Once narrowed to 2, search makes room for Borrego
In the days before he began a coaching search he pledged would be “thorough,” Rockets general manager Daryl Morey made a pair of predictions.
“We’re not going to do something quickly,” Morey said that day nearly four weeks ago.
He was right, with other head coaching positions opening and closing while the Rockets sifted through their options.
For all the public angst that the deliberate pace of the Rockets’ coaching search process has inspired, success will not be measured by the swiftness of their decisionmaking. Training camp is four months away. Someone, presumably, will be in place in time to blow a whistle.
Success of the Rockets’ search will be measured by whether Morey and the Rockets live up to their other, more pertinent, goal.
“We know we’re going to pick a great coach,” he said two days after the Rockets’ season ended.
After conducting doz-
fined for kicking Steven Adams in the groin in Game 3, finished with six points, 11 rebounds and six turnovers.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma City got a boost from an unlikely source. Andre Roberson, a player the Warriors have ignored at times during the series, scored a career-high 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
The Thunder led 30-26 at the end of the first quarter, then gained control in the second. In the most unlikely of connections, Adams threw a bullet pass to Roberson near the basket for a dunk that gave the Thunder a 56-43 lead with just over four minutes left in the first half.
Oklahoma City finished with a flurry and led 72-53 at halftime. The Thunder matched the most points they have scored in a first half in franchise playoff history, a mark they set the previous game against the Warriors. It also matched the most points Golden State has allowed in a half this season for the second straight game.
Westbrook had 21 points, nine assists and five rebounds in the first half, and Durant had 18 points and six boards.
Curry finished 4 for 14 in the first half. Green had four points and five turnovers, and Thompson had four points and three fouls in 12 minutes.
Golden State shot 46 percent from the field in the first half, but Oklahoma City outrebounded the Warriors 28-20 and outscored them 21-9 at the free throw line in the half.
Thompson tried to keep the Warriors in it, scoring 19 points in just over seven minutes to start the third quarter. But the Thunder maintained their composure, led 94-82 at the end of the period and remained in control in the fourth.