The Warriors took a 1-0 series lead after defeating the Rockets 104-78 in Game 1 on Saturday.
GAME LEADERS
The Warriors began their 2016 postseason run with a bang, picking up a 104-78 home win over the Rockets on Saturday to take a 1-0 lead in this first round playoff series.
After a record-setting 73-9 regular season, the Warriors stormed out of the gate and dominated the action in the early going. The first three made shots by the Dubs were 3-pointers – perhaps not surprising considering they set an NBA record – another one – with 1,077 made 3-pointers in the regular season. Stephen Curry splashed home three of his five 3-pointers in the opening period and was fouled on another. Curry had 16 points in the first quarter as the Dubs built an 18-point lead by the end of the period.
Curry finished with a game-high 24 points in less than 20 minutes, but his day was cut short after he rolled his right ankle late in the second quarter. He returned to start the third quarter but was taken out of the game a few minutes later, and he watched the final 21 minutes of the game from the bench.
Fortunately for the Warriors, they had built a large enough lead that they didn’t really need the reigning MVP in the second half. The Dubs held Houston to 35.7 percent shooting and led by as many 29 points in the game. When Houston began to eat away at the deficit, the Warriors had an answer.
The Rockets tried to get back into the game in the third quarter, as James Harden had 13 points in the period to bring Houston within 15 points, but the Warriors responded with nine straight points toward the end of the quarter. The Rockets then made one last dash to get in the game with a 6-0 spurt in the fourth period, but Marreese Speights quickly got momentum back on the Warriors’ side, willing the crowd back into the game with eight straight Warriors points.
Speights led a strong Warriors bench effort – four Warriors reserves had at least eight points – with 12 points, Klay Thompson tallied 16 points and Draymond Green tallied a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in the afternoon victory.
Now winners of 13 of their last 14 games against the Rockets – playoffs and regular season combined – the Warriors will look for another home victory on Monday when the series continues with Game 2 at Oracle Arena.