NBA Playoff Betting – (1) Warriors at (2) Rockets (Game 3)
Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets (pk, 216 o/u)
Down by one with nine seconds left on the clock, James Harden had a chance to win Game 2 for his Houston Rockets (56-26, 30-11 Home) in their Western Conference final against the Golden State Warriors (67-15, 28-13 Away). But the MVP runner-up didn’t even get a shot off as he was trapped in the corner by MVP winner Steph Curry and fellow “Splash Brother” Klay Thompson. Now the Rockets head home down 0-2, desperately needing a win in Game 3 tonight at the Toyota Center (9:00 PM Eastern).
Harden’s hesitation to shoot with the clock running out in Game 2 was the only blemish on an otherwise magnificent night. Harden scored 38 points, shooting 13/21 from the field and 3/6 for beyond the arc; he also added ten rebounds.
“It’s frustrating. It’s frustrating to give the game away like that,” Harden said after the game to the Associated Press.
For the Rockets, being down two games is familiar territory. The team trailed the Clippers 3-1 last round before winning three straight to set up their meeting with the Warriors. Given that Houston had a chance to win both games at Oracle Arena – where the Warriors have only lost three times this season – the team has reason to be confident heading back home.
“We’re not going to go anywhere,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said to the AP. “We’re just going to keep standing here and swinging.”
The Warriors have looked dominant for stretches against Houston, but haven’t put together the full 48 minute effort the home fans are used to seeing. Curry led the way offensively, as usual, in Game 2, scoring 33 points. Thompson, however, has had a difficult series, going just 1/7 from the three-point line in Game 2.
But Thompson was crucial defensively on the game’s deciding play.
“I just wanted to stay big and force a contested shot,” Thompson said. “Steph made a great read with that double-team.”
The Rockets have covered both games so far as ten-point underdogs, upping their ATS record to 5-0 in the last five games. Houston is also 23-9 ATS in their last 32 home games, and 24-9 ATS in their last 33 games following a SU loss.
Pick: Rockets (pk).
(Photo credit: Keith Allison (flickr) “Stephen Curry” [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/]. Photo has been cropped.)
Zack is a tour guide whose favorite sports are football, baseball, and golf. He enjoys giving obnoxious commentary during games and hopes to some day write a book about sports. His favorite underdog victory was the Diamondbacks beating the Yankees in game 7 of the World Series.
