Rockets Go Quick, Get The Win | NBA Playbook

Rockets Go Quick, Get The Win

With the Rockets-Wizards game tied at 92 with 33 seconds left, the Rockets had a tough decision to make.  With 22 seconds on the shot clock, they had to figure out if they wanted to go quick to preserve the two-for-one opportunity, ensuring that they will get the ball back, or if they just wanted to take their time, get the best look possible, and give the Wizards the final shot.  The Rockets decided to go quick, and they run a quick hitter coming out of the timeout:

Aaron Brooks comes up the middle of the court, making himself available to the basketball.  After Kyle Lowry inbounds the ball, he is going to cut along the baseline, running off of a Luis Scola screen.

All of the action on that side of the basketball is just a decoy, as Chuck Hayes sets a pin-down screen for Chase Budinger.  Budinger quickly comes off of it and curls it towards the middle of the court.

Because of Lowry’s cut, he can’t help out on the curl.  Hayes sets a fantastic screen, stopping Mike Miller in his tracks.  Andray Blatche should help, but he doesn’t.  He stays attached to his man, Chuck Hayes.

This allows Budinger to make the catch, square up, and hit the open jumper.  Here it is in real time.

The play ends with 28.2 seconds left on the clock, meaning that the Rockets guaranteed themselves at least one more possession.  In case the Wizards get a basket (which they don’t), they would have had another chance to score, and that is very important.

31
Mar 2010
POSTED BY
POSTED IN 4th Quarters Houston Rockets Washington Wizards
DISCUSSION 6 Comments
TAGS

  • B

    I cannot believe I just found this website….this is probably the best hoops site on the net….I can’t thank you enough for all the work and research. This is fascinating stuff!!!!!

  • http://khandorssportsblog.com/wordpress khandor

    Sebastian,

    1. Earl Boykins’ defense [on the ball vs Aaron Brooks] is terrible.

    2. When Mike Miller turns both of his feet towards the near sideline, in a fruitless effort to face-guard against Chase Budinger’s expected cut … either [i] toward the basket, or [ii] toward the ball [and, hence the middle of the floor] … he commits a cardinal sin, as far as proper positioning is concerned, for any weak side defender.

    3. As you’ve pointed out already, Andray Blatche’s “still-as-a-statue” defensive entrenchment is terrible.

    The Wizards are a bad basketball team right now, precisely because of basic individual defensive deficiencies just like these.

  • CC

    Since the Wizards’ goal is to lose each and every one of their remaining games, is it really important what play the Rockets ran?

  • http://www.red94.net/?p=1434 NBA Playbook – A Look At The Playcalling In The NBA Through Videos, Pictures, & Words » Rockets Go Quick, Get The Win | Red94 | essays and musings on the nba & houston rockets

    [...] via NBA Playbook – A Look At The Playcalling In The NBA Through Videos, Pictures, & Words » Rocke…. [...]

  • Bob Jones

    They don’t guarantee the last shot because an offensive rebound could always occur. I do believe in the 2 for 1 philosophy, but your defensive needs to secure that rebound if there is a missed shot.

  • Sebastian Pruiti

    Thanks for the comment, but yes, getting the defensive rebound is assumed in this case.