Warriors Defeat Rockets, 101-92, in Game 7 to Capture Series and Advance to Finals

The Golden State Warriors defeated the host Houston Rockets, 101-92, in Game 7
of the Western Conference Finals at Toyota Center on Monday. Despite the fact
that Houston captured a 15-point lead in the first half, Golden State was able
to prevail thanks to a monster second half. In fact, the Warriors rode a 33-15
third quarter en route to their comeback, as the Rockets went 0-of-14 from
three-point range in that quarter. The struggles didn’t end there though, as
Houston set an NBA record by missing 27-straight three’s spanning between the
second and fourth quarters while missing 29 of their last 30 three-pointers in
total. That was the difference in the game, as Houston connected on just 7-of-44
from three-point range while Golden State hit 16-of-39. Transition offense was
also critical for the Warriors, as they outscored the Rockets, 23-6, in
fastbreak points. The Warriors (4-3) got a near triple-double out of Stephen
Curry, as he collected 27 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists and four steals.
Kevin Durant led the team with 34 points, five rebounds, five assists and three
blocks. Klay Thompson totaled 19 points, three rebounds and two assists.
Draymond Green accumulated 10 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. No other
player had more than four points on the roster. The Rockets (3-4) were led by
James Harden, as he accrued 32 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals
on just 12-of-29 from the field. Eric Gordon finished with 23 points, three
rebounds and six assists. Harden and Gordon combined to go just 4-of-25 from
long range. Trevor Ariza really hurt his team, as he went 0-of-12 from the field
and failed to score. Clint Capela amassed 20 points and nine rebounds on 9-of-10
shooting. P.J. Tucker generated 14 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and four
steals. On deck for the Warriors is yet another Finals appearance against the
Cleveland Cavaliers, as Golden State will host Game 1 on May 31. This is the
fourth-straight season in which these teams will have played in the Finals, with
Golden State prevailing in two of them.