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Five observations from Warriors’ overtime loss to Rockets

By

Jacob Hutchinson

/

© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

OAKLAND – You’re rarely going to be bored when watching the Warriors play the Houston Rockets. Even with Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry and even Kevon Looney scoring efficiently, the Rockets offense was more than up to the task.

James Harden was inefficient, but got his points – and hit the game-tying and game-winning 3-pointers – Clint Capela had his way in the paint, Gerald Green was deadly, and Danuel House Jr. – the man the Warriors cut this summer – came back for an almost faultless revenge tour. It culminated with a game-winning 3-pointer from Harden and a 135-134 loss for the Warriors.

Here are five observations from tonight’s game:

“Science fiction with the swagger, it’s so unreal”

Tonight, Stephen Curry debuted a brand-new pair of Curry 6’s paying homage to his moon landing conspiracy debacle a few weeks back. The NASA-themed shoes featured a clean design of the lunar surface. Even sneakerheads who don’t like Curry’s shoes will probably be hoping this colorway is released into the mainstream.

But in classic Curry fashion, he did it for a cause. Curry – who will visit NASA headquarters in Houston when the Warriors visit the Rockets in April – will auction the shoes online after the game and donate the proceeds to local Bay Area STEM programs.

As Houston native Chamillionaire rapped on “The Ultimate Victory,” Curry, whose older shoes, the Curry Two Low’s, were mocked for being dad fashion, went, “science fiction with the swagger, it’s so unreal.”

Back in the House (Jr.)

Back in the summer, when the Warriors were still filling out their roster without the now-departed Patrick McCaw, they were looking for a wing. The last roster spot was truly up for grabs, and in the end, it was Alfonzo McKinnie who snagged the spot, with the 15th spot remaining open for McCaw (it still is, but this time it’s for a center).

The odd man out for the Warriors was Danuel House Jr., who, since being cut by the team, was picked up by the Houston Rockets and has since established himself as a starter. Tonight, House was fantastic. He started off with 10 points (3-of-3, 2-of-2 from 3-pt) two assists and a rebound, and finished with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and a perfect 9-of-9 from the free throw line.

His counterpart, McKinnie had a short, but effective night. He finished with 5 points (2-of-2, 1-of-1 from 3-pt), two rebounds and an assist in five minutes. He also got wrecked when he tried to steal an offensive rebound over Clint Capela, but the effort was admirable, and it’s the type of thing that’s allowed him with to carve out a spot for himself on a dynastic team.

Capela was living easy on the inside

At age 24, Clint Capela is already one of the most talented centers in the NBA. His Warriors counterpart, Kevon Looney, is also young (age 22) and talented, but he’s really a power forward who’s been forced to play center. And while Looney (12 points on 5-of-9, 6 rebounds, 2 assists) played extremely well tonight, there’s only so much you can do defensively when you’re undersized and against one of the league’s best.

As such, Capela put up 29 points (4-of-4 from the free throw line) and 21 rebounds on 12-of-19 shooting, and it felt like he could’ve easily put up 35 or 40. The Warriors’ size disadvantage inside is quickly becoming a problem as they take on some of the league’s most talented big men in the absence of Damian Jones – out for the season with a torn left pectoral – who was the only true center the Warriors had on the roster.

Harden ends a Wild West shootout

What’s better than a lot of scoring? Not much. Don’t be mistaken, the Warriors played great first-quarter defense to hold the Rockets to just 22 points. But there wasn’t much defensive excellence to follow.

By the end of the game, the Rockets had clawed back from a one-time 20-point deficit. If not for James Harden’s rampant inefficiency in the early stages of the game, the Rockets would likely have had the lead. But when it came to crunch time, Harden came through in almost unbelievable fashion. The flawless stepbacks that he executed on just about every single Warriors player started to bare fruit, and he took the game into his hands, hitting the game-tying and game-winning 3-pointers. Here’s how the top players on either side finished:

Rockets:

James Harden: 44 points (13-of-32, 10-of-23 from 3-pt, 8-of-9 on free throws), 10 rebounds, 15 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal

And this shot, which sent the game to overtime:

And this shot, which won the game:

Clint Capela: 29 points (12-of-19, 5-of-5 on free throws), 21 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 steals

Danuel House Jr.: 17 points (3-of-5, 2-of-3 from 3-pt, 9-of-9 on free throws) 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

Austin Rivers: 18 points (7-of-18, 4-of-9 from 3-pt), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal

Gerald Green: 16 points (6-of-13, 3-of-10 from 3-pt), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal

Warriors:

Kevin Durant: 26 points (10-of-23, 1-of-4 from 3-pt, 5-of-5 on free throws), 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block

Klay Thompson: 26 points (11-of-20, 4-of-8 from 3-pt), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 3 steals

Stephen Curry: 35 points (14-of-27, 5-of-15 from 3-pt), 3 rebounds, 6 assists

And this clutch shot in overtime:

Draymond Green: 9 points (4-of-7, 0-of-2 from 3-pt), 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals

Kevon Looney: 12 points (5-of-9), 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal

A lil’ bit of circus magic

Tonight, the Warriors were at their most comfortable and free-flowing. Durant, Thompson, Curry and even Looney were all hitting. When that happens for the Warriors, you often get a bit of magic. The first bit came below from Kevin Durant, and while the would-be and-one opportunity didn’t count, it’s worth watching again.

The next came from Curry, who has probably ruined every game of H-O-R-S-E for everyone else who he’s played with. This time, the and-one counted:

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