No Steph, no problem.
The Golden State Warriors bested the Houston Rockets 115-106 Monday night to go up 2-0 in their best-of-seven series in the NBA playoffs. The Warriors took care of business even without Stephen Curry who missed the game with his ankle injury. Curry tried to go out for warmups pre-game but didn’t feel comfortable enough to play.
No worries, because the Rockets are a joke. Three quick things from this game:
1. The other Warriors are good, too. Klay Thompson stepped up on a night they needed him, with 34 points, even if he only shot 8-of-20. And Draymond Green wasn’t efficient, either. but Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala combined for 34 points on 20 shots. Livingston in particular was a calming force offensively. Every time Houston would make a little bit of a run, Livingston would create an easy look or rise for a pull-up jumper. It’s impressive that the Warriors can rise up like this without the attention that Curry forces. Then again…
2. Man, is it a bummer to watch Houston. They just don’t care. There’s just a lifelessness, a staleness, a vapid absence of passion in everything they do. The Rockets shot 40 percent from the arc, got 28 and 11 from James Harden … and it never felt like they really threatened, because their defense was so apathetic. The outcome never seemed in doubt, and and the Warriors honestly acted as such. Andrew Bogut rejected Jason Terry and smirked about it. Draymond Green scored, flexed and grinned while the Rockets moped.
If there was any way we could vote in the Minnesota Timberwolves or Utah Jazz for Game 3, it would be best for everyone involved to do so. The Grizzlies are getting stomped by the Spurs and will likely be swept, but you never feel like the Grizzlies are letting themselves down with their effort.
3. Dwight Howard had the saddest double-double, ever. Howard had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and while he played OK for a stretch in the third, it just fell apart. He fouled out a few minutes after he caught the ball on a wide open pick and roll with a chance for what would have been a dunk in 2011, and instead Andrew Bogut blocked the ball away. Things have fallen off hard for the former Defensive Player of the Year. He needs a change of scenery.
