The series has gone back and forth with one blow-out after the other. Will that trend continue?
The Warriors clearly had their way in Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference Finals. They dominated the visiting Rockets, 126-85, thanks to a 35-point outburst by Stephen Curry. Kevin Durant added 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Draymond Green grabbed 19 boards.
It was the Warrior’s 16th straight playoff home win. That victory eclipsed the record of 15 straight home wins set by the 1990-91 Chicago Bulls.
“Steph is underrated for the toughness factor,” Warriors Coach Steve Kerr said. “But you don’t become a two-time MVP just by shooting a bunch of threes. He’s got unbelievable stamina and physical toughness, mental toughness for four days. Everybody’s been talking about him, and what he did tonight didn’t surprise any of us because that’s just who he is. He’s got an unbelievable character, great talent, and it always rises when it needs to.”
Tough team defense should be credited, too. Golden State held the Rockets to 85 points–the first time that the Rockets had scored below 100 points in the postseason.
“I think we definitely forced them to do some things they didn’t want to do,” Green said in his post-game interview. “We got some great contests on a lot of their shots. We made them take some tough shots. When you do that, you live with the results. If they’re making those tough shots, which they’re more than capable of, you live with it.”
The series has gone back and forth with one blow-out after the other. Will that trend continue? Or will we see a clutch game or two?
We’ll see, starting with Game 4, which is scheduled for Oakland on Tuesday night, 9 p.m. ET.
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Updated data as of May 21, 2018. Source: CBS Sports
