Rockets coach J.B. Bickerstaff was left calling the Warriors “the best team in the history of basketball” and said, without Curry, they are still one of the two best teams in the Western Conference.
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The Golden State Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets 114-81 in Game 5 on Wednesday to capture the first-round series.
With the Blazers taking a 3-2 lead in their series on Wednesday and the surreal hardships facing the Chris Paul/Blake Griffin-less Clippers, it’s entirely reasonable to believe that these Warriors will be able to hold the fort down until Curry returns.
Curry, in fact, didn’t play a single game against Houston from start to finish, but the Warriors showed they could dominate without him and eliminate the Rockets for a second straight season.
“I think when you go through traumatic events like that, you understand”, Livingston said.
Shaun Livingston, who started in place of Curry, added 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting from exclusively inside the arc while committing only one turnover.
Livingston’s remarkable comeback inspired coach Steve Kerr this season when he was coping with his own trying ordeal, a long leave of absence following complications from two back surgeries. But we do feel confident that we can win games without him, but we don’t really want to have to. “He had a terrific series”.
On this night, in this series clincher, Green was the one who lit the fuse, stoked the flames, and roared while the Warriors’ bonfire burned.
Even the Joe Blows in the stands saw this coming, though, just as they could have told you that these dysfunctional Rockets wouldn’t put up a fight.
LOS ANGELES – CJ McCollum had 27 points, and Damian Lillard scored 16 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter as Portland earned a victory over short-handed Los Angeles to take a 3-2 lead in their Western Conference quarterfinal matchup. The Warriors come out firing and finished with a 54.9 shooting percentage and hit 13 of 31 3-pointers. Thompson scored 23 points and made seven 3-pointers.
It clinched the first-round series, finally dispatching a Houston Rockets’ team that seemed just as eager for it to be over.
Dressed in street clothes on the sideline, Curry was jubilant at the sight of the Warriors’ smashing success. By comparison, all five Warriors started had scored by the first TV timeout of the game. DeAndre Jordan collected 16 points and 17 rebounds for Los Angeles.
The Trail Blazers lead 3-2. “Just get (him) healthy and we need to continue holding it down without him”.
Harden had 18 points in the quarter, hitting six of eight shots. The Warriors will face a stiffer challenge in the second round, but it sure helps to have one of the league’s deepest rosters.
Stay tuned to this space for the latest injury updates on Stephen Curry. “Steph was having a great time”. “Not only is it depth, but depth of skill. Mo Speights, Ezeli, you go down the list of those guys on the bench – they bring a Finals MVP off the bench”.
In many ways, then, the Warriors’ series-ending win in Game 5 was very predictable. The Elias Sports Bureau notes that he’s the first player to make at least seven 3-pointers in consecutive games.
Thompson was sent sprawling on the other end of the court on a loose ball foul by Dwight Howard, but got up and exhorted the crowd. It has been quite some time since a supposed one-two punch failed so miserably like this Howard-Harden duo, and the lack of synergy between them – not to mention Howard’s nearly-nonexistent role in the offense – means he will look for greener pastures. Bickerstaff later was called for a technical arguing for a foul call on Green, and the two proceeded to exchange words.
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He has vowed to be aggressive and make things happen at every chance to keep Golden State’s record-setting season going.
