The Warriors remained supremely confident of their chances heading into Game Four of their semifinal-round series against the Rockets. It didn鈥檛 matter that they lost their immediate past match in overtime, and that their rivals limited them to 44.2% shooting en route. As far as they鈥檙e concerned, they鈥檙e primed to win today, thus claiming the split they need to consider their trip to Houston a success; they鈥檒l be having a commanding lead in the best-of-seven affair, with the next contest providing an opportunity to move on to the next postseason challenge.
To be sure, there is reason to deem the assessment on the mark. For all the proof of competitiveness the Rockets provided in their Game Three victory, they are compelled to keep pressing today. And even if they emerge triumphant, they will simply have done their job in the grand scheme of things. Absent homecourt advantage, they will need to prevail on the road at least once in order to advance past the Warriors. And the task won鈥檛 be easy; not for nothing are the latter Finals fixtures over the last four years, and, notwithstanding season-long travails, still the prohibitive favorites to retain the Larry O鈥橞rien Trophy.
To comprehend the near-Sisyphean nature of the Rockets鈥 endeavor, fans need only consider the Warriors鈥 own decorum throughout the series to date. They own two wins and very nearly went three for three, and yet they haven鈥檛 come close to showing their best selves. In fact, two-time National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Steph Curry and backcourt partner and fellow All-Star Klay Thompson have been mired in unprecedented shooting slumps. And given the aggressive defenses being thrown at them, it鈥檚 anybody鈥檚 guess as to when — or if — they鈥檒l be able to find their touch with consistency.
Nonetheless, the series continues to be the Warriors鈥 to frame. After all, they have the most feared starting lineup in the league, likewise featuring yet another former MVP in Kevin Durant and all-world defenders Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala. And so formidable are they that the Rockets require offensive savant James Harden to be sharp from opening tip to final buzzer merely to keep in step. Which, in a nutshell, was why the defending champions shook off their Game Three setback as a blip in the radar, and why they鈥檙e keen on finally stamping their class today.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since 大象传媒 introduced a Sports section in 1994.
