Rockets Surge, Curry Ails as Houston Takes Game 5

The Warriors are playing like one of the best teams in the NBA this postseason, but that doesn’t mean they’re invincible. Far from it.

Going up 3-1 against a strong Rockets team is impressive by any measure, but as much celebration as there has been, the series isn’t over just yet.

(Photo by Fatih Aktas/Anadolu via Getty Images)

That was clear on Wednesday, when a blazing-hot Rockets team came out of the gate and shot the lights out in front of their home crowd.

It was an impressive game all around for Houston, and one they can replicate for games six and seven.

Putting on a (Shooting) Clinic

As tough as they played during games two, three, and four, the Warriors fell completely flat in game five. They had a chance to close the series out and earn a few extra days of rest, but they just never found their groove.

The Rockets exploded out to a 40-24 first quarter before taking the second by 11

Up by 27 at halftime, they didn’t need to do much after that. While Golden State has been known for their comebacks, they didn’t have one in them on Wednesday.

Rather, the two teams went through the motions during the last two quarters

They largely traded baskets before time wound down and Houston took the 131-116 victory.

The win seemed to be a foregone conclusion from the start, mainly due to Houston shooting out of their mind from tip-off.

The Rockets put in 69.4 percent of their shots (25-of-36), shooting 60 percent from three (9-of-15) and 85 percent from the line (17-of-20). With those statistics, it would be hard for any team to lose.

“At halftime their effective field goal [percentage] was 95 percent,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. “I’ve never seen that in my life. You’re not winning that game.”

An Off Night

There were several reasons the Warriors couldn’t close things out in game five, but the biggest came from Curry.

The sharpshooter had an uncharacteristically bad night, dishing out seven assists but only scoring 13 points.

Jimmy Butler was also held to eight

With both leaders going cold, the Warriors never had much of a chance. They have a decent bench and a few strong role players, but they need someone to take the reins. Moses Moody (24 points) rebounded after a weak game four.

Still, the Warriors leading scorers were all bench players. That’s not a recipe for success.

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Hacking Curry

One subject of controversy from the game came from the way the Rockets guarded Curry. The guard did not play well.

Part of that was due to him having an off night, and part of that came from his right thumb, which has been taped up for a few days.

He has not addressed the injury, nor does it seem like he’s planning too. While he can still score with the bandages on, it’s something that everyone on the court knows about.

In fact, Steve Kerr was notably upset at the Rockets seemingly targeting Curry’s thumb on shots and trying to create contact whenever possible.

Hitting a player’s hand during a shot is not considered a foul if the contact comes after the ball gets released

That’s something the Warrior’s coach is unhappy with, and something he thinks needs to change to protect injured players like Curry.

“Yeah, so the rule in the NBA is once the shot has been released, you’re allowed to hit the guy’s arm,” he said. “...So players all over the league are just taking shots at guys’ shooting hands after release. Because they know it’s not going to be a foul…I’m very confident that next year the league will fix it.”

Part of that frustration undoubtedly comes from the loss, it’s also something the Warriors need to monitor in the next game.

Curry can play through a lot of pain, but one tough hit could force him out for the series. That’s something the Warriors cannot allow.

Just One Game

Game five is something the Warriors want to forget. Luckily for them, that’s something they know they can do.

Though a tough loss can derail a team or send a series into a spiral, Golden State is led by seasoned veterans who’ve faced adversity several times over.

The team knows how to win, and they also know how to lose

They were laughing and chatting at the end of the rough contest, no doubt keeping their eyes ahead to game six. They aren’t going to wallow on this one, which is a huge advantage of the postseason.

While disappointing, game five is just one loss. There’s some room for error in a seven-game series and the Warriors have shown they can bounce back after a weak performance.

There are many ways to respond, they plan on coming back strong at home in game six

If they win that one, it will be as if game five never happened.