Rockets black: 5 snack bars dominated as Houston to force game 7

The young team on the way, which is excluded, goes against an opponent against an opponent with a lot of experience in the post -season … What could go wrong?

Well, not much for the Houston Rockets.

They were the more steady, more intelligent, harder and simply the better team. This was particularly – and shocking – in the 6th play in the Chase Center. It was almost as if they had changed the personas with the experienced warriors who went into the night calmly and quickly.

So there were Rockets 115, Warriors 107 and now even more important, a game 7 on Sunday (8:30 ET, TNT) between these teams in this suddenly exciting first round.

The Warriors were ready to close the series, but the No. 2 Seed Rockets had different ideas. Fred Vanvleet showed the way for three quarters and then the rockets stepped aside and let the warriors beat with an anemic fourth quarter.

This increases all possible options on Sunday in the Toyota Center in Houston. The rockets will be at home and swollen with confidence after falling back 3-1 and fought twice. The Warriors have Stephen Curry and Draymond Green and Playoff Jimmy Butler. But they looked old and now have to drive two time zones in 48 hours.

Who brings the edge on Sunday?

Who will go golf next week?

Here are five snack bars because the best-of-Seven series returns to Houston with a berth in the western semi-final:

---

1. Fred blooms

In the last three games, two of which have won the Rockets, number 1 on the floor is the one who has been naughty. That would be Fred Vanvleet, who has just hit another 3 pointer pointer while reading this story.

In the last three games he scored 24, 25 and 29 points and constantly drilled 3S-18: 27 from deep above this route. That sounds … familiar?

Well, he is Steph. And it comes here in the playoffs at the right time. For this reason, the rockets emptied the wallet for Vanvleet in the Free Agency a few summer. They wanted his experienced presence, its championship trunk tree and his unshakable approach in tense moments. And you get everything.

The warriors were helpless against him, and while Vanvleet can sometimes be streaking, he is just locked up in a groove. He had his way against Curry in the 2019 NBA final and is now doing it again. The Golden State has to join together and create a plan against it.

---

2nd Warriors have the game 7 sauce

In these win-or-else situations, a team has the clear upper hand. Or we should say, especially two players: Curry and Butler.

Here the data for Currys are five such appearances: 32.6 points, seven templates and 6.5 rebounds. Oh, and his latest game 7? That was a bubble-er a few years ago, a dramatic 50 piece dropped to the kings in Sacramento (and this city has been pursued since then).

About Butler's four appearances: 22 points and four rebounds on average. But similar to Curry, this does not determine the effects of his last two. Butler terrorized the Celtics with average 31 points and eight rebounds and sent the Celtics home almost twice, leaving a jumper in the last seconds of a game.

Although the Warriors took a 3-1 lead in 2016 in the NBA final in 2016, they basically have a few players who dealt with the urgency and the irreconcilable nature of these games. This does not mean that the post -season experience will definitely gain -it does not have Friday -but there is a reason for the Rockets to be concerned.

---

3. Will we see the Jalen Green Game (again)?

The leading goal scorer of the Rockets was a large part of this series and was again on Friday after delivering 12 points in 32 minutes. Green, who had 2 38 points in game, otherwise scored 47 points in the other five games (including three in individual digits).

His body language meanders with his self -confidence. There are times when he is moved, a safe sign of someone who would rather miss shots than miss. This is a dangerous mentality for a goal scorer, but maybe an understandable for someone like Green who is 23 years old and is missing a rich post -season story.

But everything it needs is a massive game to delete everything. He has this chance on Sunday. He will be at home in a friendly borders. And opportunities suggest that this slump will not last forever. It's all in his favor. The first quarter will be meaningful and important. If he gets hot and the crowd is behind him, it will help. If he breaks bricks and his shoulders, it will hurt.

---

4. Warriors crashed hard in the fourth

Houston was only two points when the fourth quarter started. Then astonishing the lead was 17.

The expanded deficit was largely added by the warriors themselves. They stopped, rebounded, beat open shots, protected the rims or covered the rockets to the extent. It was a collective breakdown, and with a few minutes the result was no longer in doubt.

How bad was it? The Warriors missed 11 of 12 by Deep. They missed 13 straight shots at a point, some of them look clean. Curry had three points.

Here, too, the breathtaking part was the experienced team. This usually does not happen in such situations, against much younger teams. But it did and it hit the warriors.

It also fed the idea that only fatigue may settle. Golden State had to fight the game tournament. This seemed to be the case with a younger team that has their sportiness, speed and hunger? – to your advantage.

Speaking of rockets advantages …

---

5. Two -headed center is a monster for Houston

Alperen Senengun and Steven Adams overwhelmed the warriors. Together with Vanvleet, this was the decisive factor of Friday who brought this series into a game 7. And there was nothing the warriors could do to prevent them.

Sengun did not always have his way against Draymond, who won the single fight a few nights ago in the last seconds. But the young center of the rockets is continued. He brings tricky steps into the post and keeps Draymond, one of the best defenders of this generation. Sengun in game 6: 21 points, 14 rebounds, six templates, three steals.

Adams is not a statist, but during his season height 31 minutes in front of the bank. His presence in the color, the role of secondary defense lawyer, calming leadership and surprising ability to draw fouls was great. In this series, the Rockets are a plus-53 when it is on the floor.

Adams in game 6: 17 points, five rebounds, three blocks.

This is a problem for the warriors. Draymond can do so much. Quinten Post, who lacks experience, and Kevon Looney, who doesn't play much, both have to increase another level against the Duo of the Rockets.

Or this is a wrap for the warriors.

* * *

Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can send him an email Here you will find his archive here and follow him X.

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or its Warner Bros. Discovery.