Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from Game 4 nail-biter vs. Rockets

The Golden State Warriors had their opportunities, but couldn’t hit shots late in a 112-108 loss to the Houston Rockets in Game 4.

The Golden State Warriors came into the Toyota Center Saturday night up 2-0 and confident in their second-round battle with the Houston Rockets. They now head back to the Bay Area beaten and discouraged following a tight Game 4 loss that has turned this slugfest into a best-of-three series.

It looked as though Houston would run away with this game midway through the third quarter, building a lead as high as 17 points on the backbone of 11 points from James Harden in the frame. A late 11-0 run by the Dubs cut the lead to six, getting them back into the game for the beginning of the final period.

Both Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry had fairly open looks from 3-point land in the game’s final seconds to knot up the score. Neither would fall, capping off a miserable night from downtown for the Warriors, one in which they shot just 8-of-33.

KD dominated once again with his vast array of shot-making abilities, finishing with 34 points along with seven rebounds and five assists. Steph had his best game of the series so far, dropping 30 points — 17 of which came in the second half — with eight assists.

James Harden continued his MVP-level play. He led both teams in scoring with 38 points in 40 minutes of action, while P.J. Tucker scored 17 of his own with half of his 10 rebounds coming on the offensive end.

The old cliche is a playoff series doesn’t truly start until the home team loses. In that sense, Golden State’s hands should stay off the panic button with two of the next three matchups set to take place at Oracle Arena. On the other hand, the Warriors have allowed the Rockets to gain incredible momentum in this series, a factor likely to play a massive role in what will be a crucial Game 5 for both sides.