Josh Smith — picked up off Stan Van Gundy’s trash heap mid-season — in part chose to come play in Houston because he had a relationship with Dwight Howard. The two had been AAU teammates back in the day.
That long-forged chemistry was on display Tuesday night.
Howard was setting screens and rolling to the rim — or making cuts there after his man went to help on penetration — and the result was five different Smith-to-Howard lobs for dunks. It was an aerial assault on the slow footed rotations of the Dallas defense. It also was one of the reasons Houston went on a 19-4 fourth-quarter run to pull away and take Game 2 Tuesday night.
Rick Carlisle and Dallas will make adjustments to limit the lobs in Game 3, but they may not have the defenders to slow the Houston offense.
