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

2. Winning the battle on the boards is key

In spite of receiving several key defensive contributions from the likes of Chris Paul, P.J. Tucker, Eric Gordon, Nene and James Harden, the Rockets’ season-long grapples with winning the official battle on the boards would come back to hurt them yet once again in Game 1.

Houston — which currently ranks at the bottom among all playoff teams in nearly every rebounding category — finished the night with a -7 deficit on the defensive glass, and a -5 margin on the offensive side. The Rockets allowed the Warriors to use their +12 advantage in the rebounding department to generate scoring chances.

Despite scoring 13 fast break points on 20 of Golden State’s turnovers in the opener, Houston managed to give those opportunities directly back to their familiar foes by getting outscored 14-4 in second-chance points.

Although the following stat lines may not be the first thing that the average basketball aficionado checks when viewing in the final box score, one could contend that the Rockets’ inability to corral loose balls throughout was arguably the most glaring issue in Houston’s debacle, especially since they couldn’t take advantage when the Dubs went small.

In the second half of Game 1, the Warriors finished with a +4 edge on the glass, which in turn forced the Rockets to go away from their small lineup and finish the game with a larger Nene on the floor in crunch time.

Should this particular trend continue, it could spell doom for the Rockets. Finding a way to win the battles inside — particularly in close contests — will more than likely be a key factor in determining which team comes out on top in a best-of-seven showdown that has all the potential to evolve into a classic series.