West Conf. Finals Game 2: Golden State Warriors 105-127 Houston Rockets - Warriors' Player Ratings
The Warriors had a tough outing in their second game at the Toyota Center, as they regressed on both ends of the floor from their first outing of the series - a game which they had won by a handy 13-point margin. A blowout loss in this game means that they go back home with their tails between their legs, as their performance was disappointing for the most part.
The Warriors committed way too many turnovers at the start of the game, and this affected their rhythm on the offensive end. Given how the Houston Rockets pushed the ball in transition, the Warriors defense was routinely found wanting as their opponents were able to score from the most efficient areas of the court in a manner that will be concerning for coach Steve Kerr.
The Rockets were touted as their biggest challenge yet in the Kevin Durant era, and that prediction seems to be true based on the evidence from this game.
Let's take a look at the how the individual players performed for the Warriors:
Steph Curry - 5/10
Stat line: 16 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 7-of-19 (37% FG), 1-of-8 (12.5% 3-pointers)
Stephen Curry had another off day on the offensive end, and Steve Kerr joked in the post-game press conference that his lingering injury was "13.7%" responsible for his bad game. Based on his performance, that seems to be true as Curry's usually assured ballhandling looked off, while he was a step slower on defense than his capacity.
He struggled mightily from downtown, as he did in a couple of games during the Conference Semifinals and in Game 1 - he shot just 1-of-8 from that region. While his injury troubles may also have been a factor, the fact of the matter is that he was jacking up ill-advised shots for the most part. His only three came in the 4th quarter.
He was good while driving the ball, but he found no space to shoot mid-range jumpers, swarmed as he was by the Rockets' defenders. He was also attacked mercilessly by Chris Paul and James Harden, who looked to go on the offensive against him. Curry would do well to put this game behind him.