Golden State Warriors: 5 Keys To Winning Crucial Game 3

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May 21, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) hits Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the face during the first half in game two of the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs. at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Run Management (Second Quarter, Anyone?)

Jumping on the Rockets early isn’t going to cut it all by itself, however. As we’ve seen twice already, first quarter leads don’t mean much in this series.

In Game 1, the Rockets jumped out to a seven-point lead at the end of the first quarter and extended it to 16 with seven minutes to go in the half. At that point, the Dubs went on one of their patented runs, outscoring Houston 25-6 run to take a three-point lead into the break.

In Game 2, the Warriors built a 17-point lead with just under eight minutes to go in the second quarter…only for the Rockets to go on a 23-6 run to tie the score up heading into halftime. In both games, the team with the big second quarter lead has gotten stuck on 49, so perhaps avoiding that number would help?

Game 1: Rockets lead by 16, Warriors end half on a 25-6 run
Game 2: Warriors lead by 17, Rockets end half on a 23-6 run
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) May 22, 2015

In all seriousness, basketball is a game of runs. The Warriors are going to have lulls where the Rockets chip away at leads or build advantages of their own, and there will be moments when the Dubs look like the NBA titans that they are with a couple of heat checks from the Splash Brothers.

But containing those runs will be key on the road. James Harden proved he could answer his opponents’ runs with big buckets in a hostile arena; now it will be Stephen Curry’s turn to do the same.

Next: No. 3

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