The Houston Rockets tied up the first round of the Western Conference playoffs against Golden State with a 109-94 win on Wednesday night at Toyota Center. After a very difficult Game 1 on offense, the Rockets shot 37 percent from three including eight threes from Jalen Green and never trailed in the victory.
All eyes will be on the MRI for Jimmy Butler, who took a brutal fall in the first quarter and never returned. While the Warriors made a couple runs, without Butler, they didn’t seem to have the offensive firepower to overcome another stalwart defensive effort from Houston. Here are four thoughts on the win.,
Jalen Green bounce back game.
After just seven points in Game 1, Green took it personally and went off for 38 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. He was dominant offensively and a blur on defense, seemingly adjusting to Golden State’s swarming defense that held him down in game one. For all the struggles the entire team had in the first game of the series, Green’s offensive explosion fueled a much more efficient game for the Rockets. Alperen Sengun, who came into the league with Green, had 17 points and 16 boards in another strong effort.
Defense remains stingy, while offense wakes up.
Even with some garbage time at the end of the game, the Rockets held Golden State to under 100 points yet again. Unlike Game 1, Houston was able to hit shots and the end result was a game where the Rockets never trailed and led by as many as 20. They managed to hold Steph Curry to 20 points on 6-15 shooting. And with Butler in the locker room, the Warriors just didn’t have enough offense to compete with what the Rockets brought in Game 2.
Jimmy Butler watch begins.
After Butler took his fall in the first quarter, it was announced he would get an MRI on his lower back on Thursday. Everyone will be watching social media to hear a report. Since Butler joined the Warriors, they have been a different team. Without him, they struggle finding scorers to compliment Curry. If he misses any significant time, it will definitely be advantage Rockets.
Series shifts to the Bay Area.
The first round series is now even at one win each as they head for San Francisco. This has gotten to be a pretty chippy series, no surprise when you have Dillon Brooks on one side and Draymond Green on the other, but expect more of the same on the Warriors home floor. The Rockets will need to keep making shots and keep defending relentlessly if they want to pick up a win on the road and come back home with a chance to close it out next week.
