But we know with Shaun that if we can keep him under 30, it’s just better for him long-term and over the next couple of days. “It’ll be based on his health, not the series score”.
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Livingston’s two biggest hoops came in an 11-1 flurry in the fourth quarter after the Rockets, trying to put Saturday’s 26-point debacle behind them, clung within 88-85 with 9:51 to play. “His effort was fantastic”.
Three times, the Warriors fouled Harden on a 3-point attempt as he went into halftime having attempted a whopping 13 free throws and made 12 of them.
But it was Thompson’s three free throws after interim Rockets coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s technical with 7:16 to play that helped seal this one. So far, they have won their first game with a resounding 104-78 victory, and the team is expected to easily finish off Houston in this round.
Reigning MVP Steph Curry, who has been the glue that held the Rockets together all season, had issues with his troublesome ankle. The Warriors led by 16 within the final three minutes and Houston just compensated late to make the loss just one of single digits.
Thompson was spectacular in the first half, scoring 20 points as the Warriors led 66-58 at the half. They led by as many as 12 points after Livingston’s turnaround shot in the third.
At the same time – and while this probably won’t be found out playing the Rockets, who have struggled to gain any consistency on either end of the court – it is a worry whether the Warriors have enough offence without Curry.
Centre Andrew Bogut had 10 points (on 5-for-6 shooting) and seven rebounds. Now, there are kids watching him, saying I want to work on these things, I want to be just like Steph. “We always use it every night”.
Asked if he felt an opportunity got away with Curry out, Harden said, “Yeah, for sure”.
If it is up to Curry, he will be in uniform when the Warriors square off again with James Harden and the Rockets.
“He’s doing a little better than yesterday”.
Overall, statistics website FiveThirtyEight gives the Warriors a 44 percent chance to win the National Basketball Association title; the second-most likely team, in the San Antonio Spurs, has only a 1-in-four chance, while the most likely Eastern Conference team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, have a less than one-in-ten shot.
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Harden noted two key shortcomings: allowing 23 Warriors points after 19 turnovers, and giving up 13 offensive rebounds that produced 18 Golden State points. He took the court some 90 minutes before tipoff and first went through his normal dribbling session before he started shooting.
