Matt Steinmetz

Preview of the Western Conference finals? We’ll see. But nobody will complain if the Warriors and Rockets wind up playing to determine which team will play in the NBA Finals.

Despite both teams essentially being locked into their current seeding, they found a way to play a tough, competitive game at Oracle Arena on Friday — a game that was eventually won by the Warriors 107-98. It was the 10th consecutive victory for the Warriors.

LINK TO ‘WARRIORS WRAPUP’ FROM WARRIORS’ 107-98 WIN OVER HOUSTON.

The Warriors (62-14) lead the Spurs in the battle for the the No. 1 overall seed in the West by 3.5 games with just six games remaining. So they’ve pretty much wrapped that up. Similarly, the Rockets are all but locked in to the No. 3 spot — too far behind No. 2 San Antonio and too far ahead of No. 4 Utah.

The Warriors found themselves down most of the night until a 12-0 run midway through the fourth quarter put them in control 100-92. During that stretch, the Rockets came up empty on nine consecutive possessions and went more than six minutes without a score.

It was another long night for Houston’s James Harden against the Warriors, and he’s likely getting tired of them at this point. Harden finished with just 17 points and went 4-for-18 from the floor, including 2-for-9 from the 3-point line. The Warriors did a nice job of keeping Harden off the foul line, allowing him there for only seven attempts.

In four games against the Warriors this year, Harden went 23-for-74 from the field (31 percent) and 5-for-34 from beyond the arc (14.7 percent). He also committed 26 turnovers in those four games.

It was the defense that keyed this one for Golden State. The Rockets scored just 13 points in the fourth quarter and were outscored 19-6 over the final 9:41 of regulation. The Warriors finished their season-series with the Rockets having won three of four.

Stephen Curry finished with 24 points and Klay Thompson 20, but it was JaVale McGee who really gave the Warriors a boost when they needed it. McGee was a big-time factor on both ends of the floor, putting all the garbage in at the offensive end and defending the rim at the other. McGee had 13 points, four rebounds and five blocks in just 11 minutes. But the Warriors outscored Houston by 10 points with McGee on the floor.

Well, that was the signature win of the year for the Warriors. They went into San Antonio on Wednesday, got behind by 22 points, and then used a stifling and aggressive defense to claw all the way back and then some, winning 110-98.

The victory essentially paves the way for the Warriors to roll into the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the West. The Warriors now lead the Spurs by 3.5 games, with just seven games left to play. Six of those games are at home for Golden State.

LINK TO “WARRIORS WRAPUP,” THE POSTGAME SHOW FROM WARRIORS-SPURS GAME.

Safe to say the Warriors have figured things out without Kevin Durant, who has been out with a knee injury since the beginning of March. The Warriors have won nine straight games, and the icing on the cake is Durant may return by the end of the regular season. In Durant’s absence, plenty of Warriors have picked up the slack — and Wednesday was no different.

After getting behind 29-7, the Warriors (61-14) put it all together and there were all sorts of contributions. David West played a terrific game on both ends of the floor, finishing with 15 points, five assists, four rebounds and two blocked shots in just 22 minutes. Andre Iguodala continued his phenomenal play, scoring 14 points and being an important cog in a defense that stymied San Antonio after their hot start.

The Spurs scored just 41 points in the second half, and shot only 41 percent from the game. Kawhi Leonard, facing multiple defenders and plenty of attention from the Warriors’ help, had 19 points on 7-for-20 from the field. At various times Leonard found himself guarded by Matt Barnes, Iguodala, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 29 points and he also played a wonderful floor game, handing out 11 assists and turning the ball over just twice. Thompson finished with 23 points on 9-for-16 from the floor.

We know that Draymond Green is outspoken, and we know he doesn’t mind voicing his opinion. Particularly when he is asked for it. After the Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night, Green was asked about the Raiders’ move to Las Vegas and how he feels about it.

As usual, Green didn’t hold back. Among other things, Green said: “If I was a fan, I wouldn’t attend a game the next few years. But that’s just me. That’s ridiculous. No way I’d pay money to attend a game.”

A day after those comments were made, they’re still resonating. The bottom line is that Green struck on a very strong sentiment. The fact of the matter is that Green is dealing with something most Raiders’ fans in Oakland are dealing with: How to approach this team moving forward.

Continue reading →