NBA PLAYOFFS
Fred Faour: 5 observations from the Rockets Game 1 loss to the Warriors
May 14, 2018, 10:31 pm
Steph Curry was not great, but it did not matter. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
The Rockets lost Game 1 to Golden State in the Western Conference Finals 119-106. Here are five observations on the loss:
So much for home court: The Rockets worked all season to get homecourt advantage, and they gave it away in one night. In reality, this was a game they had to have, and they lost it in a third quarter where they were outscored 31-24. Golden State also was better in the fourth quarter and that was the difference.
No answer for Durant: The biggest concern going in was that the Rockets could match up with the Warriors' Big Three, but did not seem to have a matchup for Kevin Durant, the big fourth. That proved to be true, as Durant dominated with 37 points. James Harden, Chris Paul and Clint Capela held their own with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, but Durant was the difference.
Awful a Moute: Luc Mbah A Moute was a serious liability for the Rockets. He took too many shots -- hitting none of them -- and looked like a rec league player. He scored as many points as a dead person. That will not beat the Warriors.
Useless Ariza: Trevor Ariza was almost a zero, getting five fouls and taking bad shots. He scored a whopping 8 points. The Rockets needed more.
No help for Harden: The Beard scored 41 and played well, but got little help. Chris Paul scored 21 but on just 7 of 16 shooting. Eric Gordon had 15 and Clint Capela 12, but there simply was not enough offense throughout the roster.
The bottom line: The Rockets looked overmatched in a game they had to have. This series could get out of hand fast. A similar effort in Game 2 and the Rockets could easily go full Raptor.
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The Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners return from the All-Star break with no time to ease in. Instead, the two top teams in the American League West jump straight into a three-game clash at T-Mobile Park that could shape the tone of the division race as the second half gets underway.
Houston enters the weekend at 56-40, holding a five-game edge over Seattle and holding off a division that refuses to go quietly. The Astros stumbled into the break with a 1-5 homestand, but their body of work across the first half, especially offensively, still makes them the standard in the West. Friday marks the eighth meeting between the clubs this year, with Houston currently holding a slight 4-3 edge in the season series.
The Astros hand the ball to lefty Brandon Walter (1-2, 3.98 ERA), a name that’s quietly become more relevant in a rotation still trying to stabilize. Walter has walked just two batters across his first 40 2/3 innings and carries a tidy 1.008 WHIP into Friday’s matchup. With the Astros still without Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Peña, and Jake Meyers, they’ll need pitching to hold serve until reinforcements arrive, or deals are made.
The Mariners will counter with their ace, right-hander Luis Castillo (6-5, 3.41 ERA), who has been Seattle’s most consistent arm. Castillo has 93 strikeouts and has historically pitched well at home, where the Mariners are 25-21 this season. He’ll look to neutralize a Houston offense that, while banged up, is still dangerous, particularly when the ball leaves the yard. The Astros are 21-6 in games when they hit two or more home runs.
Jose Altuve has been on a tear, going 16-for-37 over his last 10 games with four homers and 14 RBIs. He’s part of an Astros lineup that ranks ninth in OPS and first in batting average on the year. Isaac Paredes continues to provide pop with a team-best 19 home runs, and the team as a whole is hitting .269 over its last 10 games. But pitching has wobbled a bit lately, posting a 4.60 ERA in that same span.
Seattle, meanwhile, comes in having won six of 10, outscoring opponents by 17 runs across that stretch. Cal Raleigh continues to be a force in the middle of the order with 38 home runs and 82 RBIs, while J.P. Crawford has quietly sparked the lineup with a .341 average and six RBIs in his last 10 contests. The Mariners are also getting healthier on the mound, and their rotation,once thin, is now a looming threat.
It’s only July, and the cliché says it’s just another series. But with the trade deadline two weeks away and the division gap sitting at five games, both teams understand what this weekend could mean. A Seattle sweep tightens the race dramatically. A Houston series win could widen the gap enough to change the calculus in the front office war rooms.
The stakes are high, the rosters aren’t at full strength, and the calendar is only getting shorter. That’s the recipe for a classic Astros-Mariners showdown.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Mariners -134, Astros +113; over/under is 7 1/2 runs
Here's an early look at the Astros lineup for Game 1!
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What stands out? Cam Smith is back in the two-spot with Christian Walker hitting cleanup. He's followed by DH Victor Caratini, Yainer Diaz (C), Taylor Trammell (CF), Mauricio Dubon (SS), and Brice Matthews at second base.
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