Warriors 118, Rockets 113
3-pointers from the Rockets' season-ending loss to the Warriors
May 10, 2019, 10:57 pm
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The Rockets season came to a predictable end on Friday night with a 118-113 loss to the Warriors. Three key points from the loss:
1) Chris Paul heard the criticism
He responded with a terrific game, his best of the playoffs. He scored 27 points, had 11 rebounds and kept the Rockets in the game. The Rockets needed a vintage Paul game and they got it. Unfortunately it was not enough.
2) Splash brothers do it again
Steph Curry was awful in the first half, and the teams were tied. That did not bode well for the Rockets. Curry would finish with 33 points and Klay Thompson 27 and the Warriors guards were too good.
3) Just not good enough
It's hard to fault James Harden, who scored 35. Curry and Thompson matched Harden and Paul, and the Warriors bench dominated, and that was the difference in the game. It was a disappointing end to a disappointing season and the Rockets once again come up short. The reality is they simply aren't good enough to beat the Warriors, with or without Kevin Durant. The off-season begins now, and there are plenty of questions to be answered. Is Paul done? Is Mike D'Antoni the right coach? Can the Rockets ever elevate their game and get past Golden State? They were not good enough. Again. And another season ends in disappointment.
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Astros show signs of life in blowout win over Brewers
May 7, 2025, 3:25 pm
Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has a strained muscle at the top of his right hand, a diagnosis that instills optimism he won’t have a prolonged stay on the injured list.
The three-time All-Star went on the 10-day injured list Monday, retroactive to Saturday, and returned to Houston for an MRI that revealed the muscle strain.
“We look at it as good news,” Astros manager Joe Espada said before their Wednesday afternoon game with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Espada expressed hope that Alvarez wouldn’t have to stay on the injured list longer than the required 10 days. He also said the hand issue may have played a role in Alvarez’s slow start.
Alvarez, 27, is hitting .210 with a .306 on-base percentage, three homers and 18 RBIs in 29 games this season. He batted .308 with a .392 on-base percentage, 35 homers and 86 RBIs in 147 games last year while ranking ninth in the AL Most Valuable Player balloting.
He has posted an OPS of at least .959 and has finished 13th or higher in the MVP voting each of the last three seasons.
“Once he heals, once he gets back, I think we’ll see a more aggressive at bat and be not as cautious,” Espada said. “I think it had something to do with it, yes.”
His potential return could go a long way toward boosting an Astros lineup that hasn’t been as productive as usual this season. The Astros entered Wednesday’s action ranked 21st in the majors in runs (136) and 23rd in OPS (.676). Houston has ranked 11th or better in both those categories each of the last four seasons.