The Golden State Warriors are hoping that second time’s the charm tonight as they try again to close out their first-round series with the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets hope for a repeat of their Game 5 blowout of the Warriors to force a Game 7 at home.
To keep their season alive, Houston will not only need to shut down Golden State’s Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry — who combined for just 6-of-22 shooting from the field — but they will also need all cylinders firing on the offensive, especially their young core.
Rockets’ Veterans and Young Core
Alperen Sengun has been stellar on both ends of the court this series, averaging 20.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.8 steals. But Jalen Green, their leading scorer during the regular season (21.0 points per game), has been largely invisible during the playoffs — except for one big game.
Green is averaging just 14.6 points per game on a poor 38.8% shooting clip. That average is skewed by his Game 2 explosion of 38 points — an outlier. In the other four games, Green has averaged just 8.75 points. The Rockets don’t need Green to be superhuman to win, but if he delivers a standout performance alongside Sengun and veteran Fred VanVleet, they have a real shot.
VanVleet has been a steady hand for the Rockets. He’s averaging 17 points per game in this series and led the way in Game 5 with 26 points.
What Jalen Green Needs to Do Tonight
Green’s struggles are partly due to Golden State’s defense, with Curry limiting him on the perimeter and Draymond Green denying him clean looks at the rim. But Green’s also hurting himself — he’s missing open shots.
In the playoffs, only 11.9% of Green’s shot attempts have been wide open, down from 17.5% in the regular season. Worse, he’s hit just 37.5% of those open looks in the playoffs, compared to 43% during the season.
For the Rockets to survive tonight, Green needs to hit his step-back three consistently to punish defenders and stretch the floor. He also needs to stay aggressive, driving into the paint and drawing fouls, and knocking down his open shot opportunities when the Warriors inevitably collapse on Sengun and VanVleet.
If Green can regain his regular-season form — or even just approach it — the Rockets could pull off another upset and force Game 7.
The odds, however, favor Golden State bouncing back and winning tonight to move on to the semifinals.
How to Watch Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors
Tonight’s Rockets-Warriors game tips off just after 9:00 PM Eastern. It airs live on ESPN and streams on the ESPN app and website.
Time: 9:00 PM Eastern
Venue: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
TV: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN app and website
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