As the Golden State Warriors reigned triumphant over the Houston Rockets in the defensively-driven first game of their first-round playoff matchup, numerous factors contributed to the team's strong performance.
Superstar Stephen Curry recovered from his brutal recent outing against Houston, scoring 31 points on 63.2% shooting. Game-changing trade deadline acquisition Jimmy Butler likewise had an excellent game, scoring 25 points at a 52.6% shooting clip.
Yet, Golden State was bombarded by the Rockets on the defensive glass, losing the offensive rebound battle 22-6 and allowing Houston to stay in the game much longer than they should have been able to given their struggling offense.
This was, in part, a result of defensive quarterback Draymond Green's inability to fully contain emerging star Alperen Sengun throughout the course of the game. Yet, contrary to what many expected heading into the series, the Warriors have discovered another avenue through which they can hinder the Rockets' offense while still allowing Sengun the room to operate that his size and physicality demand.
Warriors' key to the series lies in Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet
Throughout the night, it often seemed as though the only member of Houston's offense who truly got comfortable was Sengun. The Rockets' two guards, Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet, combined for only 17 points on the night: a large factor in Houston's underwhelming offensive performance.
Jalen Green, who averaged 21 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists during the regular season, was unable to bypass the excellent on-ball defense of Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski, often being forced to give up his drives to the rim in favor of kicking out to one of his perimeter shooters.
Although VanVleet, contrastingly, was able to find his shots on the perimeter, the Warriors did an excellent job of contesting them and making his job difficult. As a result, VanVleet shot a horrid 15.4% from beyond the arc.
In the Rockets' "scoring by committee'" offense, Jalen Green and Sengun split the primary scoring duties, with players like VanVleet and Dillon Brooks taking on the peripheral load on that end of the floor.
While Golden State struggled to impede Sengun, who posted 26 points, nine rebounds and one assist on the night, the fact is that they might not need to in order to take this series from Houston.
Jalen Green looked exceedingly uncomfortable throughout the night, and the young guard is infamously prone to having his game sped up and being forced into inefficient play on the offensive end.
While it is not likely that VanVleet's shooting woes continue to this extent, the Warriors, with their length and defensive intensity, can continue to prevent him from getting clean looks, effectively limiting his potency within the Rockets' offense.
If Golden State is able to continue limiting these two players, who are vital components in their opponents' chances at advancing past the first round, Sengun's solid performances might not be able to lift his team past the Warriors' swarming defense and veteran core.