So here we are tied 2-2 after 4 games. Two in Houston, and two in Oakland. The narrative for this series has now changed exactly 4 times, meaning after each game, anyone willing to talk about the series has fed into the game to game hype and changed the way they think. Not me! I knew this would be a hard-fought series, both teams can win on the road, both teams can win big and lose big and not carry the hype or the failures into the next game. I knew going into this series that either Houston or Golden State could win by 40 on any given night in any given arena and the next game would be completely different. I knew that both teams could win giving up 120 points in a game, and both teams can squeak a win out with only giving up 85 points a game. I am not changing my narrative. When the Rockets lost game 1, the only thing i cared about was them winning game 2, I didn’t care by 1 or by 30 because I knew that if they could win game 2, even by 50, the Warriors could win game 3 at home by 50. Oh they did, they won by 41. Rockets didn’t care, they came in and shut them down in the 4th quarter last night, holding GS to only 12 points in the quarter to win by 3, series tied.
I picked Rockets in 7 before the series and I am sticking to it, win-lose or draw. I do think game 5 is a must win for Houston, now that GS has lost at home in the playoffs for the first time in 3 years, or something like that, it wont happen again. Rockets absolutely have to take care of business at home from here on out, because GS will not lose in Oakland for game 6. Everyone said the regular season doesn’t matter and these teams can all win on the road any given night, while I agree with that statement, I do think Rockets having home court in this series was so very instrumental. Had GS had home court, I believe we would be in the same situation. Tied 2-2, series now a best of 3. The difference, two games in Houston is more important for Houston. Had it been two games in GS, then they win the series in 6. They would dominate game 5 and Houston wouldn’t recover and lose a close hard-fought game in 6.
Good news! We don’t have to worry about that because it’s a best of 3, with two games being in Houston for the right to move on to the Finals. Regular season dominance matters and that is why.
