Golden State advance to their first finals in 40 years with a close-out win over the Rockets in Golden State. A scary injury to Klay Thompson (the second on a “splash brother” in as many games) will be one of the story lines ahead as we wait a full week for the Finals to start.
| Final | ESPN |
|---|---|
 Golden State Warriors (67-15) |
104 |
 Houston Rockets (56-26) |
90 |
Four Insights:
1. Andrew Bogut had more rebounds than his average.
While this is an interesting fact in and of itself, it is more important to show that much of the game revolved around the big men. Dwight Howard came out with an aggression and focus, and Bogut responded with a strong night – leading with rebounds instead of points.
2. Klay Thompson scored more than his average.
Klay started hot and gave the Warriors a strong 2nd-quarter lead that the Rockets were unable to overcome. His injury in the second half will be an important storyline as he will now be subject to concussion protocol in preparation for the finals.
3. Dwight Howard had more rebounds than his average.
Dwight started strong inside, grabbing every rebound and protecting the rim as we have not seen him in several years. As the game wore on, though, he seemed to fade and lost his cool a couple of times in the eventual loss.
4. Draymond Green had more rebounds than his average.
Green was huge in the 2nd half, giving the Warriors an important lift when Curry went to the bench for rest and Thompson was out with the head injury. His play inside this series has been huge, and the Warriors seem to have figured out how to play he and Bogut together and effectively stop traditional big men.
Game Summary:
The game started out close and the Rockets were outscored in the second quarter. The second half started out close and Golden State finished with a strong fourth quarter to get the win and close out the series. Houston shot a mere 35.1% from the field. Golden State won the rebounding battle handily, 59 to 39. Golden State was led by Stephen Curry with 26 points, Klay Thompson with 20 points, and Harrison Barnes with 24 points. The Rockets were led by Trevor Ariza with 15 points, and Dwight Howard with 18 points, 16 rebounds.