covington is shooting 50.6% from the floor (50.8% 3FGs) this postseason after shooting 33.3% (23.2% 3FGs) in the seeding games… he shot 32.5% (31.3% 3FGs) in his only other playoff appearance for Philly in 2018).
• Covington has 22 steals and 13 blocks in the nine games this postseason… dating back to 1983-84, it is the fourth time a player has recorded at least 22 steals and 13 blocks through the first nine games of a postseason (Ben Wallace twice, Kawhi Leonard once)… during the regular season, Covington was one of three players who averaged at least 1.50 steals per game and 1.00 steals per game and he ranked 10th in the NBA with 1.64 steals per game.
• Danuel House Jr. is averaging 11.4 points per game (43.5% FGs, 35.8% 3FGs), 5.8 rebounds per game and 1.4 assists per game in 31.0 mpg in nine games this postseason after averaging 4.9 points per game (29.7% FGs, 25.8% 3FGs), 3.1 rebounds per game and 0.1 assists per game in 20.1 mpg in 7 games played for the Rockets in the 2019 playoffs, which marked his playoff debut… he missed the final four games of last postseason due to injury… House averaged 30.4 mpg this season, up from 25.1 mpg in 2018-19.
• Jeff Green has scored 7 points on 3-of-7 shooting (1-4 3FGs) this series after averaging 13.4 points per game on 50.7% shooting (46.5% 3FGs) during the First Round vs. OKC… including the regular season, he has scored 10+ p

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