Now that the Warriors have the NBA record for wins in a season it’s time for them to turn their attention to the top priority of defending their title. The Rockets fell to Golden State in the Western Conference final last year and get the first crack at dethroning the champs.
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Houston Rockets +13
Golden State Warriors -13
Over/Under 225
LOOK AHEAD
The Warriors etched their name in the NBA’s record book with their 73-win regular season and enter the playoffs seeking a championship repeat to cement their status as one of the greatest teams in league history. The Warriors are well aware that their regular season accomplishment will count for little if they can’t repeat as league champions. History is on the Warriors side, though. Of the 10 teams that won at least 67 regular season games, eight went on to win the title. The three teams that won at least 69 games all went on to win the title.
It’s a daunting task for the Rockets, who were ousted by the Warriors without much of a fight in last year’s conference final. Houston dropped all three regular season games to the Dubs this season, but hung close in a 114-110 loss on Dec. 31. Still, the Rockets don’t seem to have the defensive weapons to slow Golden State. A Houston TV station conducted a poll and 100 percent of respondents picked the Rockets to lose.
INJURIES
Both teams are relatively healthy entering the postseason. Unlike other teams who rested starters and key reserves down the stretch, the Warriors let it all hang out in their quest for 73 wins. Few players took time off, but they didn’t have to with so many big wins over the course of the regular season.
Houston needed to win its final three games while getting some help to qualify, and it did. Starters were playing big minutes down the stretch for the Rockets, but they accomplished their goal.
KEY MATCHUP
James Harden ended the regular season in impressive style. Now, he’ll try and carry that over to the postseason. Houston clinched a playoff berth with Wednesday’s win over Sacramento, a game in which Harden scored 38 points with four rebounds and four assists. It was his fourth straight game with 30 or more points. Harden became the fourth player in NBA history to average 29 points, seven assists and six rebounds per game in a single season, joining the likes of Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and LeBron James. Harden averaged 34.8 points for the month of April, leading the Rocket’s last-ditch push for a playoff berth. His counting stats are better than they were in 2014-15, when he finished second in the MVP voting. He won’t rank as high this year, but Harden has had a much better season than most realize.
QUICK PICK
Saturday’s series opener might be the best chance the Rockets have of getting a win in this series. Golden State exerted a lot of energy in the past few weeks chasing the 73-win mark and after Wednesday’s record-clinching victory over Memphis you could hear a collective sigh coming from Oracle Arena. Houston reached the West final last season as the No. 2 seed, but this isn’t the same team. The Rockets are the worst in terms of defensive efficiency of any playoff team and facing the Warriors isn’t a good matchup. Houston won’t be able to stop the Warriors and doesn’t have enough weapons to play jail-break basketball. Harden will do his best, he’s just overmatched – again.
NBA Odds: Golden State 118, Houston 106
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