The Houston Rockets needed a win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night to leap into the playoff picture. Beating the Mavs would've pushed the two teams into a tie in the standings and given Houston the tiebreaker in a close race.
NBA scores 2016: Rockets blow their chance to jump into playoff picture
Houston’s crushing loss in Dallas, another big night for Isaiah Thomas and the rest of the action from Wednesday in the NBA.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Instead, the Rockets reminded us why they're on the outside looking in with a sloppy 88-86 loss in Dallas.
Houston's season has been all about disappointing results and this game was no different. The Rockets got out to an early lead in the pivotal matchup despite a cold start from James Harden, only to find themselves trailing by eight at halftime. Harden finally came out of his slumber to rally the team in the second half to force a close finish, but as we've seen before this season, Harden and company couldn't close out.
The final 15 seconds of the game were a madcap display that only reinforced why the teams at the top of the West are going to have zero trouble getting out of the first round. Neither Houston nor Dallas played well down the stretch Wednesday in a game that both teams badly needed. Harden ended up making the crucial mistake by turning the ball over with five seconds left in a 86-85 game.
Devin Harris would hit a pair of free throws from there to extend the lead to three, then Jason Terry got fouled immediately during the Rockets' next in-bounds play and the Rockets never even got to attempt a game-tying shot. That was ballgame and a major blow to Houston's chances of making the playoffs.
The Rockets entered this game one back of the Mavericks and with a chance to put themselves on the brink of a playoff spot. A win in Dallas on Wednesday would've pushed the two teams into a tie and given Houston the tiebreaker. Now Houston is two games back and will likely need to win four straight games -- luckily all against lottery teams -- to close out the season to keep its playoff hopes alive.
Houston would still hold the tiebreaker over eighth-seeded Utah if it wins out, so if the Jazz go 3-1 over their final four games and the Rockets go 4-0 in theirs, the latter will make the postseason.
However, this is much more complicated than simply beating Dallas on Wednesday would've been. A win would've put the Rockets in the driver's seat to get one of the final two playoff spots given its remaining schedule and tiebreakers. Now the Mavericks' rode to the playoffs is much easier, while the Rockets' just got much harder.
3 other things
Isaiah Thomas deserves your attention
SB Nation’s Paul Flannery recently wrote a fantastic profile on Thomas, and it shows how perfect the fit between him and Boston has proven to be. The guard has thrived with the responsibility given to him by young coach Brad Stevens. For one of the smallest players in the league (5’9), his success is nothing short of astonishing.
Thomas uses a dizzying array of ball skills and quick bits of footwork to constantly keep his opponents guessing. The Pelicans, who were playing with an undermanned roster, struggled to stay in front of him as he shot 10-of-19 from the field and 9-of-12 from the free throw line.
It’s the 10th time that Thomas has scored 30-plus points in a game this season, and the 56th time he’s topped 20. He also recorded eight assists, four rebounds and two steals in the win. The playoffs are going to give Thomas a chance to do his thing on center stage, and it’s going to be fun to watch.
Detroit is pulling away for the East’s last playoff spot
The Bulls and Wizards mathematically still hold out hope of sneaking into the playoffs, but the Pistons' 108-104 win over the Magic on Wednesday is a blow. Detroit (42-37) is now 2.5 games ahead of Chicago (39-39) and 3.5 games ahead of Washington (38-40) for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Pistons got a major favor Tuesday when the Bulls fell to a seriously shorthanded Grizzlies team. That should've been an easy, much-needed win for the Bulls, but instead the team got smacked around in a 108-92 loss. Now Detroit has further nailed the coffin on Chicago's playoff hopes in its first year under head coach Fred Hoiberg.
Reggie Jackson led the way against Orlando with 24 points on 7-of-18 shooting. He got help from Andre Drummond, who recorded a double-double with 13 points and 16 rebounds, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who scored 18 on 7-of-10 shooting.
OKC kicks back, lets Portland clinch playoff spot
The Thunder started off their night without Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook or Serge Ibaka, which meant a heaping dose of Enes Kanter and Dion Waiters. The Trail Blazers ended it rolling to a 120-115 win over OKC -- and clinched their playoff spot -- on Wednesday.
Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka sitting was a clear indication of how important the Thunder took this game, and Portland took advantage to guarantee its playoff berth. This wasn’t your usual Thunder team, nor was the game as close as the score might indicate. Portland led by double digits for most of the fourth quarter.
Al-Farouq Aminu attacked the Durant-less defense for 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting to lead Portland. Even on a night where Damian Lillard shot 2-of-13 from the field, the Blazers had little trouble improving to 43-37 on the year.
Play of the night
When you’re smaller than everyone else, you have to depend on agility and footwork. Isaiah Thomas is really, really good at that.
Scores
Wizards 121, Nets 103 (Bullets Forever recap | Nets Daily recap)
Pistons 108, Magic 104 (Detroit Bad Boys recap | Orlando Pinstriped Post recap)
Pacers 123, Cavaliers 109 (Indy Cornrows recap | Fear The Sword recap)
Hornets 111, Knicks 97 (At The Hive recap | Posting And Toasting recap)
Celtics 104, Pelicans 97 (CelticsBlog recap | The Bird Writes recap)
Mavericks 88, Rockets 86 (Mavs Moneyball recap | The Dream Shake recap)
Trail Blazers 120, Thunder 115 (Blazer's Edge recap | Welcome to Loud City recap)
Clippers 91, Lakers 81 (Clips Nation recap | Silver Screen And Roll recap)
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