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In the final match of the Western Conference final last year, the Golden State Warriors beat the Houston Rockets, 104-100, in the first game of their second series.
Despite the tough performances of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, the Warriors triumphed behind another sensational outing by Kevin Durant, who led the way with 35 points.
Although the Warriors came out victorious from it, there were several questionable non-calls from the referees – most of whom injured the Rockets. On at least five occasions, James Harden and Chris Paul apparently fouled the 3-point attempt, but the referees ignored what appeared to be obvious physical contact and fouls after they attempted to hit.
None was more common than we saw in the final seconds of the game, the Rockets trailing at 103-100, while Harden appeared to be a victim of a foul by Draymond Green at the close of the session with 9.1 seconds to go. The referees did not whistle a foul and the Rockets then returned the ball after catching an offensive rebound.
The tight victory of the Warriors puts in place a match of the second game for Tuesday night at Oracle Arena, in which the Rockets can absolutely not afford to fall 2-0.
Here are some takeaways from a controversial game 1.
The Rockets may have a legitimate reproach with the referees
It's a direct assessment, but it's just the truth. I've had at least five times where the Rockets players – namely James Harden and Chris Paul – were clearly blocked in 3-point attempts with clear physical contact, allowing the referees to close their eyes. and to pretend that nothing had happened.
Nothing was more obvious or more accentuated than when Draymond Green made a mistake on Harden, while there was still a little more than nine seconds to play and the Rockets trailed 103-100.
Given the lack of confidence of fans and players in matters of arbitration, this playoff game on the national scene could significantly damage the reputation of the NBA.
Durant is the X factor in this series
We all know that Stephen Curry can transform the momentum of a match in one shot. He did it in that match with his 3-point dagger with 21.3 seconds that left the Warriors 103-98 ahead. That said, the most dominant offensive player in today's match is none other than Kevin Durant.
While Curry's shot will be remembered, he struggled throughout the match (3 of 10 on 3 points with 18 points), as did Klay Thompson (13 points out of 5 shots out of 13). Durant was the only Warrior player to constantly shoot and carry the team afloat, despite the fact that the Rockets were at hand.
Durant finished with 35 points, just one game after scoring 50 points in his playoff win on Friday against the Clippers.
The warriors are so hard to beat because of Durant. Whether you like it or hate it, it's only the bottom line.
Rockets continue their fight against the Warriors
In the end, while the Warriors seemed to hit the Rockets by several points throughout the match, Golden State played the lazy defense for the entire first half. It was a postponement effect of the Clippers series in which Golden State often deployed a lazy defensive effort, as the best players on the opposing team were Lou Williams and Danilo Gallinari.
That said, despite their lazy defense, the Warriors were still able to stop the Rockets. Harden struggled to 9 out of 28 and 4 of 16 in the 3-point range.
What makes the situation even more embarrassing is that Harden is not the only one to have fought. The all-Rockets lineup struggled when he started the game with 14 points at 3 points.
Why is this statistic even worse? Because the Rockets missed 27 points to 3 consecutive points in Game 7 last year, which means that they were 1 in 41 of the 3-point range since Game 7 against the Warriors after this hard time to start the game.
This match was tight from start to finish and the Rockets were even led by a few points in different instances during the game. However, you never felt as if the Rockets controlled this game – because the Warriors dictated the pace, regardless of the score.
This is not a good feeling if you are on the Rockets.
Check back all the news, highlights and updates of the first game below:
No. 1 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 4 Houston Rockets
How to watch Match 2
- Date: Tuesday, April 30
- Time: 22:30. is
- Location: Oracle Arena – Oakland, California
- TV channel: TNT
- Streaming Online: fuboTV (try it for free)
- chances: N / A
TV Lists
All games will be broadcast on ESPN, ABC, TNT and NBA TV during the playoffs. Games on TNT and NBA TV can be streamed via fuboTV (try it for free).
Ratings and Analysis
Check out the Sportsline NBA Selection Sheet for all your daily odds.
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