The Golden State Warriors continue to shit lucky horseshoes after a 104-100 win in Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals.
By Chad Cooper
Twitter @thechadcooper
Who is booking these games? Vegas oddsmakers? Vince McMahon? Is the fix in? The game time spread was GSW -6.5. Why are three officials taking over late in these games? Ego? Incompetent?
As Houston head coach Mark D’Antonio said, the Rockets have to “suck it up and don’t worry about how they officiate” if they want to stay in this series with a must-win in Game 2 on Tuesday night in California.
D’Antonio also said postgame that the officials came to him at halftime and told him they “missed four calls.” This is the NBA, folks.
Down 3, James Harden attempted a 3 pointer with 9.1 seconds remaining and missed, but couldn’t land cleanly because of another Warrior underneath him. That’s a foul. Chris Paul got the rebound. Eric Gordon, who was blatantly hacked by Steph Curry (5 fouls) then stepped out of bounds. Paul complained and got his second technical and was tossed. Ballgame.
Even other NBA players are speaking out. Utah’s Rudy Gobert tweeted, “My guys were not allowed to contest shots like that last week…or maybe I’m crazy and it’s just camera angles.” Fitting.
Despite the game management debacle, the Warriors shot 50.7 percent from the floor. That’s insane, especially since the Rockets forced them into 20 turnovers.
You live and die by the 3. Houston opened the game shooting 2-18 downtown and finished the game 14-47. That has to improve.
Nene had no business guarding Steph Curry late in the game. Curry hit a dagger 3 with 24 seconds to go to put the Warriors up 5. Basically the final dagger. This would have been the perfect spot for Austin Rivers, but he was hurt and didn’t play.
Clint Capela was bad – 4 points and 6 rebounds in 26 minutes.
Harden finished with 35 points, but missed his last 3 shot attempts while the star was again, Kevin Durant.
Durant, who hopefully takes more money in the offseason and plays in New York, also had 35 points. He is unguardable. The Warriors are a 7 or 8 seed without him this year.
His supporting cast was “meh.” Klay Thompson, who I despise because an ex-girlfriend thought he was “hot,” had 14 points. All he does the entire game is complain.
Game 2 is set for Tuesday, April 30 at 9:35 p.m. CST in Oakland and the Vegas line is set for Warriors -5.5 with a total of 219 points.