May 14, 2018; Houston, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) dribbles against Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during the fourth quarter in game one of the Western conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

EDITORIAL BY GRAYDON FOX

PRIZES:

Top 5 Winners:

1. Victor Galvez (500 points)

2. Mrjohnson1211 (367 points)

3. Raymond Baker (358 points)

4. Tom Litteral (358 points)

5. Ty Evans (350 points)

Overview:

On Thursday, May 24^th, the Golden State Warriors will be on the road to take on the Houston Rockets in game five of the Western Conference Finals.

The series is tied (2-2).

The Crowd:  

“The Crowd” is projecting a final score of Rockets 107.6 – Warriors 105.8 with an over/under of 213.5.

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 Rockets have now evened the series (2-2) after their gritty 95-92 road win over the Golden State Warriors in game four.  It was a defensive minded battle in which the Rockets won despite shooting 39% from the field and getting outrebounded 49-41.  Houston tallied only 12 assists and shot 31% from the three-point line.  Chris Paul was magnificent scoring 27 points on 10-20 shooting to go along with 4 assists.  James Harden had a rough night shooting (11-26) but did score 30 points and dish out 4 assists.  Clint Capela had 8 points and 13 rebounds while the undersized P.J. Tucker pulled down an impressive 16 boards.  Eric Gordon scored 14 points off the bench as the Rockets only used seven players.  This postseason, the Rockets are averaging 107.7 points per game (4^th) and allowing 103.1 (6^th).

The Warriors find themselves tied (2-2) after letting game four slip right through their fingers.  Golden State was outscored 25-12 in the fourth quarter as their shot selection down the stretch was extremely questionable on a night where nothing from the perimeter was falling.  The Warriors were held to 39% shooting and lost the turnover battle 16-13.  Stephen Curry led the way with 28 points but he was 10-26 from the field.  Kevin Durant scored 27 points but he shot only 9-24.  Klay Thompson scored only 10 points as he also struggled shooting (4-13).  Draymond Green nearly had another triple-double with 11 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists.  The Warriors really missed Andre Iguodala who was sidelined with a knee injury.  Golden State’s bench managed to contribute only 12 total points in the loss.  This game marked the first home loss for the Warriors in the postseason since game 7 of the 2015-16 NBA Finals.  In the playoffs, the Warriors are averaging 110.4 points per game (1^st) and allowing 102.1 (3^rd).

Bottom Line:

The Warriors shot uncharacteristically poor in game four and it was shocking to see them play so poorly in the fourth quarter.  The loss of Andre Iguodala could not have been more glaring for a team that is very top heavy.  I expect the Warriors to bounce back and shoot the ball much better in game five.  I’m going against “The Crowd” and taking the defending champs to win on the road.

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