Warriors vs Rockets Game 6

Yeah they cant spot them a double digit lead in this one. I expect KD to shoot much better..he is just too good of a shooter.

Athletic Alchemy

They were all excited cuz CP-3 was most likely out for the series

Stevie Ray

Eric Apricot has a short but interesting article about GSW figuring out the Rox defense: <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2018/5/27/17401398/nba-playoffs-2018-warriors-rockets-stephen-curry-figures-out-the-rockets-defense" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2018/5/27/17401398/nba-playoffs-2018-warriors-rockets-stephen-curry-figures-out-the-rockets-defense</a>

Awesome breakdown, thanks for the shoutout. I think GSW has already had its moment of clarity in this series. It figured some things out. Now it's moment of truth time. Like Lebron showed tonight, talent alone won't win you a G7. Lebron played 48 min wire to wire and at no point did he share the court with a teammate who's name deserves to even be on an all star ballot. He controlled the game with his experience and IQ. We have that experience and bball IQ as well. We've been there, we know what it takes. Let's get our minds right, be poised, and channel the adrenaline to make us better, instead of playing tight like Boston was tonight. Just going back over that 1Q, since KD was CP3's primary defender most of the series, when CP3 was suddenly gone, KD may have been caught off guard, especially with the switches. It was just a little bizarre. None of our guys can have lapses like that in G7. I think Liv will be an important player in G7. I won't be surprised if he gets a ton of minutes. We are playing well when we go small and Houston isn't even guarding Looney/Bell anymore. I don't know how much you can trust Young in a G7 on the road. I think the key will be the 1Q. We gotta make sure not to get into a situation where we fall behind early. We don't want this game to be close in crunchtime. Houston is very good in crunchtime especially at home. They draw those fouls that keep getting them to the line. And if it's a close game, the crowd will give them energy when they're fatigued. Harden was getting tired in the 3Q in G6. If at all possible, we want to be able to keep building upon a lead as the game progresses and as Houston gets more and more fatigued. I wanna see us play our best bball in the biggest game on the biggest stage, GSW bball.

This series is working out a little like an amateur fight. The guys with the beefed up muscles are tiring quicker, we have slim runners that can hold up longer, combine that with playing fewer minutes you get fatigue for them. Each of their starters is stronger than the GS player they are guarding. Keep pushing, run motion partly just for the sake of tiring them out, I know with all the switching they do they don't track all the way across, Harden mostly just hands off his man, but they make mistakes doing this. Expose their switches, and AA great point on Steph and KD switching at different speeds. I keep wondering if they will double Harden to get the ball out of his hands just to change it up here and there, have our D dictate. Last - Swaggy has been trying to expose Harden for the push off artist he is, it might be bringing more attention to Hardens cheesy moves, when Klay chested him up in the back court Harden put his arm over Klays back that's what forced the call. Same with Steph getting hit with Hardens off arm in the back of the head, keep forcing him to fend off the ref's are seeing it more now, hope they see it in Houston... Thanks AA you are ramping it up for the playoffs, great work.

Russ

We're deeper--and the Warriors used the injury time during the season to develop our bench into teammates who have internalized our system. With the Rockets' less deep bench, I hope we continue a strategy to wear them down while keeping ourselves fresh with some rotations? Full court, trapping? are those ways we can wear them down at surprise moments? Well, for sure we'd want to continue doing that on Harden. But D'Antoni is not stupid--this series has been a lot about intimately getting to know the strengths/weaknesses of the other team over six intense games and the loser of the last game adjusting a little tweak to gain a few baskets advantage. And we can be sure they will have a couple of key adjustments--esp if we are complacent and think whatever worked in 6 will automatically work in 7. C'mon Kerr and coaches--anticipate Houston's response to Klay and bring in your own genius counterpunch for 7!

creuset

Klay on the pick&amp;pop for the win. <a href="https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/warriors-klay-thompson-game-6-west/amp/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/warriors-klay-thompson-game-6-west/amp/</a>

Steven Stanley

Warriors have 9 players with at least 70 minutes played in the series Rockets have 7 and that includes Paul for the Rockets.

Steven Stanley

The Rockets lose CP and go to a 7 man rotation sure it looked good in the first quarter but look at the diminishing quarter scores and they didn't sub a 8th guy until the 4th when they had already lost. D'Antoni could have easily subbed a safe mid sized vet like Joe Johnson who fits their system 2 or 3 minutes at a time but instead he asked the remaining players in the rotation to play more minutes contrast this to Kerr who has changed the sub rotations several times most obviously to Nick then to Quinn then back to Nick. I hope D'Antoni continues to play 7 guys.

Steven Stanley

The Steph, Klay pick and roll was giving Houston trouble. Gotta make Eric Gordon and Harden work on the other end. They play too free and comfortable. They don’t feel GS on defense. I also like the screens set as the ball handler is coming up the court.

Reggie Westley

I am really bothered by the non-verbals / complaining when the defense breaks down. Hanging your head, flailing your arms at your teammates is bullshit. Team game. Just call out the offender and be positive. Move on to the next play. Complaining does nothing but bring you out of your 'flow state' and allows your opponent to create momentum. I would also love to see McCaw even in game 7 for short spurts where his assignment is "pick up the ball handler (harden) at 90' and bug the holy shit out of him. Make him work work work to bring it up the floor.

Matt M.

Your right the tone was different. Im a little fatigued honestly. The emotional roller coaster of this series. Cant imagine how the players feel. Remember we lost once last post season! crazy...You are absolutely right Steph sets the tone. Were just not seeing those lighting quick pulls that make him so tough to defend. He wants bigger windows. As shitty as KD has been, a little part of it trickles down from Steph being passive. I think KD says to himself ok I got force it.

Athletic Alchemy

As crazy as it sounds, might want to run the offense through Klay. They are going to be hyper sensitive to him, he will have the most gravity early on in the game.

Athletic Alchemy

I think he thinks his scoring is what they need to win. It comes from a good place its just wrong. Be a complete player and it will work out.

Athletic Alchemy

Most of those were set by Zaza. I dont see why he cant be used for one set out of a time out here and there. come in level someone and sit back down.

Athletic Alchemy

*buys Klay Thompson jersey*

Different tone on this review. But mane! I learn sooo much from your takes. You bridge the science and the tactics of the game well. You said something is a little off with Steph and its true, ever since his return in the Pelicans series. But the 4th qrtr he looked like himself, where you described it as "don't blink..." Steph's tone and emotions peculates down to the rest of the team. When he is passive, reluctant and indecisive so is the general team performance. I keep saying we need to go back to Steph being the floor general and stop handing it off to KD and let KD be a spot up shooter...no dribbling and pass the ball up more like he did in this game. Alch well done again!

Defense needs to be smothering in Game 7, we need to treat every player (except Capela) like James Harden with close-outs and help defense. If the intensity is there, then I don't think we'll have much of a problem. On offense, I think KD should focus on two things during Game 7: 1) I wanna see almost all of his isos up against CP3 (if he plays) and James Harden. Wear them down and tire them out in case the game is very close down the stretch. And if it turns out to be a good shooting game for KD, it will demoralize the Rockets very quickly. 2) Shoot open shots. This really goes without saying, arguably the best scorer in the league always has a green light. Other than that, I think we need a Splash-brothers-centric offense for this game. Tons of nerves will likely mean some turnovers early, and our transition offense is at its best when Dray is finding Steph and Klay. Steph running the half-court offense should mean better ball movement since, like you said, he's just more likely to look for the open player. Once his gravity comes into effect, the extra ball movement should mean open shots for Klay.

thomas

I think KD's folding under pressure... There's different kinds of pressure, there's outside pressure from the media and fans, there's pressure from the situation (close elimination games), and internal pressure, trying to perform at a certain level and being productive... I think he's worried about scoring more so than winning, and that's taking that smoothness away from his game.. He's not focused

It's weird how he was cooking in the first game and now he is struggling. It must be lack of confidence. I think he will come huge on game 7 and then it's hopefully Celtics in 6

The first quarter made me so mad. I was like are we really going to go out like dogs in our own home. But as soon as I seen klay thompson being vocal I was saying if there is anyone with balls of steel it's klay thompson.

correct me if im wrong but there are screens and there are really amazing screens. i personally miss last season plays when screen was giving splash bros 2 3 seconds to shoot. and im glad ive seen one screen by green that sent rockets defence home. Still lover big mans on the floor tho!

I was hype the entire second half...I don't think I sat down

Tre

I noticed if kd doesn't respect you he doesn't try to guard you, happened with ingles and bogdonvic in the regular season and with ariza and gordon the first half. Anytime we give up a bunch of open 3s he's often the culprit. I hope he wakes the fuck up and remember he will get the most slander if we lose.

Been waiting on this one

Luke Zhang