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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The Houston Rockets face a major test Friday night as they host the Oklahoma City Thunder, who enter the matchup riding an 11-game road winning streak.
Houston (50-27) sits second in the Western Conference and has been dominant on the boards, leading the conference with 48.8 rebounds per game behind Alperen Sengun’s 10.5 per contest. The Rockets have also been red-hot, winning eight of their last ten while averaging 122.1 points per game.
The Thunder (64-12) hold the best record in the West and have been nearly unstoppable, winning 10 straight overall while outscoring opponents by nearly 20 points per game in that stretch. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to play at an MVP level, averaging 32.8 points, 6.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
Houston will need a big night from Jalen Green, who’s averaging 21.5 points, to keep pace with an OKC team that ranks among the league’s best in efficiency on both ends. The Thunder’s ability to limit turnovers and their defensive pressure could be a deciding factor.
With playoff seeding on the line, expect an intense battle between the top two teams in the West.
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