MIAMI – Had the Rockets in any way approximated their usual shooting, they might have stayed in the game. They could have given themselves a late chance instead of finishing the game wondering when to clear their bench.
The shooting, horrid as it was, was far from their only problem.
As badly as the Rockets shot, from the lane in the first half and the 3-point line in the second half, good shooting would have only obscured the other shortcomings as the Miami Heat blew out the Rockets down the stretch, leading by 14 on the way to stunning the Rockets, 109-103, Tuesday in American Airlines Arena.