The Golden State Warriors won the Western Conference first-round playoff series against the visiting Houston Rockets 4-1 on Wednesday with a 114-81 win in Game 5 at Oracle Arena.
No Stephen Curry, no problem. The Warriors rallied behind Klay Thompson and Draymond Green and made a strong statement with their MVP sidelined with a knee injury for now. The rout was on and it happened quickly, after Golden State stormed out to 37-20 lead at the end of the first quarter. Thompson was lights out from behind the arc, as he knocked down 7-of-11 shots from deep, while Green stuffed the box score. Shaun Livingston was effective in handling the ball and the minutes he received during all the fourth quarters that the Warriors starters were sitting seemed to be vital to close out the series.
James Harden did not go out quietly, and through most of the game, the all-star shooting guard was responsible for half of his team's points through three quarters, but he also committed far too many turnovers. The Warriors capitalized on 17 Rockets turnovers, which only aided to the home team's lead from the get go. Harden finished with 35 points, six rebounds, six assists, two steals and seven turnovers on 12-of-23 shooting. Dwight Howard was a monster on the boards and bullied Andrew Bogut around in the paint, as he contributed eight points and 21 rebounds and five assists in the contest.
Golden State moved the ball to the tune of 30 team assists, as both Livingston and Green commanded the floor with poise. Thompson found himself constantly open around the perimeter through a series of low screens set by Green and Bogut, and he turned those opportunities into 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting. Green added 15 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, one steal and two blocked shots. Livingston finished with 16 points, three rebounds, three assists and only one turnover in 28 minutes of action. Brandon Rush was the spark off the bench and added 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
The Warriors will either play the Portland Trail Blazers or the Los Angeles Clippers (Blazers lead series 3-2). Game 1 will take place at Oracle Arena.
