The Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets are tied 2 – 2 going into Game 5 tonight in Houston. This series was what everyone was waiting for at the begining of the season. The Rockets built their team to defeat the Warriors. This series has been living up to the hype so far and I don’t expect anything different for tonights game. Here’s a little preview of game 5 of the Western Conference Finals and how the series has played out so far.
Game 1 :
Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals was what you would expect from the defending Champs. The Warriors went into Houston and dominated the game from start to finish. Although James Harden did score 41 points and Chris Paul pitched in 23 points, the role players didn’t contribute much. The Warriors were lead by Kevein Durant who had 37 points and Klay Thompson who scored 28 points. The Warriors defense held the role players to a minimum which was the key to slowing down the Rockets high powered offensive attack. The Rockets got themselves in trouble in game 1 with the isolation ball which James Harden tried to do most of the game. The Warriors stole home court with their game 1 win in Houston.
Game 2 :
In game 2 of the Western Conference Finals the Rockets jumped on the Warriors from the start and never looked back. The Rockets role players stepped up big time in game 2. PJ Tucker had an enormous game with 22 points. Eric Gordon pitched in 27 points off the bench after a quiet game 1. Trevor Ariza had 19 points and played some great defense on Durant, Curry, and Thompson. The Warriors only had 2 players in double figures in Kevin Durant and Steph Curry. Steph Curry had a poor shooting performance while shooting 1 – 8 from three. The Rockets moved the ball and got everyone involved while pushing the ball in transition of makes and misses. The series was tied at 1 game a piece heading to Oracle for the next 2 which was in the Warriors favor.
Game 3 :
Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals was a tale of 2 halves. The first half the Warriors were up in control of the game but the Rockets kept fighting back. The Warriors had an 11 point halftime lead. The Warriors are known as the third quarter team for coming out of halftime and putting on a clinic. They did just that in game 3 and Steph Curry errupted in the third quarter scoring 18 points on 7 – 7 shooting in the quarter alone. Steph had been struggling in this series up to that point but then took off. The Warriors ended up rolling to a 41 point win and dominating the Houston Rockets to take a 2 – 1 series lead.
Game 4 :
Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals was the most exciting game of the Conference Finals. The Warriors jumped out to a 12 – 0 lead and had Oracle rocking. The Rockets then responded and dominate the Warriors the rest of the first half. The Rockets took a 7 point lead into halftime and looked like they may steal one in Golden State. The Warriors then came out firing in the third quarter where Steph Curry got hot again and started to dominate.
The Warriors ended up outscoring the Rockets 34 – 17 in the third quarter. They took a commanding 10 point lead into the fourth quarter. The Rockets looked like they have seen this before but with veteran leader Chris Paul and James Harden the Rockets stormed back into the game. It was a back and forth game in the 4th quarter but the Warriors were struggling to find their flow on offense which forced poor decisions and bad shot selections. Steph Curry missed a potential game tying 3 pointer as time expired. The Rockets stole game 4 on the road to retake home court advantage as the Warriors let one slip away. PJ Tucker was a difference maker with his toughness and his energy. Tucker ended with 16 rebounds and had to defend Durant, Curry, Thompson, and Green at different times in the 4th quarter.
Game 5 Preview :
Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals is tonight. Tonight will be a huge game for both teams. Whoever wins will go up 3 – 2 in this series and be one win away from the NBA Finals. After the result of game 4 i would expect the Warriors to come out strong because they know how important this game is. The Rockets should have the advantage being at home and your role players always play better at home.
This game will have runs and huge swings and even some high emotions. The Warriors know what has to be done tonight. If they can steal this game they go back home with a chance to close out the series. James Harden and Chris Paul have been a dynamic duo this season and these playoffs and the Rockets will need them both tonight more than ever. The will need the leadership, the scoring, the energy, and the ball movement to get others involved early to get them in the game. Look for tonight to be a close exciting game with a lot on the table.
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