2018 Western Conference Finals: Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets
Today I will be recapping the 2018 Western Conference Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets.
The 2018 Western Conference Finals will always live in infamy, and it is something that Rockets fans will not want to talk about. Game 7 was especially ugly for the Rockets, but we’ll get to that later. The Rockets were the best team in the Western Conference that season and held the home-court advantage. This was their chance to dethrone KD and the Warriors.
Backstory: KD was looking for his 2nd straight ring as the Warriors still had a target on their back from the rest of the league. Chris Paul and James Harden were in their first year at a duo, and they were the best team in the West. They were the best team in the league all year long, and now they had a chance to dethrone the Warriors. This series would be a battle between some of the biggest stars in the league, and some of the games in this series would be instant classics.
Game 1
The series would open in Houston as the Warriors looked to steal home-court from the Rockets. The Rockets wanted to start the series off right and assert their dominance from the start. The 1st quarter was close as the Rockets led 30-29. The Warriors trailed by 9 earlier in the quarter but were able to make it close once again. James Harden was 3/5 from 3 and had 12 points for the Rockets. Kevin Durant shot 6/9 from the field and led the Warriors with 13 points. The 2nd quarter was again a back and forth affair. The Warriors once led by 7, but the Rockets came back and took a lead. But Nick Young hit a 3 with 13.2 seconds left that tied the game 56-56 at halftime. Kevin Durant had 17 points on 8/13 shooting from the field for the Warriors and James Harden had 24 points on 8/12 shooting for the Rockets. The 1st half was competitive, the 2nd half was not. The 3rd quarter was controlled by the Warriors as they outscored the Rockets 31-24. The Warriors defense stepped up mightily as the Rockets had a 4:30 scoring drought. Kevin Durant had 13 points in the 3rd for the Warriors. The 4th quarter was more of the same. Now that the Warriors had the momentum, there was no going back. The Warriors outscored the Rockets 32-26 in the 4th. The Warriors cruised to a 119-106 victory on the road. Kevin Durant scored 37 points, with 20 of them coming in the 2nd half. Klay Thompson had 28 points as well. James Harden scored 41 points and 7 assists for the Rockets. Chris Paul added 23 points and 11 rebounds. The Warriors had stolen home-court advantage and now took a 1-0 series lead heading into Game 2.
SG Battle
Klay Thompson: 28 points and 2 steals
James Harden: 41 points and 7 assists
Game 2
Now that the Warriors led 1-0 in the series, it was do or die for the Rockets. A win meant they were still in the series. A loss meant almost a certain elimination. Faced with a tough situation, Houston responded. They dominated throughout as they cruised to a 127-105 victory. James Harden had 27 points and 10 rebounds and Eric Gordon had 27 points off the bench. The Rockets tied the series up 1-1, and the next 2 games would be on the road. The Warriors were happy to steal a game on the road while the Rockets were happy the didn’t lose both.
Game 3
Now that the Warriors had stolen home-court away from the Rockets, Game 3 would be pivotal in the momentum of the series. A win for the Rockets meant they regained their home-court advantage, and a win for the Warriors meant they would take control of the series. Game 3 would be essential for both teams. Game 2 was a blowout win for the Rockets. Game 3 would be a blowout win for the Warriors. The Warriors dominated as they won 126-85. Stephen Curry had 35 points and 6 rebounds while Kevin Durant added 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. The Warriors now took a 2-1 series lead and Game 4 would be back in Oracle Arena. Game 4 would be a pivotal game for both teams, especially for the Rockets.
Game 4
The Warriors had a commanding 2-1 lead as Game 4 would again be in Oracle Arena. The Rockets had their backs against the wall after a horrible Game 3 performance. Game 4 would need to be a win if the Rockets wanted to continue their season. The Warriors jumped on the Rockets again, as they took a 12-0 lead early. They led 28-19 after the 1st quarter. Kevin Durant had 10 points for the Warriors, and James Harden had 9 for Houston. But, the Rockets bounced back with a great 2nd quarter. They outscored the Warriors 34-18 as Harden and Paul combined for 29 points in the quarter. The Rockets led 53-46 at halftime as Harden and Paul combined for 38 in the 1st half. Kevin Durant had 15 points and 5 rebounds for Golden State in the 1st half. Now the Rockets had all the momentum in the world, but here come the Warriors. Golden State had one of those classic 3rd quarters as they outscored the Rockets 34-17 in the 3rd. Stephen Curry had 17 points in the 3rd for Golden State. Now the Warriors took a 80-70 lead going into the 4th quarter. Now the Warriors had all the momentum, and now it was the Rockets turn to respond. With 8 minutes left, the Rockets trailed 82-79. With 6:03 left, the Rockets took an 85-84 lead. Eric Gordon hit a 3 to give the Rockets a 94-89 lead with 2:25 left in the 4th. The Warriors had possession with 11 seconds left and they trailed 94-92. They had one chance to tie or take the lead. The Warriors did not get a good shot as Klay Thompson missed badly and the Rockets held on to win 95-92 as Chris Paul hit 1/2 free throws. They outscored the Warriors 25-12 in the 4th. James Harden had 30 points and 3 steals and Chris Paul had 27 points for Houston. Stephen Curry had 28 points and 6 rebounds while KD added 27 points and 12 rebounds. The Rockets had tied the series at 2-2, and Game 5 would be back in Houston.
PG Battle
Chris Paul: 27 points
Stephen Curry: 28 points and 6 rebounds
Game 5
The Rockets had tied the series at 2-2 after a gutsy Game 4 win. Now they had a home game and a chance to take a 3-2 series lead. Both teams would need a win for an advantage in this close series. Game 5 would give us another classic. The Rockets got off to a good start as they led 19-8 with 3 minutes left in the 1st. They ended the 1st with a 23-17 lead. Clint Capela had 8 points and 7 rebounds for Houston and KD had 11 points for the Warriors. The Warriors responded with a great 2nd quarter. They outscored the Rockets 28-22 and tied the game at 45 going into halftime. Kevin Durant had 18 points and Steph Curry had 11 for the Warriors. The Rockets had a more balanced attack with PJ Tucker, Clint Capela, and James Harden each scoring 8+ points. With the 1st half tied, the 2nd half would prove to be the deciding factor of the game. The team who played better in the 2nd half would take a commanding 3-2 lead. The 3rd quarter was also close as the Warriors outscored the Rockets 27-26. Klay Thompson had 10 points in the quarter for Golden State and Chris Paul had 11 for the Rockets. The Warriors would take a 72-71 lead going into the 4th. Now it would be 12 minutes of do or die basketball for both teams. Who wanted it more? The Rockets led 81-77 with 8:15 left in the 4th quarter. With 5:34 left the Rockets led 88-84. The Rockets led 92-91 with the ball, and James Harden found Eric Gordon for the dagger 3. This gave the Rockets a 95-91 lead with 80 seconds left. Or was it? Draymond Green hit a 3 right back and the led by 95-94 for Houston. The Rockets led 96-94 and the Warriors had the ball with 6.7 seconds left. They lost the ball and turned it over. Eric Gordon hit two free throws and the Rockets won 98-94. Eric Gordon had 24 points off the bench for Houston. Chris Paul had 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Kevin Durant had 29 points to lead Golden State. The Rockets now took a 3-2 lead as Game 6 would be played in Golden State. But they would be without Chris Paul who injured his hamstring. The Rockets would desperately miss Paul, but they still would have a chance to beat the Warriors.
Game 6
After the Rockets won a close Game 5, they now had two chances to dethrone the Warriors. The first chance would be on the road against the Warriors. The Warriors had been great at home, but had already lost a game here in the series. Game 6 would be the ultimate test for the Warriors Except it was easy. Without Paul, the Rockets got dominated as the Warriors won 115-86. Klay Thompson had 35 points and 6 rebounds and Stephen Curry added 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. The series was now tied but the Rockets were in serious danger without Chris Paul. Game 7 would be back in Houston as the Rockets had one final chance to upset the Warriors.
Game 7
After a dominant Warriors win, Game 7 would be played in Houston. Without Chris Paul the Rockets had slim chances to win, but it was not out of the question. Game 7 would be remembered in infamy by many Rockets fans. The Rockets opened up the game with a solid 1st quarter in which they led 24-19. James Harden was 4/6 from the field and scored 14 points. The Rockets played another solid quarter as they outscored Golden State 30-24 in the 2nd quarter. They led 54-43 as James Harden had 16 points and Eric Gordon and Clint Capela each had 14. KD had 13 for the Warriors. The Rockets had a commanding lead, and it looked like they were going to have a real good chance at beating the Warriors. But, the Warriors responded. The Warriors outscored the Rockets 33-15 in the 3rd behind 14 points from Stephen Curry. The Rockets shot horrible in this quarter, and they missed all of their 3’s. The Warriors now led 76-68 after this dominant quarter. The Rockets continued with their struggles and never recovered. They lost 101-92. Kevin Durant had 34 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists and Stephen Curry had 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Rockets made 1 3-pointer in the entire 2nd half and shot 7/44 from 3 in Game 7. They missed 27 3’s in a row. This game would be remembered as one of the biggest chokes in NBA history.
The Warriors won this series and won the title easily against Cleveland. Many believe that if the Rockets had Chris Paul, they would have won the series. Nonetheless, this series was one of the best all-time. It featured some of the best stars in the NBA, and had some classic games. Unfortunately the Rockets just lost steam after Chris Paul got injured. It was the Rockets great opportunity to win a title.
What do you think? Would the Rockets have won the title if they had Chris Paul? Or would they have still lost? Leave all of your comments down below.
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