I. Rockets Defeat Warriors: A Meaningful Win
In a recent NBA regular season game, the Houston Rockets beat the Golden State Warriors 106-96 on the road. Not only was this an ordinary victory, it was a key win for the Rockets in their 5th meeting against the Warriors this season. Most surprisingly, they completely froze the super-scorer by limiting Stephen Curry to 1-of-10 shooting and only 3 points through their defensive strategy in the second three quarters.
What’s more noteworthy is that the Rockets, a team centered on young players, kept their emotions calm during the game, especially when Warriors veteran Draymond Green picked on them, and remained untouched by their emotions. They are not only strong in the offensive end, the defensive end is to play suppression. 96 points, is one of the lowest level of the Warriors scoring this season.
Two, the rocket three big gains: ranking, defense and psychological breakthroughs
This game brought three positive effects for the Rockets:
- Stabilizing the top two rankings in the west
The Rockets are now 3.5 games ahead of the Lakers, further consolidating their position at the top of the West and securing a better ranking advantage for the playoffs. - Validating the quality of defense
Facing a veteran powerhouse like the Warriors, the Rockets managed to limit the opposing team’s leading scorer, which shows that their defensive strategy and execution have reached the playoff level. - Psychological barrier breakthrough
Over the past six years, the Rockets have faced the Warriors with a record of 1 win and 16 losses, and have been at a psychological disadvantage. This victory is a landmark node for them to pass the “psychological hurdle”.
3, the process of the game review: from not confident to the counter-attack to dominate
The opening stage of the game, the rocket really does not seem confident, especially the center Shen Jing in the attack appeared to be hesitant, the first section of the rocket only got 18 points, the overall performance is flat. On the opposite side, the Warriors hit six three-point shots early, seemingly at ease.
But the Rockets didn’t let up on the defensive end. Amen Thompson and Ethan took turns to keep an eye on Curry, coupled with timely co-defense, Curry had almost no shooting opportunities throughout the quarter. Curry didn’t score in the first quarter, and the tone of the game changed from there.
At the beginning of the second quarter, the rockets changed the formation to use double clamping Curry. Although Curry was in good shape, averaging more than 40 points in the first few games, it was difficult for him to make a comfortable shot under this kind of clampdown. In the first half, he only barely made a three-pointer in the last second – which became his only score of the game.
Green’s “provocative program” failed: the rockets do not eat it
Draymond Green over the years to “emotional provocation” and known, this game did not let go of the opportunity. Before the end of the first half, Green intentionally elbowed Shin Kyung under the basket, trying to make the young center lose control of his emotions. But Shin showed a calmness beyond his years, not only did not fight back, but toughened up and scored in the next round and drew a foul to complete the “2+1”.
Green continued to attack Shin’s jaw with his elbow, and was finally called for a technical foul by the referee. However, the Rockets were not fooled and continued to focus on the game. Green was forced off the court in the third quarter due to 4 premature fouls and played only 2 minutes.
Losing Green’s Warriors defense system instantly collapsed, and Curry was completely locked up. This section Curry 5 shot 0, and no assists. Rockets to 32-26 single-quarter advantage, pulling away from the score.
Five, the defense intensity lock win: Curry suffered a “low night”
In the fourth quarter, the Rockets continued to suppress the Warriors with high intensity defense, although the offense did not score much (23-20), but they completely controlled the pace of the game. Warriors team three-point shooting only 2 of 10, Curry did not score the whole section, only 3 points. It was his lowest scoring game of the season when healthy.
This kind of team-wide high-pressure defense not only relies on tactical execution, but also relies on the support of the players’ willpower and physical ability. Rockets did, reflecting their maturity and metamorphosis before the playoffs.
Six, the hidden worry of the rocket: half-court offense still needs to be strengthened
Although the defensive end already has a top level, the rocket’s offense is still a short board. At present, their scoring efficiency per tactical round ranked 22nd in the whole league, in the win rate of more than fifty percent of the team at the bottom.
And once the playoffs come, the intensity of confrontation increases, relying on conversion offense and fast break will be more difficult. That’s when the ability to play half-court positional games, especially the means to break the joint defense, becomes especially important.
The good news, though, is that Jalen Green’s outside touch has improved significantly. Since the beginning of the new year, he’s averaging 8.7 attempts from three-point range, hitting 3.3 of them for a 40 percent clip. Against the Warriors in this game he 6 in 3, this kind of stable output is exactly what the rocket desperately needs.
Seven, the rocket potential opponents: the first round of the playoffs is full of suspense
If the playoffs start tomorrow, the rocket’s first round opponent may be the Clippers, Warriors, Timberwolves or Grizzlies. Rockets this season facing these 4 teams total record of 10 wins and 6 losses, and is not in a disadvantage.
If they make it all the way to the Western Conference Finals, the Rockets are likely to meet the Thunder. This team is also a youth-oriented team, in terms of height and rebounds on the rocket there is a natural suppression advantage. In the regular season, the rockets against the Thunder 2 wins and 3 losses, wins and losses close, also shows that the two teams are evenly matched.
Eight, conclusion: young does not mean weak, the rocket has been on the road
Rockets’ lineup is young, but their execution, discipline and emotional control show a maturity that does not match their age. In this hard battle with the Warriors, they used defense, toughness and smart strategy to win the victory, but also won the respect of the outside world.
While half-court offensive efficiency is still a shortcoming, they still have time to polish the details before the playoffs officially arrive. More importantly, this team isn’t afraid to lose – and that’s the most valuable capital a young team can have.
