Rockets become 1st team in West to clinch playoff berth with win over Mavs
The Houston Rockets became the first Western Conference team to clinch a playoff berth with Sunday's 105-82 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
The Rockets have held the top record for the majority of the season thanks to an MVP-caliber season from James Harden and his perfect pairing with Chris Paul, who joined the team last offseason in a sign-and-trade from the Los Angeles Clippers. Houston boasts a 32-2 record when the two, plus Clint Capela, play.
Harden missed Sunday's game with left knee soreness, but is expected to return Monday against the San Antonio Spurs. He submitted a brilliant 40-point performance Friday in a losing effort against the Toronto Raptors - who were first to clinch in the East - which snapped Houston's winning streak at 17.
After being eliminated from the playoffs by Golden State Warriors in 2015 and 2016 and watching them win two of the last three NBA titles, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey overhauled the roster with the goal of beating the Warriors. So far, so good, as Houston took two of three games off Golden State this season.
The Rockets rank second in the league in offensive rating and true shooting percentage. Mike D'Antoni's elite offense is predicated on the two most efficient shots in the game: 3-pointers and free throws. They lead the league in threes (20.3) and foul shots (20.3) per outing, with the former accounting for 50.2 percent of their attempts and 40.8 percent of their points. They also have a top-10 defense, coming in second in steals (8.7) and fifth in rebounding percentage, and altogether are No. 1 in plus-minus.
But despite its success this regular season, there's skepticism surrounding the club given the track records of its stars, with Harden and Paul failing to lead a team beyond the conference finals and semis, respectively. The Rockets have a 1.5-game lead on the defending champion Dubs and own the tie-breaker, yet have long been considered the underdog in the matchup.
Will they prove the naysayers wrong this postseason? They've taken the first step by punching their ticket there.