Rockets vs. Warriors shifts to Golden State for Game 3
Golden State returns to Oracle Arena, where they have won an NBA record-tying 15 straight home playoff games.
The Golden State Warriors captured one of the first two games of the Western Conference Finals on the road, and now return home to host the Houston Rockets in Game 3 on Sunday night in Oakland (8 p.m. TNT).
The Warriors have been near unbeatable at home in the postseason, 6-0 this year with an average margin of victory of 13 points. Golden State is 15-0 in the playoffs in the last two seasons combined, tied with the 1990-91 Chicago Bulls for the most consecutive home postseason wins in NBA history.
Houston was 31-10 on the road during the regular season, the sixth-most road wins in NBA history, including a win in their only trip to Golden State this season, a 122-121 victory on opening night in October.
Kevin Durant led all scorers with 38 points in Game 2 on Thursday after a 37-point performance in Game 1. He is averaging 29.6 points per game this year in the playoffs. In four games against the Rockets this season, including this series, Durant is 12-for-24 on three-pointers.
But despite Durant’s brilliance in Game 2, the Rockets won going away, a 22-point win to even the series.
“I think we’re at our best when we feel threatened,” Golden State forward Dryamond Green told the Associated Press on Saturday. “Game 1 we felt threatened, we came out with a sense of urgency. Game 2 we maybe didn’t feel as threatened and the sense of urgency wasn’t there. I think you’re allowed one of those a series. We’ve had our one, now it’s time to lock in for the remainder of the series.”
Golden State, who was 16-1 in the playoffs last year en route to their second NBA championship in three seasons, has lost three times during this postseason, once in each round. They responded to defeats in the first two rounds with wins in the next game, by a total of 34 points.
Warriors vs. Rockets Game 3 info
Location: Oracle Arena, Oakland, Calif.
Game time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
Announcers: Marv Albert, Chris Webber, Reggie Miller, David Aldridge, Kristen Ledlow
Online streaming: Watch TNT