Nene, 34, was ruled out for the remainder of Houston's postseason Monday with what team medical staff diagnosed as a left adductor tear.
With all due respect to the San Antonio Spurs' defense, the stingiest in the National Basketball Association this season, coach Mike D'Antoni and point guard James Harden weren't willing to concede that the Rockets needed to alter their approach to win this Western Conference semifinal series.
"The Rockets medical staff is now reviewing treatment options", the team said in a statement.
Nene, a 15-year veteran in his first season with the Rockets, averaged 10 points and 4.7 rebounds in nine postseason games this year. He was the star. He may even come off the bench with the second team like he did for most of Sunday's win after Nene was injured.
He could use Sam Dekker more as backup four with Ryan Anderson picking up Nene's backup center minutes.
The Rockets led by 15 entering the fourth quarter and immediately padded the lead when Gordon made a 3-pointer to open the period.
If Mike D'Antoni's side are going to get their playoffs campaign back on track, they will need others besides Harden to step up on offence.
Indians place Corey Kluber on the disabled list
Martinez took advantage of Cleveland's shifted infield, bunting down the third-base line to reach easily as he led off the fifth. Abraham Almonte pinch ran. "Right out of the gate, he had a really good slider", Indians manager Terry Francona said.
In the playoffs, Nene was a huge reason for the Rockets' five-game defeat of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS: Harden broke loose for the first time in the series with a 43-point effort in Game 3 after averaging 16.5 on 9-of-30 shooting over the first two games. If the Spurs are hitting a lot of their shots, that increases the time for them to get back defensively and prepare for the Rockets' attack. Given this dominance, it's tempting to respond to the inevitable "Rockets or Spurs?" question with the same dismissiveness that LeBron James offered when asked whether he preferred the Celtics or Wizards in the East finals: "It doesn't matter".
WASHINGTON - Bradley Beal scored 29 points and Washington used a 26-0 third-quarter run to beat Boston on Sunday night to tie the series at two games apiece.
Houston made 22 3-pointers in a blowout win in Game 1, but had struggled from long-range in its two losses. "Guys weren't hesitating to shoot, and that's a big deal for us".
Houston lost Nene in the first quarter with a groin injury and ended up playing with a smaller lineup most of the game. They insisted that Houston could succeed with the fast-paced, let-it-fly style the team rode to 55 wins in the regular season. They had 12 in the Spurs' 103-92 win in Game 3 Friday night.
Waiting for the victor of this series will likely be the reigning Western Conference champions, the Golden State Warriors. He scored 28 points off the bench while shooting ideal from the floor. Trevor Ariza had 17 while Clint Capela added 12 and 16 rebounds. The next time the Rockets had the ball, Harden missed a triple, but Patrick Beverley chased down the rebound, and Harden found Eric Gordon for 3 to give the Rockets an 18-point lead. They scored 112.1 points per 100 possessions in 121 regular-season minutes.
Comments