Golden State's Draymond Green is happy with his 13-point, 12-rebound night. (USATSI)
OAKLAND - Behind 34 points from MVP Steph Curry, the Golden State Warriors defeated Houston 110-106 in Game 1 of their Western Conference Finals series Tuesday at Oracle Arena.
Here's three things we learned from Game 1:
1. LEARNING TO FLY
Before Game 1, Steve Kerr warned the Warriors that the adjustment to playing the Rockets after facing the Memphis grind might be like getting out of jail. It could lead to to them losing discipline and getting out of control. That was much of the first quarter.
And this, friends, is why home court advantage matters. Behind a raucous crowd, the Warriors amped up their energy and all of a sudden Game 1 became "Mad Max: Fury Road." It was non-stop intensity and big turns and absolute chaos inside Oracle with every bucket. The Warriors' bench fed off that energy and turned constant opportunities into constant buckets.
The Rockets on the other hand looked severely drained after the Warriors' first-half comeback. They battled to tie in the fourth quarter, and have to feel like there were a lot of ways they could have won this thing, but the Warriors proved how much energy matters even when you're the No.1 team in the league and the heavy favorite. Golden State hit its threes, but it won this on with energy and intensity... after they settled down.
2. BIG MAN MISSING
Dwight Howard suffered what is being called at this point a knee bruise in the first quarter after Josh Smith fell into it and after a brief return in the third quarter, missed the rest of the game. His status going forward is unknown. It obviously had a monster effect on the game, as Howard was clearly hobbled when he returned.
His absence sparked the first-half run that gave the Rockets a 16-point lead, but without him the Warriors started mercilessly attacking inside, changing the complexion of the game and getting Golden State's perimeter attack going on the kickout. There are always dominoes to these things, inside out dynamics that go beyond the box score. In the first quarter, the Rockets racked up a 20-6 advantage in points in the paint. From that point on, the Warriors beat Houston 46-32 in the paint.
It could be a turning point in the series already if Howard is unable to go.
3. WHY WOULD YOU POSSIBLY LEAVE HIM OPEN?
The Grizzlies' entire plan of attack vs. the Warriors was "anyone but Steph Curry." When they lost that coil, they lost the series. The Rockets on the other hand did not hedge, show, or double Curry except in transition at half-court. They instead let him get switches or get loose behind off-ball screens.
This may surprise you, but Jason Terry looked pretty old trying to chase Curry around screens. With Josh Smith and Corey Brewer not recognizing the need to switch, Curry got loose for corner threes.
...Forgive me as I go all-caps here.
YOU PROBABLY DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THE MOST DANGEROUS SHOOTER IN NBA HISTORY OPEN FOR CATCH-AND-SHOOT CORNER 3S, THE MOST EFFICIENT SHOT OUTSIDE OF THE PAINT IN BASKETBALL.
The Rockets' defense has been missing since the Dallas series. They found themselves in the first quarter, being smart with help and keeping hold of the rope. But they lost it in Game 1 and never got it back. If they're going to get back in this series, they need to start by asking themselves how to contain Curry better.
