MIAMI – The Rockets’ bus ride to American Airlines Arena went well. The locker room was well-lit, the uniforms nicely laundered.
With that, the Rockets had collected all the highlights they would on Sunday. Everything went downhill from there.
Once the Rockets took the floor, they took their beating as if they knew there was nothing they could do to prevent it. The Miami Heat whipped the Rockets on both ends and in every way until they could have begun clearing the bench early in the second quarter and no one would have wondered why.
The Heat began the game outscoring the Rockets, 26-4.