Houston Rockets: 3 takeaways from Game 6 vs. Warriors

The Houston Rockets fought hard, but in the end, they’ll have to beat the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 to get to the NBA Finals.

Despite starting off the game as well as they could, the Houston Rockets couldn’t sustain such high levels of play, as the Golden State Warriors caught fire in the second half, ultimately leading to a 115-86 victory to force a winner-take-all Game 7 on Monday night in Houston.

The Rockets didn’t appear to miss Chris Paul early on, outscoring Golden State 39-22 in the opening frame, including an 8-1 advantage in 3-pointers. That lead and confidence were short-lived, as the Warriors outscored them 93-47 the rest of the way.

It was a valiant effort for a Rockets squad who, without their other All-Star point guard, was expected to simply hand over this game in preparation for Game 7. They fought hard, but the Warriors simply refused to end their season at Oracle Arena.

James Harden led his team with 32 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, but shot just 10-of-24, struggling to score against Golden State’s suffocating defense.

For the Warriors, Klay Thompson came up big once again in an elimination Game 6, dropping 35 points, including nine 3-pointers. Stephen Curry also had stellar performance, finishing with 29 points and six assists.

Game 7 is going to be one of the all-time greats, as a number of players will put their legacies on the line with the hopes that it’ll culminate in a trip to the NBA Finals.

For the Rockets, it’ll take a special team effort to give them the edge and get back to the Finals for the first time since 1996.