Familiar turnovers lead to unfamiliar desperation
HOUSTON — Unlike most teams, which fume as they filter out of the showers after a loss, the Warriors tend to take solace in a fundamental truth: They are expertly equipped to bounce back because, well, they are the most talented team in the league.
With that in mind, Golden State refused to fret after it fell 98-94 to the Rockets in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals Thursday night at Toyota Center. Instead of dwelling on the back-to-back ugly fourth quarters that forced them to the brink of elimination, the Warriors tried to keep the mood light, stressing that they need only to do something they’ve done countless times — win two games in a row — to reach their fourth straight NBA Finals.
“I feel great about where we are right now,” Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said. “That may sound crazy, but I feel it. I know exactly what I’m seeing out there, and we defended them beautifully tonight. … If we settle down a little bit, we’re going to be in really good shape.”
Long the prohibitive championship favorites, the Warriors will fly back to Oakland on Friday morning under precarious circumstances. They must hold off Houston in Game 6 on Saturday and beat the Rockets again Monday in front of a hostile Toyota Center crowd.
The unknown going forward is the status of Houston guard Chris Paul, who left in the closing minute of Game 5 with an apparent hamstring injury. It was unclear whether he’ll be available in Game 6. If Thursday was any indicator, the Rockets might have a tough time hanging with Golden State should Paul miss time.
With James Harden (19 points on 5-for-21 shooting, including 0-for-11 from threepoint range) laboring, Paul overcame a rough first half to will Houston when it mattered most, pouring in 18 of his 20 points in the second half.
Eric Gordon, who had a team-high 24 points off the bench, drilled perhaps the biggest shot of the game for the Rockets: a deep threepointer with 1:21 remaining in the game that gave Houston a four-point cushion.
With 6.7 seconds left, the Warriors had a chance to go full-court out of a timeout to tie the game or take the lead. The possession went awry, however, when Draymond
Green fumbled away a pass from Stephen Curry. The ball landed in the hands of Gordon, who was quickly fouled and hit two free throws to seal Golden State’s fate.
“We had some opportunities to win this game, last two games, and we didn’t close it out,” Kevin Durant said. “But we can learn from it, and we’ve got another opportunity at home on Saturday.”
After Tuesday night’s 95-92 loss in Game 4, Kerr struggled to fall asleep as what-ifs raced through his mind. The Warriors had mustered only 12 fourth-quarter points to let a double-digit lead devolve into defeat.
It didn’t help matters Thursday that Andre Iguodala was ruled out of his second straight game with a left lateral leg contusion. To guard against another fatigue-laden meltdown, Kerr dipped deeper in his bench. David West, who didn’t play in Games 3 or 4, had 12 minutes off the bench. Two nights after logging only two minutes in Game 4, Quinn Cook played in crunch time.
With Curry and Klay Thompson struggling early, the Warriors again leaned on Durant in isolation situations, and the team totaled only 17 points in the first quarter. After trailing the entire first half, Golden State took its first lead of the game on a Thompson jumper 14 seconds into the third quarter.
That period featured eight ties and 11 lead changes as Houston seemingly had an answer for every shot Golden State hit. Midway through the third, after draining a deep three-pointer to beat the shot clock, Paul shimmied his shoulders as he glared at Curry.
After missing all seven of his shots in the first half, Paul showed why he is a nine-time All-Star, as he made timely shots with the game hanging in the balance in the second half. In the fourth quarter, the Rockets attacked the rim, drew contact and slowly created distance at the foul line.
The vibe in the visitors’ locker room postgame was decidedly positive given the circumstances. As teammates thumbed through their iPhones nearby, Curry and Iguodala shared a chuckle in the corner.
Only two years ago, those two were in a similar situation, down 3-1 in the conference finals to Oklahoma City. The Warriors won three in a row for a berth in the NBA Finals against Cleveland.
“We know what we’re capable of,” Green said. “We know we can win two games.”