Spurs at Rockets
San Antonio and Houston traded blowout victories to open the series and one of the teams will take a 2-1 lead when the Spurs visit the Rockets in Wednesday's Western Conference semifinals. Houston demolished the Spurs with a 27-point victory in the opener before San Antonio returned serve with a 25-point beat down of the Rockets in Game 2.
The Spurs thoroughly outplayed Houston in the latter stages on Wednesday but will be without point guard Tony Parker for the rest of the postseason after he suffered a ruptured left quadriceps in Game 2. San Antonio star forward Kawhi Leonard fueled his club's rebound with 34 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals in Wednesday's victory. Houston's sharp Game 1 effort was a stunner and the Rockets couldn't stay in the follow-up contest with star point guard James Harden suffering through a 3-of-17 shooting performance while scoring just 13 points. "I just missed shots," Harden told reporters after Game 2. "I didn't convert layups. We knew they were going to come out with some aggressiveness. We just have to go out there and take care of business and do the things we didn't do (in Game 2)."
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
ABOUT THE ROCKETS: Harden hasn't played like an MVP candidate during the first two games and is averaging 16.5 points on 9-of-30 shooting. Harden did average 12 assists in the two contests but his overall numbers are a significant dropoff from the regular season, when he averaged 29.8 points, 11.8 assists and nine rebounds in four games against the Spurs. Forward Ryan Anderson tallied 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting in Game 2 and drained four 3-pointers in each of the first two games.
ABOUT THE SPURS: Parker fell to the floor after attempting a short jump shot with 8:52 remaining and immediately grasped his leg and it was clear the injury was likely of the severe variety when he had to be carried off by two teammates. He underwent an MRI exam on Thursday, which pinpointed the nature of the injury, and San Antonio will now ask backup point guard Patty Mills to step up and lessen Parker's loss. "I can tell you one thing, that we're all ready," Mills said after Game 2. "We're all ready to step up and make an impact."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Parker is averaging 15.9 points in eight postseason games, a sharp increase from his 10.1 regular-season mark.
2. San Antonio C Pau Gasol scored just six points in each of the first two games.
3. Houston was just 11-of-34 from 3-point range in Game 2 after being 22-of-50 in the opener.