One win. That’s all the Rockets can show for their playoff history playing Golden State in the Bay Area. One. That came in 2018. On Monday night, they lost yet another game to the Warriors on the road in the playoffs, 109-106 placing them just one loss away from an early playoff exit despite being the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
Alperen Sengun had 31 and Fred VanVleet had 26 including 8 three-pointers. But the combination of Jimmy Butler, who returned from a pelvic contusion to score 24, and the antics of Draymond Green, who probably should have been ejected in the first half, were too much. The series returns for what could be the final game of the series on Wednesday. Here are four thoughts.
Not friendly.
This has been a chippy, contentious series, which should be expected when you put guys like Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks on the court against one another. In the first half of game four, things got weird yet again, first when Green set a hard screen on Amen Thompson and Brooks tried to take the ball back after the whistle. Three T’s were issued to Brooks, Steph Curry and Green. Then, in the second quarter, Green and Tari Eason got into it. Instead of a pair of technicals, which would have taken Green to the locker room, Eason got the T and Green a flagrant foul.
It felt like a moment when the refs clearly did not want to toss Green early in the game and it hurt the Rockets down the stretch. Green, afterward, called victim saying other guys played a lot rougher than him. This series has been a dog fight and Green is, at the moment, the alpha.
Playoff Jimmy.
Butler was questionable after an awful fall in Game 2 that kept him out of Game 3, but he returned with a vengeance. Wincing in pain down the stretch, he still poured in 24 points including 14 in the fourth. With the Rockets limiting Curry to just 17, it was Butler to the rescue hitting huge shots despite still being hurt. Houston better find an answer for both Butler and Curry or it’s over.
Playoff Jalen?
The Rockets best scorer has been held to single-digit scoring in three of their four postseason games. It’s nearly impossible to win that way and has put the spotlight on the inconsistent play of the young guard yet again. Green is a wonderful offensive talent and has dramatically improved on defense, but the lapses, especially in huge moments, will have fans yet again questioning whether he is the star in the making many thought when he was drafted three years ago. Only taking 8 shots is bad enough. Missing 2 of his 3 free throws? Yikes.
Rockets freebies.
Speaking of that, the worst free throw shooting team in the NBA reared its ugly head yet again Monday. After missing 10 from the charity stripe in Game 3, the Rockets went 19-31 against Golden State in Game 4. In case you missed the score, they lost by three. Sengun was better this game going 7-10, but Brooks and Thompson combined for 5-9 and adding Green’s 1-3 just killed any chances they had of winning. It’s an inexplicable problem that must be addressed in the offseason.
