[ad_1]
HOUSTON – While Kevin Durant in Oakland was healing a leg injury and Steph Curry felt it here in the first half, the Houston Rockets had the Golden State Warriors exactly where they wanted them.
Well, maybe not.
Unbelievably, the Warriors defeated the Rockets 118-113 on Friday night at the Toyota Center and won the Western Conference semifinals 4-2.
Curry was aimless in the first half, but broke after the break and finished with 33 points, including 23 in the fourth quarter, and was trapped during the frenetic finish. He made 9 shots out of 20 among the pack and 4 out of 11 after 3 points, but he made 11 free-throw attempts, including eight in the last 30 seconds to seal the win.
James Harden scored 35 points, a top in the game, for the Rockets, but once again, his season ends without a championship ring, nor even a place for the NBA finals.
The Rockets led 89-82 on Chris Paul's jumper with 11 minutes to play and a match 7 seemed more and more likely. Houston, however, suffered the same fate, being eliminated from the playoffs by Golden State for the second year in a row and for the fourth time in five seasons.
While the Warriors were predicting the absence of Durant, who suffered a calf injury in his right leg Wednesday in the fifth game, Curry's sick shot was almost shocking.
Curry was aimless in the first half, missing all five shots – including two hits – and he made three fouls. Fictional troubles have limited him to 12 minutes in the first period.
Klay Thompson guided the Warriors in the first period with 21 of his 27 points. And in the second half, Curry took over.
The Warriors, seeking their third consecutive NBA title, advance to the Western Conference finals and face the Denver Nuggets or Portland Trail Blazers. These teams will play the seventh game on Sunday.
The Warriors have reached the finals of the NBA over the past four seasons, losing only in 2016 against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Before the game, knowing who would start in Durant was a mystery, asked Warrior coach Steve Kerr during a pre-game media session about an hour and a half before the game.
"I do not say it," said Kerr. "I am not obliged by the rules of the league."
The suspense ended when the warriors spoke. Durant's replacement was Andrew Bogut, who won the goal but did nothing else for seven minutes of play.
During the first half, Golden State led up to eight points. But the Rockets fought back and were tied 57-57 at halftime.
[ad_2]
Source link