Golden State Warriors 101 - 92 Houston Rockets
The Warriors advance to their 4th straight finals behind a strong second half. Curry led the Warriors, coming a rebound short of a triple double. The Rockets just seemed to implode in the second half, yet again, without Chris Paul. Missed threes were the downfall of the team as they couldn’t buy a bucket in the 3rd quarter. The Warriors will square off in the finals with Lebron and the Cavs for a 4th straight season. Game 1 is Thursday May 31st.
Another Big 3rd Quarter
The largest game 7 halftime deficit to be ever overcome by a road team. Just like game 6, the Warriors turn it on in the 3rd quarter. Still missing Iguodala, the stars stepped up. Durant led the team with 34 points, Curry added 27 and Klay chipped in 19. Draymond Green, had a double double, doing it all. The Warriors more than doubled the Rockets in fast break points. They just put the gas pedal down and never let up.
Led by Steph Curry, the Warriors were again on fire. Trailing by 11 at half, it seemed like an exact repeat of game 6. The Rockets role players were showing up and supporting Harden in the first half. But, the second the teams came out of the locker room, the Warriors had the edge. Having already overcome a great 1st half by the Rockets previously, they had all the confidence to do it again. Outscoring the Rockets 33-15 in the quarter, it was a carbon copy of last game. Curry was cooking, hitting ridiculous layups and nailing multiple threes. Durant and him were just too much, just pulling away and never letting the Rockets have a chance.
Honestly, there isn’t much to say that hasn’t already been said before about this team. When they want to win, there isn’t much in the world that will stop them. Curry is just unstoppable in the 3rd quarter. If Durant or Thompson shows up, it’s nearly impossible to stay in the game, let alone win it. The Cavs are going to need to drag the Warriors into dogfights if they want to win the championship.
New Game, Same Result
Man, how will the Rockets feel after letting the Warriors take two games away from them. Holding control in both games, they just watched Curry catch fire while they went ice cold. Shooting a horrible 15% from three. They went 7-44, 1-21 in the 2nd half, missing the most threes ever in an game 7. They lived by the three all year, and they eventually died by it. Paul going down really set them up for failure. Harden set the tone, and the Rockets followed. Chucking up ill advised threes until it was too late.
Up 15 at one point, they took an 11 point lead into half. Capela and Tucker were playing great, as Gordon and Harden led. Then, like a bad horror movie sequel, they came out flat. Scoring only 15 points in the 3rd quarter sealed the deal. Having to claw back into it just isn’t what this team is built to do, especially against the juggernaut Warriors. Just watching the game slip away, the Rockets did try to fight back, but the poor shooting was too much to overcome.
Harden led the way with 32 points, but he shot 12-29, including a terrible 2-13 from deep. The rest of the team showed up, but they fell in love with the three. Gordon chipped in 23, but went 2-12 from deep. Tucker finished with 14. Capela should be upset he wasn’t utilized more. Scoring 20 points and grabbing 9 boards. He was very efficient, and could have been used to keep it close while they struggled from deep. He struggled from the free throw line, going 2-6, but after missing 10 straight threes, what’s really worse?
Superteam?
It’s gonna be a long offseason for the Rockets. Having a chance to close out in both game 6 and 7, and watching the Warriors just rip it away. They can’t blame anyone but themselves. Shooting terrible, and playing soft defense, especially in 6 and 7, cost them a chance to win a title. Deciding what to do with the roster is priority number one. Does management think they need to add another star to beat the Warriors? Or do they keep the core and just try to improve in areas like defense and inside scoring.
It may be long for the organization, but it’s going to be especially long for their stars. Harden’s commitment to excellence will be questioned even more. Not seeming to have a killer instinct when the games matter. Is he really a true superstar, or more of a skilled playmaker that needs talent around him to succeed? Paul has to be devastated.
Being a main cog in games 4 and 5, then going down. He watched his best chance at a ring be squandered away with iso “hero” ball and shoddy defense. He has to be wondering if it’s ever going to be enough. Will he step in and force the organization to go after Lebron or Paul George if they leave? It will be interesting to say the least.
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