National Basketball Association

Why was Houston's Game 1 effort so abysmal?

Published May. 5, 2015 8:05 p.m. ET

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The Houston Rockets were terrible in Game 1. They couldn't hit shots in the second half, they turned the ball over seemingly every time they got on a run and their defense (particularly in transition) was abysmal.

But even more worrisome was their focus and effort. Here's Sports on Earth's Michael Pina analyzing the specifics behind Houston's meltdown:

"There were sequences featuring crisp, selfless ball movement, but those were few and far between, rare off-the-dribble creations half-molded by Smith when he wasn't firing up a 25-footer or pretending soccer's rules suddenly applied to basketball."

The Rockets didn't look like a team that understood they were playing in the second round of the playoffs, and if they come out in Game 2 with the same attitude their season will end sooner than later.

(h/t: Sports on Earth)

Photo Credit: Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports