MINNEAPOLIS - The Houston Rockets executed the opening play of the second half perfectly. James Harden took the dribble handoff from Chris Paul, who set a screen on Jimmy Butler, freeing his co-star to cruise down the middle of the lane for a lefty floater.
It was a perfect opportunity for Harden to get a little rhythm after a rough first half for the probable MVP. But the ball bounced one, two, three, four times on the rim before falling off, Harden's 11th miss on his first 15 field goal attempts.