Houston Rockets At Golden State Warriors: Game 76: Sneak Peek Analysis
The Houston Rockets are now in the midst of a rough back-to-back schedule that started last night.
The Houston Rockets are now in the midst of a rough back-to-back schedule that started last night.
After falling to the Portland Trail Blazers 117-107 last night, the Rockets have to conjure up enough muster to try to beat the 61-14 Golden State Warriors tonight.
Have they learned from the mistakes from Tuesday’s game?
We’ll have to see.
So what’s next?
So who’s leading the charge for the Warriors?
Kevin Durant leads the team in scoring (25.3 PPG), rebounds (8.2 RPG) and is the top shot-blocker (1.6 BPG). Draymond Green holds the torch in assists (7.1 APG) and steals (2.1 SPG).
Let’s talk about what the Warriors do well.
They continue to have a well-balanced attack. The Warriors are 2nd in defensive efficiency, allowing just 101 points per 100 possessions. They’re also ranked 1st in offensive efficiency, scoring 113 points per 100 possessions.
They’re the best shooting team in the NBA. The Warriors are ranked 1st in effective field goal percentage (56.3) and 1st in true shooting percentage (59.7).
They’re the best at ball movement for the score. The Warriors are ranked 1st in assist ratio, with 21.4 percent of their possessions ending with an assist.
They’re a solid rebounding team. The Warriors are tied for 9th — with the Memphis Grizzlies — in rebound rate, taking down 50.6 percent of missed shots.
Next: James Harden To Sign A Super-Max Deal In 2017?
Injuries:
Ryan Anderson sprained his right ankle after getting tangled up with DeMarcus Cousins Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. There currently is no timetable for his return but I suspect they’re going to take their time because of the immense amount of depth we have on the roster. We’ll miss his three-point shooting that he contributes but as this team has done all season, they find a way to persevere. He’ll be out for the next two weeks as he nurses his ankle back to full recovery.
James Harden has been battling a left wrist injury that has been lingering since March 20th. He has played through it and has reiterated that he’ll continue to do so. I personally would like for him to see him rest to allow that soreness to heal but I understand and admire his competitiveness. However, there comes a time where his injury could be detrimental to his production and the team so here’s to hoping it doesn’t get to that point.
Montrezl Harrell did not make the team trip to attend the birth of his son. He is expected to be back in uniform tonight as he’ll re-join the team in Oakland on this three-game road trip.
Kevin Durant did participate in on-court activities late last week and is his return is expected to be near. It just won’t be tonight. When that happens, he’ll be gradually brought back into the rotation to foster his conditioning.
Source(s): Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area, Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle
Matchups to Watch:
- Patrick Beverley vs. Stephen Curry
- Clint Capela vs. Zaza Pachulia
- James Harden vs. Klay Thompson
- Trevor Ariza vs. Draymond Green
Prediction:
111-109 in a Houston Rockets’ win!
The Rockets are on the road to take on the Warriors at Oracle Arena.
Tip-off is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CDT.
The game will be televised on ROOT Sports Southwest/ESPN and broadcast on NewsRadio 740 AM (KTRH), Sirius/XM/SiriusXM Internet 890 and La Ranchera 101.7 FM (KNTE) & 850 AM (KEYH) in Spanish.
Go Rockets