Houston Rockets: 5 Keys to Climbing Out of 0-2 Hole

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May 21, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) controls the ball against the Houston Rockets during the second half in game two of the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs. at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Contain Stephen Curry

Without sounding pessimistic, one can only wonder how this series would play out if Patrick Beverley were healthy. Beverley, an All-Defense honoree in 2013-14, is out for the remainder of the postseason with a left wrist injury.

Thus, Stephen Curry has exposed his positional advantage in a major way.

Through two games, Curry is averaging 33.5 points on a slash line of .605/.500/.667 with 11 3-point field goals made already. Simply put, the current strategy isn’t working.

Houston needs an answer.

Beverley wouldn’t lock Curry down, but he’s built a reputation for great on-ball defense. He’s a competitive player whose energy is rarely questioned and whose commitment to contesting shots is consistent.

Regardless of how Kevin McHale does it, he must draw up a reasonable plan to contain Curry and make other players beat the Rockets.

Next: The X-Factor

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