All the talk heading into Game 1 of the Western Conference finals was about whether the top-seeded Houston Rockets would be able to defend their home court and maintain the advantage that finishing with the best record in the conference had afforded them.
With the Golden State Warriors firing on all cylinders on Monday night, they couldn’t.
Kevin Durant scored 37 points on Monday night to lead the Warriors to a 119-106 victory during a game that was close until a 13-4 run in the fourth quarter that made it 100-87 with about eight minutes left to go.
James Harden scored 41 to lead the Rockets and Chris Paul chipped in 23 points and 11 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to cool down the hot shooting of Durant, Klay Thompson (28 points) and Steph Curry (18 points).
“You’re not going to come in and just knock them out,” said Houston coach Mike D’Antoni. “There were too many times where we had mental lapses. We didn’t switch properly, turned the ball over and missed too many layups. We need to do a better job of staying up mentally.”
Game 2 of the series is Wednesday in Houston. Game 3 won’t be until Sunday in Oakland.
Whether you’re looking to get into shape, or just get out of a funk, The Charge has got you covered. Sign up for our new wellness newsletter today.
