Hitting shots can flummox a great defense, and that’s what the Houston Rockets did to the Utah Jazz in a Game 1 Western Conference semifinals win. James Harden and Chris Paul sized Jazz defenders up, created space and hit step-back 3-pointers, teaming up for 10 of the Rockets’ 17 3-pointers.
But, here’s the dirty little secret from Sunday: The Jazz were happy with the shots Paul and Harden took. They were contested looks. And when you are dealing with All-Stars, they tend to make difficult shots.
But they didn’t make those shots on Wednesday night.