The Rockets’ considerable retooling since last season’s series against the Jazz has been nearly entirely on the bench. The five players that played the most in that second-round series are this season’s starting lineup.
That could make the reworked bench key in the series, guard Austin Rivers said, with it especially important that whoever is on the floor with James Harden or Chris Paul to be able to attack off the dribble against Utah’s usual hard closeouts.
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“I think the more we score and the more we’re aggressive it’s going to make it easier on James,” Rivers said.