First LeBron goes off in a dominant performance, now the Rockets blow out the Warriors? It's like everyone's invigorated by the news that the Warriors dynasty might crumble from within.
This game was not akin to the series of shootouts we saw take place between the Rockets and the Warriors last Western Conference Finals. Curry didn't play, Harden was off, Klay was off, and Durant was the only one getting buckets for the Dubs(though he didn't do nearly enough). Houston's defense stepped up big time and their offense hung on just enough to get more buckets over the Warriors when it mattered in a 107-86 victory.
Despite no Curry, holding the Warriors to only 86 points is a feat on its own. I was disappointed that this wasn't a better game, but a Warriors loss is pretty much a win for the NBA. Check the quarter-by-quarter recap below.
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Game Recap
First Quarter
Both teams relatively struggled to find their shots in the opening seconds. For those wondering about any resonating KD and Draymond beef, the pair were spotted speaking together as they walked into shootaround this morning. Their on-court unity materialized in-game when Draymond ran the floor and dished a dime to KD for some of the first points of the game. Harden started out 0/5 from the field. He didn't make his first field goal until just a smidge over two minutes left in the first quarter. Golden State nabbed the lead but an Eric Gordon three finally vaulted the Rockets ahead with under two minutes to play. Houston carried the momentum for the remainder of the quarter en route to a six-point advantage, 25-19. The Warriors offense looked a bit stale, lacking in ball movement. They set out to change that dynamic in the second period
Second Quarter
The Warriors were feeling the effects of no Steph Curry in their offense. They weren't as smooth running the pick & roll. Still, the Dubs sought out buckets in the paint to keep speed with Houston's attack. The Rockets were rolling after an initial dry spell in the first two minutes. They actually scored eight straight off of dunks or drives to the hoop. It was good enough for an eight-point advantage with under six minutes to play in the half 33-25. The two most explosive offenses of yesteryear were struggling to find their footing tonight. Golden State was 38% from the field overall while the Rockets made even less - 33% of their attempts!
Houston pushed their lead to four as we crossed the four-minute mark, 39-27. When all was said and done the Warriors only managed to put up 41 first half points on the board while Houston drew up 47. James Harden closed out the half strong for Houston, scoring 15 points but The Beard was horrible 5/16 from the field. He only tallied one assist as well, which was somewhat indicative of Houston's poor shooting as a team. Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 13 shooting 4/10 from the field. Things weren't looking good for the Dubs, but we know better than to count them out after one half of ball.
Third Quarter
As the second half began, the rhythm of this contest maintained the same flow as the previous two quarters. Houston was just a step better than Golden State but Durant's shotmaking kept the Dubs within striking distance. Everybody but Durant looked a little bit sloppy. Giving up preventable offensive fouls off drives to the hoop, bad passing angles, lackadaisical perimeter defense. All the while, Houston tried sticking it to 'em with their bread and butter: send Harden down the middle and draw fouls. One of the most aesthetically unpleasing styles in basketball.
The Rockets were up 13 with 5:34 to go, 60-47. Houston's crowd wasn't really into this one. This was that long drab of a third quarter where teams try to establish position. they were poised to come alive in the fourth if GS got close.
But the Rockets weren't letting it happen. The defense was just putting the clamps on the Warriors! The third was over and the Warriors only had 63 points to their name while the Rockets boasted 76. Not a high-octane output from the Rockets, but what was most impressive was how little they allowed to GS.
Fourth Quarter
Klay Thompson and Jonas Jerebko took the basket-collecting initiative to start the fourth while Durant took a breather. The Warrior were really trying to get something going here, but Chris Paul planted his little feet firmly in their way. He ran the show like he was wearing a Clipper uniform. He was playing full-court defense, dishing it out to shooters for corner three's, and even cleanly stripping Jonas Jerebko while he rose up for a dunk. Houston pushed the lead to 23 as Steve Kerr called a timeout to regroup.
After the break, Kevin Durant didn't even come back in. The Warriors were down 26 with seven minutes to play. This might've been Kerr throwing in the towel. James Harden was back in the game though, and the three's started to fall. Where were these three-pointers during Game 7 of last year's Western Conference Finals? They were probably stowed away right next to the true meaning of David Stern's "Basketball Reasons". The rest of the game was essentially garbage time as the Rockets pulled off the big home W over the floundering Warriors, 107-86.
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Takeaways
Takeaways must be taken away with a grain of salt. Curry didn't play, and given all the Warrior's infighting, this wasn't a true Golden State team out on the floor. We still haven't even seen Boogie on the squad yet! I personally think that Boogie is only going to come back 60% of his former self. Achilles injuries are a bitch. I saw Kobe go through one and he kept re-injuring some other muscle every time he just got used to being healthy. It's much more than overcoming one injury. Your body compensates for its limited mobility with extra exertion from other muscles, so it's more than just overcoming the battle of one blow. If the Warriors internal strife persists then we could be seeing a much shakier Golden State come playoff time given Boogie's uncertainty.
Moving onto Houston, give them credit for doing whatever it took to get the W in front of their home fans. This victory meant a lot to them. The defense was the determining factor in this. Based off of how porous Houston's D had been, you totally would've expected an uninhibited Kevin Durant to manhandle them. Not the case tonight.
Notable performances include James Harden's 27 points and James Ennis' 19. Chris Pau also pitched in 10 pts, 5 boards, 7 dimes, and 3 steals. Award for most ineffective performance goes to Draymond Green who had no points and five turnovers. They needed him to step up tonight but he just didn't have it. Klay Thompson didn't help either with only 10 points to his name. The franchise and its members seem to have been hit hard by this KD/Draymond beef over the last couple of days. This game was the materialization of that dysfunction.
I'm more interested in seeing how the Warriors respond in the next three or four games. If they still can't get their act together then this is a real problem! Tonight was a necessary growing pain in this new reality for the Warriors. One where their dirty laundry is on display for all to see, unlike last year where it was all apparently under wraps.
Thanks for reading and check out the game highlights below!
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