After an incredibly disappointing effort in Game 2, the Golden State Warriors will have the opportunity to bounce back against the Houston Rockets in Game 3 on Sunday.
To the surprise of a number of basketball fans around the globe, the Golden State Warriors were completely dominated by the Houston Rockets in Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference Finals, losing 127-105 at the Toyota Center.
As they head back to Oracle Arena, the Dubs hope to regain control of the series on their home court before returning to Houston for Game 5.
The question on every fan’s mind is what kind of Warriors team shows up in Oakland for Game 3: the dominant, motivated Dubs, or the uninterested, careless Warriors we saw in Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs, Game 3 against the New Orleans Pelicans and Game 2 last Wednesday.
Because we know just how exceptional the Warriors can be; it’s all about whether they lock in early, remained focused and match Houston’s effort. As we found out in Game 2, the Rockets are no joke, so the Warriors best go for the jugular now rather than allow Houston to build up confidence.
When it’s just a Feel Out Game. pic.twitter.com/NgVTgAhkfX
— Shohei Ohtani Stan Account (@AndyKHLiu) May 17, 2018
Game Details
Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets
Tip-Off: Sunday, May 20, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. PDT
Location: Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
TV: TNT
Radio: 95.7 The Game, Warriors Radio Network
Projected Starting Lineups
Houston Rockets
PG: Chris Paul
SG: James Harden
SF: Trevor Ariza
PF: P.J. Tucker
C: Clint Capela
Head Coach: Mike D’Antoni
Golden State Warriors
PG: Stephen Curry
SG: Klay Thompson
SF: Andre Iguodala
PF: Kevin Durant
Head Coach: Steve Kerr
Injury Report
GSW: Patrick McCaw (lumbar spine contusion) is listed out.
HOU: None.
Keys to the Game
When we considered the combined accomplishments of these two teams, it’s no wonder why so many NBA pundits consider this to be the true NBA Finals.
So again: what it really comes down to is which team wants it more. We know the Warriors can convincingly defeat the Rockets because we’ve seen them do it. Unfortunately, we also saw Houston at their most dominant.
And just like the video from BBALLBREAKDOWN above this graf states, the Rockets didn’t make any significant changes between Game 1 and Game 2. They didn’t do anything fancy to their system; they stuck to their strengths and played as if it were a Game 7.
The rest of the series will likely not be centered around the physical game of basketball, but the mental and emotional states of each respective squad. If the Warriors continue to underestimate this Rockets team and play conservatively, this season will end up being yet another failed attempt at defending their title.
Next: 3 things that went wrong in Game 2 vs. Rockets
(All game information provided via Warriors PR)