5 Takeaways from Game One
By Greg Chin
May 19, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Rockets guard Pablo Prigioni (9) shoots against Golden State Warriors guard Leandro Barbosa (19) and center Festus Ezeli (31) in the first half in game one of the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Key Bench Roles
Andrew Bogut ended up playing 16 minutes in Game One, due to a combination of reasons: foul trouble, the Rockets’ center Dwight Howard being injured, and the Rockets going small. He finished with 0 points, 4 rebounds and one steal, and was largely ineffective for most of the game.
The Warriors’ center that ended up shining was Festus Ezeli. When Ezeli entered the game with 5:13 to go in the third quarter, he brought energy, defence and rebounding to the team. At one stage, the Oracle Arena erupted with cheers when Ezeli grabbed an offensive rebound and jammed it home with authority. Curry even flexed and did the strong man pose towards Ezeli, appreciative of the effort from the big man.
Shaun Livingston also had an impressive game off the bench. The lanky guard had 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in 29 minutes, and made 6 of his 8 field goal attempts. He was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line, which helped with his scoring. On top of that, he provided good defence on Harden, and ensured that the Warriors could keep a fresh rotation of defenders for Harden (Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Livingston).
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