After the Spurs were blown out in Game 1, Study Hall focused not on Houston’s 22 made three-pointers, but rather on how the Rockets dominated the restricted area on both ends. In Game 2, San Antonio flipped the script by shooting a ridiculous 78.6% from the restricted area, and protecting the rim with gusto. That change made made all the difference as the Spurs won on Wednesday in convincing fashion.
Rim-protection was a major area for improvement heading into Wednesday’s game, and while many fans were calling for Dewayne Dedmon to start, the solution actually came from a surprise source: Pau Gasol.