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

3. Early defensive lapses prove to be costly

Despite putting together a fairly solid defensive outing against one of the league’s top offenses, Golden State would manage to make Houston’s defense pay for failing to properly communicate  at the onset of the contest.

During the opening quarter of play, the Rockets switched everything within the screen-and-roll, and often times found themselves seeking to trail back into the paint after allowing several cutters and shooters to either get past them or backdoor.

This included constant retreats out to the perimeter, as Houston’s failure to diagnose several actions involving Kevin Durant and the Warriors’ constant ball movement led to several wide open looks such as these in Game 1.

https://twitter.com/warriors/status/1122613491171336192

Although the Rockets’ defense would manage to get it together and prove to be fairly disruptive in the passing lanes after settling down, giving up those looks to Golden State ultimately proved to be costly. Having multiple defensive lapses against one of the greatest teams ever assembled will not bode well for Houston’s upset bid.