Houston Rockets: 3 takeaways from Game 1 loss vs. Warriors

In a grit-and-grind game where every possession counted down the stretch, the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors provided fans with arguably one of the most intriguing playoff duels in Game 1 of the 2019 Western Conference semifinals.

On an afternoon where the Houston Rockets were seeking to draw first blood in a back-and-forth showdown behind enemy lines, Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors would find a way to come up big enough prior to the final buzzer.

The 30-year-old forward posted 35 points on 11-for-24 shooting from the field to help the reigning world champions hold off Houston in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

"“We had our chances to win,” Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni told reporters following the series opener. “You’re just not going to come in and blow these guys away. So things have to go right….I thought we played well enough to win and just didn’t get it done.”"

Houston — which trailed by as many as nine in the fourth quarter of the contest — fought all the way back to draw even with less than six minutes left to play in regulation. Unfortunately, the Rockets then yielded several turnaround jumpers inside to Durant, as the veteran wing’s showing, in conjunction with Stephen Curry‘s late heroics, proved to be the defining moments to help Golden State take full control in a seesaw affair.

James Harden led the way for the Rockets with 35 points and six assists, while Eric Gordon finished with 27 points in a valiant effort.

Here are the three takeaways from Clutch City’s Game 1 outing.