Defense, shooting of Eric Gordon becoming more reliable for Rockets

After a slow playoff start, Rockets guard Eric Gordon is shooting 47.8% in his last five games, and his defense has proven essential.

Through his first three playoff games of 2020, Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon was shooting just 34.4% from the field and 15.4% on 3-pointers. In the five since, Gordon is up to 47.8% overall and 35.3% on 3-pointers, and he’s scored 20 or more points in four of the five games.

Most impressively, Gordon’s offensive improvement has come without any slippage on defense. His perimeter defense was essential against Oklahoma City’s Chris Paul in Game 7 of the first-round series, and Gordon also proved adept in Friday’s Game 1 of the second-round series at defending Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

“Right now, I think his body feels good, and he looks good,” Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said of Gordon, who scored 23 points in Houston’s Game 1 victory. “His defense tonight on LeBron was good. Eric played really well on both ends tonight. We just had to get him healthy.”

Though the 6-foot-1 Paul and 6-foot-9 James have wildly different bodies and playing styles, Gordon has shown the versatility to succeed against both. That type of speed and flexibility is a key component of how Houston has the NBA’s No. 1 defense in net rating for the playoffs, despite starting three guards and a 6-foot-5 “center” in P.J. Tucker.

James scored just 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting, and the Lakers were -15 in his 37 minutes played during Game 1. He did not score at all in the fourth quarter, when Houston blew the game open in a 112-97 rout.

In comments at Thursday’s practice, Gordon attributed his slow start to the playoffs to the ripple effects of an ankle injury he suffered late in the 2019-20 regular season. He returned only two games before the playoffs.

It was good. It was all about me finding and getting in a rhythm coming off the injury/ I only had a game or two. Then, the next thing you know, bam, playoffs.

I always have confidence. I’m always going to score the basketball. With my skillset, I can always get to the rim, I can always knock down shots. But if shots are not going down, you got to have another effect on the game.

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In his last two games, the shots have finally started to go down, too. Between Game 7 of the Thunder series and Game 1 versus the Lakers, Gordon has made 8-of-17 shots (47.1%) from 3-point range.

Out of Houston’s eight playoff games so far, Gordon has scored 20 or more points in five of them. In his 36 games played during the 2019-20 regular season, he only scored 20+ six times.

James even tipped his cap to Gordon for his role in a 14-0 run by the Rockets early in the fourth quarter, which pushed the lead from five to 19. “EG came in in the fourth quarter and sparked them,” LeBron said.

The Lakers will attempt to adjust as they prepare for Sunday’s Game 2, which tips off at 7:30 p.m. Central in a national ABC telecast.

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