The Golden State Warriors drew first blood in their best-of-seven series with the Houston Rockets, eking out a 110-106 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals Tuesday night. As expected, Stephen Curry led the way for the Warriors, who now set their sights on building a commanding 2-0 series lead this coming Thursday.
Who will emerge victorious in this pivotal Game 2? Read on below for a breakdown of this all-important clash and while you’re at it you can check out our preview of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors Game 2 Preview
Series Scores & Schedule
Game 1 – Houston Rockets 106 at Golden State Warriors 110
Game 2 – May 21, 9:00 PM ET – Houston Rockets (+9.5) at Golden State Warriors (-9.5); total: 219.5 – view all NBA lines
Game 3 – May 23, 9:00 PM ET – Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets
Game 4 – May 25, 9:00 PM ET – Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets
Game 5* – May 27, 9:00 PM ET – Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors
Game 6*– May 29, 9:00 PM ET – Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets
Game 7* – May 31, 9:00 PM ET – Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors
* if necessary
Betting on the Houston Rockets
Houston’s quest for a third NBA championship took a huge hit on Tuesday as it suffered a stinging four-point defeat to the top-seeded Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the Western Finals. Not only did the Rockets suffer a heart-breaking loss in this game, they may have also lost Dwight Howard for the rest of the playoffs with a left knee injury.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Dwight Howard’s absence was hugely felt by the Rockets as they were unable to keep up with Golden State’s small-ball lineup. Howard suffered the knee injury in the first quarter when Josh Smith collided with him in a rebounding sequence. Howard has been superb for the Rockets this postseason, averaging 16.4 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. He scored seven points and grabbed 13 rebounds in Game 1.
With Howard out, the Rockets suddenly lost a player who was their main option down the low block. The onus now is on James Harden to shoulder the scoring load for the Rockets even more. Harden put on a dazzling display in the series opener, scoring 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting from the field. He almost recorded a triple-double as well, putting up 11 rebounds and nine assists.
He can’t do it all alone, though, so it’s crucial for the other Rockets big men to step up in case Howard indeed will miss some time. Josh Smith scored 17 points but was highly inefficient from the field, going just 6-of-16 from the floor in Game 1. Terrence Jones struggled offensively as well, scoring just five points on 2-of-10 field goal shooting.
They will need to get their game going quickly to help the Rockets spread the floor offensively. That will give more room for Harden to operate against a Warriors defense that is allowing just 95.3 points per game in these playoffs, third-fewest in the NBA this postseason.
The Rockets are 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS in their last four meetings against the Warriors on the road.
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Betting on the Golden State Warriors
No lead is safe with the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State overcame a 16-point first half deficit to grab a 110-106 win against the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of their best-of-seven showdown Tuesday night. Five players scored in double-figures for the Warriors who extended their winning streak against the Rockets to six games.
Key to the Warriors’ comeback victory was their decision to go small against the Rockets. With 6-foot-7 Draymond Green manning the center position, the Warriors unleashed a blistering 21-4 run at the end of the first half to turn a 51-37 deficit into a 58-55 halftime lead. Starring for Golden State in that run was Shaun Livingston who scored 14 of his 18 points in the second quarter.
Green produced excellent numbers across the board, scoring 13 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out eight dimes as he proved to be a matchup problem for the Rockets. Stephen Curry was also tremendous in Golden State’s first conference finals game since 1976, putting up 34 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. The newly-minted MVP has been a vital cog for the Warriors this postseason, leading the team in points (28.7 PPG) and assists (6.6 APG). He was red-hot from beyond the arc in Game 1, draining six of his 11 three-point attempts.
With that being said, the Warriors still have plenty of room for improvement heading into Game 2. Klay Thompson, in particular, had a tough shooting night in the series opener, going just 1-of-7 from deep. Thompson needs to rediscover his scoring touch from the perimeter in Game 2 to help the Warriors spread their already exceptional offense.
The Warriors are 9-1 SU and 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Golden State (-9.5) wins, 107-93, to go 2-0 up in the series.
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