Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from Game 6 vs. Rockets

The Golden State Warriors evened the Western Conference Finals with a 115-86 win over the Houston Rockets. Here are our takeaways from Game 6, with an eye on Game 7.

The Golden State Warriors responded with their season on the line, using a 45-12 closing run to beat the Houston Rockets in Game 6 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals, 115-86.

No deficit feels permanent at Oracle Arena, but “blowout win” did not seem like the most likely outcome early on. The Warriors’ disjointed offense, miscommunication on defense and Houston’s blistering shooting led to a 39-22 Rockets lead after the first quarter. Golden State chipped away in the second (winning 29-22), exploded in the third (33-16) and collapsed into a neutron star in the fourth (31-9), dominating Houston in what was a total team effort.

Klay Thompson led the way with 35 points on absurd 9-of-14 shooting from deep, a performance reminiscent of his 2016 Game 6 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He also had four steals. Stephen Curry added 29 points on 12-of-23 shooting, while Kevin Durant had 23 points, seven rebounds and, most importantly, four assists. Draymond Green had an efficient four points (2-of-3 shooting), 10 rebounds and nine assists, while playing one of the best defensive games of his career. His four steals and five blocks barely begin to tell the story.

Of course, without a Game 7 win, this is all relatively meaningless. Let’s take a look at what the Warriors can carry over from Game 6 to keep it meaningful.