No. 1 Rockets vs. No. 2 Warriors — Series tied 1-1
After tying the series with a 22-point Game 2 win, the Rockets look to regain home court advantage with a road win in Oakland but it will not be an easy task – the Warriors last home postseason loss came in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
Golden State, who has won 15 straight home playoff games since the loss in 2016, looks to continue its postseason dominance at Oracle Arena. To bring the streak to 16, the Warriors will need to improve from Game 2 across the board.
Outside of Kevin Durant (38 points on 13-of-22 shooting), Golden State struggled offensively in the loss. Stephen Curry was the only other Warrior player to score in double figures, finishing with 16 points while shooting 7-of-19 from the field and 1-of-8 from deep. After scoring 28 points in Game 1, All-Star Klay Thompson scored eight points on 3-of-11 shooting in Game 2.
THE WARRIORS ARE LEANING ON KEVIN DURANT LIKE NEVER BEFORE
Curry has struggled in the conference finals, shooting 15.4 percent from beyond the arc in the first two games. A bounce-back performance from Curry could spark the Warriors offense to get back on track in Game 3.
Having won in its lone trip to the Bay Area during the regular season, Houston is primed to put a halt to the Warriors' streak. The Rockets are 3-1 on the road this postseason.
Houston's Game 2 performance was fueled by big nights from PJ Tucker (22 points, 5-of-6 3-point shooting), Trevor Ariza (19 points, six assists) and Eric Gordon (27 points, 6-of-9 3-point shooting). MVP-candidate James Harden finished with a game high 27 points, but shot 3-of-15 from deep while Chris Paul added 16 points and six assists.
Tucker and Ariza's performances may be hard to replicate in Game 3, but Harden should be able to improve upon his poor perimeter shooting. Clint Capela will also be a key to a Rockets' Game 3 win, as he is averaging 12.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 4.7 blocks in the Rockets' three postseason wins on the road.
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