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Well, for the hype that the Houston Rockets made all season long, regarding their challenge to the Golden State Warriors, Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between these two teams turned out to be quite the disappointing affair. A 13-point win for the defending champions meant that they stole home court in their first road Game 1 since Steve Kerr took over.
The road atmosphere didn't seem to matter much to the Dubs, as they withstood an early 12-4 explosion by the Rockets in the first three minutes to eventually take control of the game. Through the first two quarters, it was neck-and-neck, with the scores tied at 56 as both teams headed to the locker room but just like they always have, the Warriors opened the game up in the third quarter by outscoring the Rockets 31-24.
A dialed-in Warriors squad is something else. They won this game by 13 points despite Stephen Curry just scoring 18 and James Harden erupting for 41.
Here are the player rating for Golden State:
Kevin Durant - 9/10
Stat line: 37 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 blocks on 14-of-27 shooting (3-of-6 on 3s)
Kevin Durant was unstoppable on Monday night in Houston. No matter who the Rockets threw at him - Trevor Ariza, Nene, PJ Tucker, Chris Paul, James Harden, Luc Mbah A Moute - he would just shoot it over them. In terms of scoring and rhythm, this was as close to peak Durant as you might ever see.
He had a couple of shots where he unnecessarily tried to force to issue but other than that, he was sensational in Game 1. A look at his stat line might indicate him not being active in any sphere of the game but the reality is he really didn't have to.
Every time the Warriors needed a quick bucket, they would drop it off to KD and he would just shoot it over the player guarding him. He even got one to fall over the Rockets' mobile shot-blocking center Clint Capela.
It's clear that Houston has no answer for him and that they have to live with him making tough shots.
Stephen Curry - 8.5/10
Stat line: 18 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 8-of-15 from the field (1-of-5 3s)
The fact that Golden State can win a game with Curry having a sub-par shooting night is a testament to the team's greatness. Yes, by his standards the two-time MVP had a bad night but he didn't have a bad night overall. He still filled the stat sheet in other categories and more importantly, he took care of the ball dishing out 8 dimes while only turning it over once.
This is the lowest Curry has scored since he returned from his MCL sprain so it's highly unlikely that such a low-scoring night would repeat in this series.
Defensively, he took a pounding this game as Houston targeted him on switches via screens to score on their isolation plays. The Rockets were successful in doing so but Curry did not overreact or get frustrated. He simply stuck to the game-plan and executed accordingly.
Klay Thompson - 8/10
Stat line: 28 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals on 9-of-18 shooting (6-of-15 3s)
So this is how great of a shooter Klay Thompson is. He was the team's second-highest scorer with 28 points but the general perception from the game would still be that he can do better. His three's in number (6) and efficiency are not bad (40%), it's just that we have come to expect more from him.
An underrated passer, there is always going to be more value to the points Thompson scores in this series because he is doing it while defending either Harden or Paul on the other end. With so much attention on KD and Steph, he's bound to be the Splash brother that is left open more often than not and not every game will he miss 9 while attempting 15 3s.
Draymond Green - 7.5/10
Stat line: 5 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks on 1-of-5 shooting
Another Warriors' player who played great but can play better in Game 2. It's pointless to look at the scoring or shooting numbers for reigning Defensive Player of the Year - Draymond Green. He makes his real impact in every stat category on the box score. When he dominates the other categories on the stat sheet, the Warriors are unstoppable.
He did just that in Game 1 and it's a huge reason why Golden State were able to register the win. Nobody wants Green to soften up or tone himself down because it's his energy and drive that gets the Warriors going. He needs to keep his emotions in check, however.
He got a technical very early in the game and then on, his reactions to every whistle should have been slightly toned down or at least aimed away from the referee otherwise he could have easily been thrown out of the game with a second technical.
Andre Iguodala - 7/10
Stat line: 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist, 2 turnovers on 2-of-3 shooting
On the star-studded Warriors, Andre Iguodala will never have a flashy stat line but he'll be great in what the team needs most. The unpopular things like managing the pace of the game with the bench or with the 'Hamptons 5 line-up', taking care of the ball, hitting timely shots and so forth.
Although he did most of that in Game 1, an assist-turnover ratio of 0.5 is not something we are used to seeing from him. In terms of the rest of the numbers, there's nothing more the team can ask of him (in 28 minutes which is mostly how much he will average) when he's playing alongside 4 All-Stars.
He wasn't bad in Game 1 but among the Warriors starters, in his own small role, he certainly has the most to improve.
Kevon Looney - 7/10
Stat line: 2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal on 1-of-1 shooting in 25 minutes.
That dunk in the picture is literally the only field goal Kevon Looney made all game. It's the only one he attempted. Either way, he isn't a primary or secondary option for the Warriors on offense. He is simply a versatile bench player, who can switch on to the Rockets' guards and give Green some respite by playing the center spot.
Everybody knew he could switch well, because of the job he did in the previous series against the New Orleans Pelicans and the San Antonio Spurs, but nobody knew he could do it as well as he did in Game 1. Yes, Harden and Paul scored when they were guarded by him but he stuck to the gameplan and made them earn every point.
His emergence in the Playoffs has bought given him a lot of playing time sheerly cause of the value he brings to the team. He is a rebound threat, something that is considered the Warriors' weakness, while also playing Center and thus reducing the physical toll it takes on the under-sized Green.
The rest of the bench
Nick Young - 7/10
Stat line: 9 points, 1 rebounds, 3-of-5 shooting (3-of-5 on 3s) in 15 minutes
Talk about playing your role.
Nick Young only played 15 minutes but he knocked down 3 3s in that time, punishing the Rockets for playing off of him. He played a role in the team's season series with Houston so he was bound to get minutes. He didn't play a lot in the second half but the team probably didn't need him. comfortably staying ahead of the Rockets by double-digit points.
Shaun Livingston
Stat line: 7 points, 5 rebounds on 3-of-5 shooting, 1-1 on FT's in 14 minutes
Both Young and Livingston hardly got any time in the second half but that's natural towards the business end of the Playoffs. Livingston, too, simply played his role in the minutes he got and that's about the best you can expect from your role players on a championship team.
David West - Unrated
For just 4 minutes of action, West had quite the box score of 2 points, 2 assists, and 1 rebounds but unfortunately, it's only the action he saw. Far too less to rate.
Guess the Lakers players!
