October 17, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Rockets guard Chris Paul (3) dribbles the basketball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Editorial by Graydon Fox

Prizes:

1^st Place: $25 Amazon gift card

2^nd -5^th Place: $10 Amazon gift card

Top 5 Winners:

1.Jay Zaal (350 points)

2. Jr Lorenzo (350 points)

3. Travis Jeffrey Hugo (350 points)

4. VikingSteve1 (350 points)

5. Jenna Holloway (350 points)

Overview:

On Tuesday, May 22^nd, the Houston Rockets will be on the road to take on the Golden State Warriors in game four of the Western Conference Finals.

The Warriors hold a (2-1) series advantage.

The Crowd:  

“The Crowd” is projecting a final score of Warriors 109.4 – Rockets 106.2 with an over/under of 215.6.

Statistical Breakdown (2017-18 season):

Point differential: Rockets +8.5 (1^st) > Warriors +6.0 (3^rd)

Points per game: Warriors 113.5 (1^st) > Rockets 112.4 (2^nd)

Points allowed per game: Rockets 103.9 (6^th) > Warriors 107.5 (18^th)

Field Goal Percentage Offense: Warriors 50.3% (1^st) > Rockets 46.0% (15^th)

Three Point Percentage: Warriors 39.1% (1^st) > Rockets 36.2% (13^th)

Field Goal Percentage Defense: Warriors 44.7% (3^rd) > Rockets 46.2% (16^th)

Turnovers committed per game: Rockets 13.2 (10^th) > Warriors 15.0 (26^th)

Turnovers forced per game: Rockets 14.0 (9^th) > Warriors 13.5 (19^th)

Rebounds per game: Rockets 43.5 (17^th) = Warriors 43.5 (17^th)

Assists per game: Warriors 29.3 (1^st) > Rockets 21.5 (25^th)

Summary:

The Warriors now have a (2-1) series advantage after blowing out the Rockets 126-85 in game three.  Golden State shot 52% from the field, outscored the Rockets 56-40 in the paint, and outrebounded them 49-41.  Stephen Curry broke out of his slump with 35 points on 13-23 shooting.  Kevin Durant had 25 points and 6 assists in the victory.  Klay Thompson had an off night, shooting 6-14 and scoring only 13 points.  Draymond Green nearly had another triple-double with 10 points, 17 rebounds, and 6 assists.  The Warriors defense was absolutely suffocating and they won every quarter.  In the playoffs, the Warriors are averaging 110.6 points per game (2^nd) and allowing 104.1 (6^th).

It was a dismal performance from the Rockets who now trail the series (1-2).  Houston was held to under 40% shooting and their 20 turnovers resulted in 28 points for the Warriors.  James Harden scored 20 points on 7-16 shooting and added 9 assists.  Chris Paul managed only 13 points on 5-16 shooting but he did manage to grab 10 rebounds.  Eric Gordon scored 13 points off the bench but he shot only 4-13 from the field.  Nothing went right for the Rockets on this night as they all shot miserably from the field.  The Rockets will have to increase their effort and intensity on defense if they want to have any chance in game four.  The ball dominance/isolation style of Paul and Harden is such a stark contrast to the unselfish team basketball that Golden State plays.  This postseason, the Rockets are averaging 110.7 points per game (1^st) and allowing 102.1 (4^th).

Bottom Line:

The Rockets were thoroughly embarrassed in game three and their defense was shredded in every quarter.  Stephen Curry is the X-factor, and when in rhythm, the Warriors are clearly in a class above Houston.  I expect the Rockets to play much better, especially defensively, but it won’t be enough to knock off a Warriors team that is undefeated (7-0) at home this postseason.

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