BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The Rockets and Nets have been long recognized for the way they value 3-point shooting, ranking second and third in 3-pointers made going into their meeting on Friday. It was not a coincidence that they place as much of a priority on defending the 3-point line.
For all the Rockets' struggles defensively, they allow the fewest 3-pointers per game. Some of that is because they have surrendered so much inside, as they did last season, but they have a defensive philosophy to defend the 3-point arc. The Nets allowed the fourth-fewest 3s per game.
"I think it's a shared philosophy," said Nets coach Kenny Atkinson, a former Rockets assistant under Jeff Van Gundy and an assistant under Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni in New York.