The Golden State Warriors beat the Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday night setting up a showdown in round one of the postseason with the Rockets. Houston doesn’t have a great track record against the Warriors in the regular season or playoffs over the last decade, and this will be a chance to change that.
While the Rockets appear to be ascending as one of the NBA’s most talented young teams, the Warriors are on the back end of one of the most remarkable runs in league history — four titles and countless postseason appearances. They have a 16-7 record against the Rockets in the postseason including a brutally painful loss in the 2018 Western Conference Finals when then-Rocket Chris Paul hurt his hamstring dooming the Rockets best chances of winning a title in that era. The Rockets have yet to win a series against them.
Now, the two familiar franchises are back facing each other again. Here are some things to watch.
Streaky shooting on both sides.
The Rockets are one of the worst shooting teams in the league, yet they remain in the top 12 in offensive rating thanks to their relentless offensive rebounding and low turnover rate. Yet, at times, they been really streaky. Over the last month, they have ranked fifth in offense and found a way to put up big numbers on good teams including the Warriors.
But, containing Golden State will be a huge task. Steph Curry is the best shooter that has ever laced up sneakers and even at 37, he can still score with the best of them. When he gets going, he is very tough to stop.
Containing Steph Curry or Jimmy Butler.
Speaking of which, adding Butler makes the Warriors doubly tough to keep down. “Playoff Jimmy” has a way of taking over, which makes Curry even tougher. The Rockets will have to rely on Amen Thompson and Dillon Brooks to put the clamps on the Warriors two biggest stars. If any team is built to hold Golden State down offensively, it’s the Rockets, but it will be a monumental task.
Will the home court matter?
Both of these teams were outstanding on the road this season. In fact, the Warriors were as good away from the Bay Area as they were inside their home building. It’s been a while since Rockets fans have had a chance to show up to the Toyota Center for the postseason. Will they pack the place and go nuts as they have in years past? Frankly, it might not even matter. This is a Rockets team that thrives on adversity.
Exorcising some demons.
If any team has seemed to own the Rockets, it’s the Warriors.
