Game Preview: Warriors v Rockets

The Houston Rockets travel to Oakland to play the Golden State Warriors in Game
6 of the Western Conference Finals at Oracle Arena on Saturday. The Rockets
(3-2) have done a heck of a job to get to this point, as they find themselves
one win away from reaching the Finals. They’ll have two chances to accomplish
that goal, as they have an uphill battle in this Game 6 matchup. Not only do
they have to play a Warriors team who has been dominant at home for the last
three years, Houston has to figure out how to win without Chris Paul. The
all-star point guard suffered a hamstring injury at the end of the Game 5 win
and he’s already been ruled out for this critical Game 6. That makes an already
shortened rotation thinner, as the Rockets have been using just seven players
the last couple of games. Eric Gordon has been picked to start for Paul, but
it’s going to have to be a team effort to overcome this adversity. James Harden
is going to have to step up his game too, as he comes into this game missing
20-straight three-point attempts. That obviously won’t get it done with Paul out
of the lineup, as they’ll need a vintage 40-point triple-double out of Harden if
they are to pull out this road upset. What’s gotten them this 3-2 lead is their
defense, surprisingly, as Houston has held Golden State to fewer than 100 points
in back-to-back games. That’s a momentous feat against this potent Warriors
offense and it shows just how much this Rockets team has improved this season.
The Warriors (2-3) find themselves in a rare scenario, as they’re facing
elimination for the first time in two years. The good news is that Golden State
comes into this matchup as a monster favorite, as they’ve won 16 of their last
17 playoff games at home. The only loss in that stretch was their most recent
home game, as Houston stifled them in their home building on Tuesday. This Game
6 is expected to be much different though, as the Warriors will face a Rockets
team without Chris Paul. That should make things much easier for Stephen Curry,
as Paul is one of the best defensive point guards in the NBA. Getting the role
players going may be what’s most important though, as no one outside of the “big
four” has scored more than six points in the last two games. Everyone knows this
team is run through Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson but
they simply need more from their “others” if they are able to escape this
series. Another positive is the fact that Andre Iguodala may be ready to suit up
here, as he’s missed the last two games due to a knee issue. He adds depth and a
defensive presence that can’t be overlooked, as he’s one of the best glue guys
in the league. If Golden State is able to prevail in this Game 6, Game 7 will be
played in Houston on Monday.