Houston Rockets star James Harden had a chance to finish off the game against the Golden State Warriors in the dying seconds, but the guard lost possession of the ball to concede a second straight defeat in the Western Conference Finals. It was a close contest with the score reading 99-98 in favour of the Warriors.
As a result of the win, the Golden State Warriors lead the best of seven series 2-0 and are inching towards the NBA final.
But, it is too early for the Warriors to count their chickens, as Rockets have shown fighting spirit, especially against the Los Angeles Clippers in the last series, where they were 3-1 down but crawled back to win the series 4-3.
They showed a glimpse of their comeback-ability after they clawed down a 17-point deficit, even if it did not help them cross the finishing line.
The Warriors took an eight-point lead at the end of the first quarter, but the second quarter belonged to Rockets, as they were tight in their defense and did not allow easy shots for Stephen Curry and co.
The last two quarters were very close with neither team giving the other an easy basket. But, Curry found ways to drill some crucial jumpers.
Though, Harden might be distraught after letting a chance slip in the dying seconds as he tried to split the Warriors' defence open, he had come up with an amazing performance overall, scoring 38 points in the game.
With four out of the five Warriors' starters getting into double figures, the Warriors found a way past Harden's individual brilliance. The Warriors were superb in their offensive plays, and if they play with such fluidity, the Rockets have to find another level to stop the Warriors winning the series.
Stephen Curry top-scored for the Golden State Warriors with 33 points and has been their best player not only in the Playoffs, but also the entire regular season. No wonder, he is the NBA MVP for the season.
Curry drilled five three-pointers during the game, but sharp shooter Klay Thompson had an off day from beyond the arc, only making one out his seven attempts. Thompson finished with 13 points.
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