The Warriors took a 1-0 series lead on Sunday with a 104-100 victory over the Houston Rockets.
It was a seemingly slow start for both teams on Sunday afternoon, and a physical matchup from the opening tip. While the Dubs struggled to make some key buckets in the first frame, it wouldn’t stay that way for long. The Warriors took an early lead; and though that lead changed multiple times over the course of the game, the squad came away with the win on Warriors Ground.
TEAM LEADERS
Kevin Durant led the Dubs in scoring with 35 points, and Stephen Curry added 18 points . Andre Iguodala dropped 14 points, while Draymond Green notched nine rebounds and nine assists to go with this 14 points.
Though Curry banked in a three with 24 seconds left on the clock, ultimately sealing the win, it was Green who provided the initial spark that ignited the team’s energy for the rest of the contest. He had full vision of the floor, dishing out eight first-half assists that helped get the squad rolling.
The Dubs never led by more than nine in the first half of Sunday’s contest, and that lead changed six times. While the Dubs went up in the closing minutes of the second frame, Houston kept pace and tied it up heading into the break.
The ‘hird quarter Dubs’didn’t come out in full force, but the Warriors found themselves in a nice rhythm throughout the second half. The shots were falling and Dub Nation was roaring. While the Rockets came out of the locker room strong, taking the lead, it didn’t last long. A huge block from Durant was just what the squad needed to kick it into gear.
Thompson’s catch-and-shoot game was on full display, and Durant was hitting fadeaway after fadeaway. The Dubs didn’t fully run away with the game, but maintained a steady lead while also holding the Rockets to just 41.9 percent from the field and 29.8 percent from beyond the arc.
More notable moments from the matchup:
- All five Warriors starters scored in double-figures for the first time this postseason (5-0 during the 2018-19 regular season when all five starters scored 10-plus points).
- The Warriors have held the Rockets to 100-or-fewer points in six consecutive postseason games, dating back to the 2017-18 postseason.
- With a capacity crowd of 19,596, Golden State recorded its 336th consecutive sellout (regular season and playoffs), the longest streak in franchise history.
- With Durant's 35 points, he passed Wilt Chamberlain (1,246) for fifth place on the Warriors’ all-time postseason scoring list (now with 3,991) and Larry Bird (3,897) for 11th on the NBA’s all-time postseason scoring list.
- Curry extended his NBA-record streak to 97 consecutive games with a made three-point basket.
UP NEXT
The Western Conference Semifinals continue Tuesday, April 30, on Warriors Ground. Game 2, presented by Zoom tips off at 7:30 p.m. (Pacific). Don’t miss a minute of the action; secure your seats here.