The Golden State Warriors did not skip a beat without key point guard Stephen Curry, routing the Houston Rockets 114-81 on Wednesday to seal a 4-1 series triumph in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. But the Rockets’ effort in the second half was lackluster at best, allowing the Warriors to roll to a blowout win and a 3-1 series lead.
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Thompson became the first player in National Basketball Association history to make at least seven threes in consecutive play-off games, while Shaun Livingston scored 16 points for his third double-digit performance in three games whilst filling in for Curry. Harden has the ball in his hands virtually all the time, and every possession seems to wind up with one of three scenarios happening: Harden taking a jumper; Harden driving and attempting to draw a foul; or Harden – eventually – kicking the ball out to a three-point shooter on the perimeter. Therefore, it’s imperative that their leader returns within the next two weeks to help them repeat as National Basketball Association champions. It has been that way all season. “But obviously there are pain thresholds that can shut your knee down if you’re not really ready to go, so it’s kind of a fine balance”.
The injuries didn’t stop him from joining in the celebration after the Warriors closed out the Rockets, with Curry going as far as lifting up Warriors backup point guard Ian Clark. But we got an extended look at what the Warriors look like without Curry and that actually does open up some interesting conversation about not only how good this team is without the reigning MVP but also who will step up in his absence. He even worked the officials. “Steph was having a great time”. And fans at the Oracle Arena drummed home that point, wearing matching gold T-shirts that read “Strength in Numbers” across the front.
“I always have an optimistic view, no matter what it is, so I hope to get back sooner”, Curry said in his first public comments since his injury last Sunday. We just didn’t have the chemistry this year. “We got this. We will win this for you”.
Klay Thompson was determined to do more.
Curry’s replacement in the starting lineup, Shaun Livingston, finished with 16 points.
Oh, by the way, Thompson sat the entire fourth quarter of Game 4 and most played just a couple minutes of the fourth in Game 5.
While no other Rocket had more than six points, Harden had 25 points in the first half. “That’s why I was out there because I could move around good enough to get up and down off the bench and whatnot….” “If I sat here and told you our confidence level is the same without Steph, that’s a lie”, Green said after practice Tuesday, via The Associated Press. He said he tried to shoot in recent days but was still feeling pain in the knee, in which he sprained the medial collateral ligament, and immediately shut it down.
Even Stephen Curry, sidelined with a sprained MCL that may yet keep him in civilian clothes for another three or four games, looked as if he would burst apart from sheer glee.
“We’re blessed”, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of Livingston’s presence.
There were signs before the game that Green was at a fever pitch for this one.
“As long as there’s some pain, shooting is not really on the docket”, he said. They’re running plays for him and he’s knocking them down.
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Curry considers himself very fortunate he didn’t seriously damage the knee structurally when he slipped on a wet spot right before halftime of Sunday’s Game 4 win at Houston. “Just get (him) healthy and we need to continue holding it down without him”. Kerr wouldn’t say whether Walton in fact was going to interview, a meeting that would be likely to happen in the Bay Area given Golden State’s schedule.
