NBA PLAYOFFS
Fred Faour: 5 observations from the Rockets Game 2 win over Golden State
May 16, 2018, 10:42 pm
Eric Gordon played well. Jonathan Daniel
The Rockets looked more like the team we have seen all season and knocked off Golden State 127-105 to even the series at 1-1. Here are five thoughts on the Rockets win:
1) Balance, balance, balance: The supporting cast showed up in this one. PJ Tucker scored 22. Trevor Ariza had 18. Eric Gordon matched a team high with 27. It was not all on James Harden, Chris Paul and Clint Capela. A balanced Rockets team is dangerous.
2) Ball movement: The Rockets used ISO, but they also moved the ball and created mismatches. It made all the difference in the world.
3) One man show: Kevin Durant was a beast again with 38 points, but he had little help. Steph Curry scored 16 but on 7 of 19 shooting. No other Warrior hit double figures. Golden State simply did not do enough.
4) Getting defensive: The Rockets defense shut down Klay Thompson, who was great in Game 1. He scored just 8. They also bothered Curry again. Draymond Green was invisible. If the Rockets play defense like this, they can win the whole thing.
5) Great adjustments: Give Mike D'Antoni some credit for making the right moves. He changed things up, and the Rockets got a big win.
This is more like it. If the Rockets play like this, they can win at Oracle. If they play like Game 1? They come home down 3-1. We shall see.
Christian Walker homered among his three hits and had a season-high four RBIs to lead the Houston Astros over the Chicago White Sox 10-2 on Wednesday night.
ALL-STAR SMASH.#VoteWalker ⭐️ https://t.co/W06pfHQMR1 pic.twitter.com/DDzNOvnsXt
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 12, 2025
Jose Altuve added two hits to give him 2,300 in his career, joining Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (2,342) as the only active players with at least 2,300.
The GOAT with another milestone.
Congrats to Altuve on 2,300 career hits! #VoteAltuve ⭐️ https://t.co/W06pfHRkGz pic.twitter.com/gtaLqdegqM
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 12, 2025
Altuve got things going with an RBI double in the first. There were two outs in the inning when Walker homered to left field off Sean Burke (3-7) to make it 3-0.
Houston starter Ryan Gusto (4-3) allowed seven hits and two runs with a season-best seven strikeouts in a season-high six innings.
Josh Rojas had two hits for the White Sox, who fell to 7-27 on the road.
Altuve singled with two outs in the third before Yainer Diaz walked. Walker then smacked a line drive to center field for a double to score them both and push the lead to 5-0.
There was one out in the fourth when Cam Smith hit a ground-rule double. With two outs, Jeremy Peña doubled on a ball that bounced off the wall in left field to make it 6-0. Isaac Paredes followed with another RBI double to chase Burke, who yielded eight hits and seven runs — both career highs — in 3 2/3 innings.
Rojas singled in the fifth and moved to third on a ground-rule double by Vinny Capra. Rojas scored on a groundout by Mike Tauchman to cut it to 7-1. Miguel Vargas hit an RBI single to make it 7-2.
Paredes had three hits and two RBIs to help the Astros snap a two-game skid.
Key moment
Walker’s home run that put Houston up 3-0 early.
He talked about his big night following the game.
Christian Walker’s four RBIs were a season-high pic.twitter.com/V2cQWk6pRC
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) June 12, 2025
Key stat
Walker had just two RBIs in his previous six games.
Up next
Houston LHP Framber Valdez (6-4, 3.07 ERA) opposes RHP Davis Martin (2-6, 3.62) when the series concludes Thursday night.