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

1. The offense must be better

While most fans, analysts and experts might seek to continuously blame the officials for missing a string of questionable calls throughout the course of Game 1, one could easily make the argument that the Rockets have no one to look at but themselves for their most recent meltdown against their arch rival.

Despite coming off of three days rest, the Rockets never appeared to be sharp throughout the night, as they failed to knock down a series of wide open looks. The just couldn’t muster a consistent flow on offense, as the team that boasted the second-best offensive rating in all of basketball during the regular season struggled mightily to get into full gear.

Houston — which missed a playoff-record 27 consecutive triples against Golden State in Game 7 of last year’s Western Conference Finals — missed 16 out of their its 18 shots from downtown in the series opener.

This included missing seven out of their last eight looks from beyond the arc in the final frame, as the Rockets’ inability to capitalize on opportunities — and capitalize on one-on-one matchups — proved to be a significant factor in the game’s final outcome.

Although most skeptics will seek to blame the Rockets’ mishaps on their style of play under Mike D’Antoni, Houston must seek to quickly buck the following trend in Game 2. Failing to take full advantage of those chances could come back to haunt them should it continue.

Throughout a vast portion of the contest, the Rockets’ offense often times failed to attack their preferable matchups against Golden State in an aggressive manner, or even get within their given half-court sets and actions until late in the shot clock.

Should Houston find a way to knock down shots and attack the teeth of the defense earlier in possessions, then there is a strong chance it could possibly put its best game together in the playoffs. Clutch City now has 48 hours to figure out how to turn things around.

The Rockets will take advantage of an off day prior to getting ready for Game 2 on Tuesday night in Oakland.