Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from Game 7 vs. Rockets
1. More legends built than destroyed in this series
I picked the Warriors to win this series in five games, but not because I did not think Houston had a chance to compete in or even win the series. As I discussed with The 94 Feet Report’s Eric Spyropoulos during my conference finals preview podcast, five games just seemed like the most likely outcome. The Warriors would most likely split in Houston and most likely win two at home.
Going back to Houston down 3-1, I thought, based on the Harden-led Rockets’ history, that they would more or less pack it in.
That’s where they proved me wrong. Not only did they not fold in Game 5, but they didn’t fold in Game 4, mounting a double-digit fourth-quarter comeback to win at Oracle Arena. After being embarrassed defensively in Game 3, Harden locked in for most of the final four games, and almost earned his first trip to the Finals as a reward.
I also picked Golden State because of its experience and resilience. Had it gone down 3-1, I thought, the notion of it winning Games 5, 6 and 7 was not a crazy one.
That prognostication rang true. The Warriors blew two games to fall behind 3-2, a position that only 13 percent of teams come back from as a lower seed. They did not worry about that, dominating Game 6 at home before going on the road and cruelly treating Houston as a proxy by which they exorcised their collective Game 7 demons.
As the Warriors return to the Finals for a fourth straight year, they are the collective winners. However, no individual is a loser.
Harden lost, but he was good enough to win. More importantly, he competed in the face of adversity. Paul did the same. His injury deprived him a chance to play in the two biggest games of his career, but his work in Games 4 and 5 proved the stage was not too big. Even D’Antoni, whose old brand of basketball was considered to be fool’s gold come playoff time, battled Kerr to a draw, if not winning the coaching battle straight up. And that’s not to mention Eric Gordon, P.J. Tucker and Clint Capela, all of whom were stellar.
As for Curry, Durant, Thompson and Green, they all further cemented their legacies. Thompson now has two of the greatest Game 6s ever, and followed his latest up with a stellar Game 7. Green kept his composure, recovered from a miserable Game 5 and delivered two of his all-time best defensive efforts to close the series.
Durant adjusted his game and made huge shots rather than tightening up and playing failed hero ball when it mattered most. Curry’s third quarters defined the series. Without them, Golden State might have lost in five.
Kerr…well, Kerr was still Kerr. I guess his John Paxson stuff worked. His rotations and play-calling was questionable at times, but he did keep everyone engaged, involved and believing.
Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft - Doncic still No. 1 in post-lottery edition
Most importantly, he didn’t play JaVale McGee. It was truly a legacy-building series for all.