Golden State shouldn’t lose games in which Kevin Durant scores 46, Draymond Green has an efficient triple double, and Andre Iguodala shoots well. But the Warriors came up against a classic James Harden performance and an excellent night from Eric Gordon, and the Rockets are good enough to make those efforts count. Houston won 126-121 in overtime to bring the series to 2-1.
Most notable in the game were Stephen Curry’s missed layups and dunks, including the effort that hung on the rim with 18 seconds to go.
That miss gave the Rockets the ball with a 5-point lead in overtime; the Warriors elected not to foul from there for some reason. It may have been the rational decision giving the low odds of catching up from that deficit by intentionally fouling. But if any team can make it happen, it’s the best three-point shooting team ever. Perhaps Curry’s lack of flow on Saturday convinced the Warriors to just stop trying.
Curry hasn’t always been his supreme best in the playoffs -- we all remember the 2016 NBA Finals, when the two-time reigning MVP wasn’t the best player on the court very often -- but his Saturday night was extremely bad. Is it his injured finger? Has he been Thunderstruck? Is he (consciously or otherwise) letting Durant dominate so he (Durant) can leave the Warrors in peace this summer? Is Father Time making an early house call on Curry?
Should the Warriors be, uh, worried?
So long as they have Durant (so, at least for the rest of this postseason) there’s little reason to worry, though Houston winning Game 4 could change that too. Weird times for Golden State.
Scores
Warriors 121, Rockets 126 (OT)
Golden State leads series 2-1
Schedule
Raptors at Sixers, 3:30 ET, ABC
Philadelphia leads 2-1
Nuggets at Blazers 7 ET, TNT
Portland leads 2-1
Links
Good Sunday games ahead!
Paul Flannery’s Sunday Shootaround on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks growing up.
LeBron was flabbergasted when he learned of Magic Johnson’s abrupt resignation. This is fine.
The NBA’s Last 22 Minute report from the last two minutes of regulation and all the overtimes from Nuggets-Blazers was pretty clean, and has become a rallying point in the push to make All 48 Minute reports on officials’ calls public.
Kirk Goldsberry on how James Harden has married smart analytic decision-making and crafty antics to draw so many fouls on three-pointers.
Royce Young’s 4OT gamer was helpful in re-processing what we watched Friday night and Saturday morning. I’m still a little hungover from that experience, honestly.
How Tobias Harris continues to impact young lives, even in cities he’s been traded away from.
Be excellent to each other.
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2019/5/5/18530034/stephen-curry-yikes-warriors-vs-rockets-kevin-durant-james-harden-gmib
2019-05-05 13:09:14Z
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