Golden State Warriors: 5 Keys To Winning Crucial Game 3

May 21, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) moves to the basket ahead of Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) 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 /

2 of 6

May 21, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) reacts 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 /

5. Jump On Them Early

The Warriors are coming off a big, game-ending stop in Game 2. The best way to come out in Game 3 is starting off strong, immediately setting the tone and taking the desperate Toyota Center crowd out of it early.

With the home crowd support, the Rockets are going to come out strong. The Warriors need to make sure they’re not only prepared for that, but that they can counter it with an early, demoralizing blow. Push the tempo, build a lead, and do things like this to silence the crowd:

Setting the tone from the tip in Game 3 help put this series away. If the Warriors come out strong and let the Rockets know that they’re the better team no matter where the game is played, they have a terrific chance of closing this thing out in four or five games.

But if they let the Rockets feed off their home crowd early, they’ll be in for an upward battle all night. Houston has played Golden State uncomfortably well so far in this series, so although this really just sounds like a bunch of intangible nonsense, establishing that dominant tone early will be huge in a hostile playoff environment.

Next: No. 4

Home/Golden State Warriors