The Rockets took a few minutes to get going, missing their first six shots. But if there was ever a game in which to judge the offense by the quality of shots a team was getting, rather than the results at any particular moment, this was it.
The Rockets began the game getting layups and a few wide-open 3s. They missed those, but that would not last. Chris Paul got the Rockets going with a few mid-range jumpers. That began a stretch in which the Rockets made 26 of 29 shots. They made 65.4 percent of their shots in the first half, scoring 75 points and the rout was on.