San Francisco – Match 3 of the first round series of the Golden State Warriors with the Houston Rockets on Saturday was nothing less than a slugfest. They participated in a physical battle all night with bodies striking the floor of the opening tip through the final buzzer.
Missing Jimmy ButlerThe Warriors relied on their depth and defense, while the Rockets could not contain Stephen Curry or buy a bucket at the end of the competition. At the end of the night, the balance of a team and the radiance of a familiar superstar turned out to be the difference because Golden State won a 104-93 victory and a 2-1 series lead.
Another “Stephortless” performance
Curry did this thing where he takes up a game in his most crucial moments – hitting Dagger 3s, converting clever lay -ups exploiting any gap on a large.
Match 3 was no different. While the two teams had their difficulties at the start, Curry took over in the second half, representing 80% of the team's points in the third quarter (12 points, two assists, four points created from decisive passes) and 61.8% of the team's points in the fourth quarter (eight points, five assists, 13 points created from assists). Steve Kerr said: “He was brilliant”, pouring 36 points, placing nine assists with seven rebounds and finishing +18 in the night, leading his warriors to a very necessary victory.
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Asked about Curry's performance, Kerr said: “I don't know. Whatever I said in the past 11 years, I don't know. Copy and stick.”
A night when the two teams fought through a sloppy game, Curry broke into the clutch. The Rockets had blitz and double frequent teams overnight, but Curry was able to find open and capitalize on the gravity he created. With Butler, the Warriors needed curry to be impeccable. And like Clockwork, he delivered.
The defense of warriors and role players respond to the call
Without Butler, the Warriors have looked into a full effort on the defense. The Warriors increased their strength to the point of attack, holding Jalen Green, Fred Vanvleet and Amen Thompson with 14 out of 41. The Warriors limited Houston to 39.5% shooting as a team with an assistance / filming ratio of 19:14. Another component of the Warriors success was to reduce the second -chance points of the Rockets, winning this battle from 18 to 11.
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Draymond Green must be distinguished for his defense inside, holding Alperen şengün 2 shots in 8 minutes to keep the great opposing man. While his offensive production was modest, he added three blocks and two interceptions in 34 minutes.
“What kept us in the match is our defense,” said Kerr.
Then there was the role of the actors: Gary Payton II, Buddy Hield and Quinten Post.
“Buddy turned around (the switch), but GP also returned it,” said Kerr. “The playoffs concern injuries and players intensified. Jimmy having come out, you must be able to resist this.”
Payton scored 11 of his 16 points in the final framework and was the beneficiary of four of Curry's nine assists. Hield punctuated the Warriors reserves, lowering 17 points with five 3s and three unusual interceptions in 29 minutes. The Warriors bench has outlined the Rockets 42-28, a margin that turned out to be invaluable with Butler sidelined.
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“Robin was released tonight, so I had to intensify,” said Hield, leaning in the analogy of Batman and Robin.
Given the quantity that the rockets impose their size and their physique, Post, a recruit, had an impact on the glass, lowering 12 rebounds (three offensives). This is where leadership and experience had, and descend, the Warriors understood the mission.
The offensive of the Rockets falls flat
For rockets, this loss resolved to missed opportunities. Their offensive ineffectiveness was blatant throughout the night, as they displayed a percentage of efficient field goals of 46% and a percentage of 47% real shooting. Even on the free throw line, where they dominated in attempts – 24 towards the 15 of Golden State – they left points on the table, doing only 14 years. Houston was the Worse team for free throws during the regular seasonThis remains an area of concern in the worst time possible, summarized by performance 1 of 6 of şENGün on the line.
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The only bright point was Jabari Smith Jr. The big reserve man played 26 minutes, contributing 12 points on 4 shots out of 8. For the series, he draws 60% on the field and 55.6% of the range of 3 points out of three attempts per night, with 1.3 blocks per game. Finding more minutes for Smith should be a priority for rockets, who are desperately looking for responses offensively.
What is the next step for both teams?
This game was a tenacity test and the Warriors prevailed. Despite the attempts of Corral Curry's Rockets, the defense and execution of the Warriors team, combined with Curry's brilliance, were too much for the Rockets. With Butler always day by day for match 4 on Monday, can the Warriors bring the same energy and the same efforts if Butler is not ready to leave?
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For Houston, the message is simple, but urgent: efficiency must improve, additional opportunities on the free throw line cannot be wasted, and they must do a better job to close the support of support from the Warriors. Smith can be part of the offensive solution, but the adjustments are surely become before match 4.
The series is far from over, but if the match 3 has taught us something, physicity is not going – and the subsidiary can be the way to follow.
