Many had labeled Game 1 of the Western Conference finals a dreaded must-win for the Rockets. Now that they’ve lost to the Warriors, 119-106, behind a dominant Kevin Durant, many are considering the series over.
That includes two very sad TNT analysts in Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal, who lamented the Warriors’ dominance on the postgame show.
Barkley: I am just so depressed right now.
O’Neal: Tell them, Chuck.
Barkley: I am hurt tonight. Yeah, anybody that thinks the Rockets will win a game or this series is an idiot. This is over.
O’Neal: No way they are going to beat the mighty Golden State Warriors.
Barkley: The Rockets can’t beat them. They are not going to win a game. I picked the Warriors in five, [now] I’m taking the Warriors in three.
The Rockets, despite winning an NBA-best 65 games and having home-court in the series, were considered a significant underdog against the defending champs.
Perhaps even more dispiriting was that the Rockets got impressive performances from their two stars, James Harden (41 points) and Chris Paul (23 points, 11 rebounds). However, Houston’s role players could not keep up with the depth of the Warriors, who are now 25-3 in the postseason since signing Durant.
With the Rockets’ résumé, it is believed they are the biggest challenger left for the Warriors, who are in search of their third NBA title in four years. Could LeBron James carry the Cavaliers to another upset of Golden State? Could Brad Stevens devise a strategy to slow down what appears to be an unstoppable team? Sure, both are possibilities, but neither seems as likely as the Rockets are to challenge the Warriors.
