OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Klay Thompson knew Golden State had to come collectively, that every participant had to boost his sport with Stephen Curry sidelined.
”None of us can do it alone,” Thompson insisted hours earlier.
He sure was given things commenced, scoring 27 factors with seven 3-pointers as the Warriors rolled into the second spherical of the playoffs without their injured superstar, embarrassing the Houston Rockets 114-eighty one on Wednesday night in recreation 5.
”Urgency of the game, and we did no longer want to go lower back to Houston – it’s an extended flight,” Thompson stated of his greater motivation.
Draymond, inexperienced, delivered 15 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists for the soldiers, who will face the winner of the Clippers-trail Blazers collection. Portland leads 3-2.
”all people assume Steph is going down, and the whole series adjustments. But we notion otherwise,” inexperienced said.
Without the MVP, Curry’s fellow Splash Brother set the tone from the hole tip. Thompson became the primary participant in NBA history to make at least seven 3s in consecutive playoff games. At the same time, Shaun Livingston scored sixteen factors for his 0.33 double-digit overall performance in 3 video games, even as beginning in Curry’s place in this collection.
”We are blessed; we are in reality fortunate. You lose your point guard and the MVP, and to throw Shaun Livingston obtainable, he is a superb basketball player, an excellent teammate,” train Steve Kerr said.
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In a brown sport coat on the bench, Curry, while nursing his sprained right knee, emphatically bobbed his head, clapped, and bowed to Thompson throughout starter introductions. He even labored the officers through a timeout and gestured with hand indicators to celebrate big plays.
James Harden scored 25 of Houston’s 37 first-half points at the manner of 35 factors, but the Rockets had no risk with a one-person display against the deep defending champions.
So much for Jason Terry’s guarantee; there would be a Recreation Six again in Houston.
”The season, from the beginning, wasn’t going our manner. Just had too many distractions,” Harden said. ”it’s just been like a bumpy street this whole season.”
Thompson hit a way-returned, Curry-like 3 from 31 toes at the pinnacle of the arc with 5:37 left in the 1/3. He shot 7 of 11 from lengthy variety, 10 for 14 overall.
Curry may want the handiest grin, cheer, and revel in every 2d of seeing his group do well without him.
”He changed into just joking around and having a lot of fun. It becomes a recreation with several pleasures,” Kerr stated. ”Steph is having an awesome time.”
View galleryWarriors roll into second spherical of playoffs without …
OAKLAND, CA – APRIL 27: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors and Anderson Varejao #18 of t …
The NBA’s main scorer is sidelined for at least two weeks with a sprained MCL while he slipped awkwardly at the last play of the primary half of Sunday’s recreation four, and his legs split aside.
An afternoon after Kerr changed into voted NBA educates of the year, his crew took step one toward a repeat name by following up on its record 73-win season by hopefully handling Houston.
Thompson commenced things off with a quick 3-pointer, igniting the yellow-clad, ”power in Numbers” sellout crowd at Oracle Arena. Green additionally hit from the lengthy variety, and Houston called a short timeout.
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Harden scored 14 early points on 6-of-7 shooting. Still, the relaxation of the Rockets has been 0 for sixteen earlier than Patrick Beverley’s comply with a shot with eleven:26 left within the 2nd quarter following Michael Beasley’s shanked alley-oop dunk attempt.
From the moment Curry went down, the soldiers took their sport up a notch with a mind-blowing 2nd half of sport, finishing the 121-94 victory with a playoff file 21 three-recommendations, and 38 assists on 46 area desires.
Terry assured a game-five win, telling the Houston Chronicle, ”This will be a long flight for them to return to Houston.” Amused, Golden Nation just shrugged it off.
Dwight Howard capped his awful collection with eight points on 3-for-13 shooting and 21 rebounds, closing on the floor long after the relaxation of the starters had been completed.
”He desired to live, he wanted to complete,” intervening time Rockets educate J.B. Bickerstaff said. ”He didn’t want it to end. He did not want to lay down and bail out of the combat. … that’s the photo he wanted to go away people with.”
12 months LATER
This sport changed into performed 11 months to the day after the teams met in recreation 5 of the Western Conference finals, and Golden nation received 104-90 to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in forty years on the manner to the franchise’s first championship for the reason that 1975.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Houston has lost 16 of 18 to Golden Nation. … shortly after the double technical, Bickerstaff changed into whistled for a T. … Beverley performed 25-plus mins after injuring his proper hamstring at some stage in Sunday’s game four.
Warriors: inside the six quarters after Curry went down Sunday, Golden Nation outscored Houston 179-119. … the Soldiers are 4-2 without Curry this season. … they have lost the handiest domestic games in general within the postseason relationship to the beginning of last yr’s run.
