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Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors (Warriors lead series 1-0)
Game Time, TV: Thursday, May 21st – 9:00 PM ET on ESPN
Projected Starting Lineups:
Houston Rockets: PG: Jason Terry, SG: James Harden, SF: Trevor Ariza, PF: Josh Smith, C: Dwight Howard
Golden State Warriors: PG: Stephen Curry, SG: Klay Thompson, SF: Harrison Barnes, PF: Draymond Green, C: Andrew Bogut
The Golden State Warriors will look to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals when they host the Houston Rockets on Thursday night.
The Rockets got off to a hot start in Game 1, mainly thanks to the stellar play of James Harden as both a shooter and playmaker on the floor. But the Warriors stormed back in and made it a game due to some ridiculous shots by Stephen Curry and the outstanding distribution by stretch-four Draymond Green.
The Rockets kept the game close, but ultimately ended up losing it 110-106. Unfortunately for them, this might have been their best chance to steal a game in this series, and they blew it. The news gets worse however, as Dwight Howard is listed as “questionable” for Game 2 with a knee injury. I am going to guess he will play as it is the playoffs and the Rockets need to at least be competitive in this game. I would not be shocked if he sits out either.
The key matchup for this game will be Green vs. Josh Smith. If Green can pass the ball like he did in Game 1 (racking up eight assists), the Warriors will be in terrific shape again. If the Rockets are going to have a shot to win this series, it is going to be because Smith is hitting 3-pointers. He is currently averaging four attempted threes per game, and there is no sign of him slowing down anytime soon.
In the end, the Warriors will coast to a rather easy victory here. The Rockets were already going to be in for a battle with a healthy Howard, and now that it is uncertain how productive he can be, the Warriors have no excuse not to jump out to a 2-0 lead in this series.
Prediction: Warriors 115, Rockets 97
Dan Schultz is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @dschultz89. “Like” him on Facebook and add him on Google.
