All the good, bad, and STEPH BACKs of the Golden State Warriors’ 118-113 victory over the Houston Rockets in Game 6 on Friday to close out their second-round series, 4-2. Winner: The Splash Brothers The Kevin Durant–size void loomed large over Game 6, and for a little more than two quarters, Stephen Curry didn’t do much to fill it. After Durant suffered a calf strain in Game 5 that will keep him out at least a week, there was a belief that we would see the Warriors of old, with Curry leading the charge, peacocking and pulling up from 30 feet and clowning the opponent on his way to a signature win. As if the longing for nostalgia weren’t real enough, Andrew Bogut started at center too. Related The Three Biggest Offseason Questions Facing the Houston Rockets But Curry was cold. And not in that ice-in-his-veins type of cold, but rather in a way that looked like it was going to cost Golden State the game, maybe the series. In the first half, Curry picked up three fouls, played only 12 minutes, took five shots—and missed them all—and scored zero points for the first time in his playoff career. And yet Houston could do nothing but keep the game tied at halftime. That was, in large part, because Klay Thompson was the fire to Curry’s ice. There’s something about Thompson and Game 6s. In the 2016 Western Conference finals against Oklahoma City, he put up 41 points; two years later, against Houston, he had 35. In the first half on Friday, Thompson scored 21 points, made five 3s, and drilled eight of his 15 field goals. In the regular season, there were 23 times when Thompson took 15 shots or fewer in the entire game. Usually when Thompson catches fire, the Warriors look like an unstoppable force, but in this context, he was more of a lifesaver. And yet, just when it looked like the story of the night was going to be that Curry disappeared and Thompson’s valiant efforts were simply not enough to close out Houston, the two forefathers of this Warriors dynasty didn’t let that happen. Curry scored his first bucket with just under 10 minutes in the third quarter. Slowly but surely, he began to warm up, and suddenly he was cooking. The 3s started going in—not just open 3s, but contested and off-balance ones too. Every shot Curry took in the paint in the second half went in, and he missed only four field goal attempts after halftime. In the end, he finished with 33 points—23 in the fourth quarter alone. ☔️ @StephenCurry30 goes off for 33 PTS in the 2nd half, leading the @warriors past Houston and into the Western Conference Finals! #StrengthInNumbers #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/1A26pJfLEk — NBA (@NBA) May 11, 2019 Thompson wasn’t done, either. The Warriors were up three with 36 seconds left and Curry was trapped on the right side of the court. He bounced the ball to an open Draymond Green, who drove and dished to Andre Iguodala, who slid the ball over to Thompson. Thompson’s 28-footer splashed in and sealed the game. The ball had found its way from one Splash Brother to the other Splash Brother, pinging through the glue guys who helped spur the franchise’s first title in between. The play was old-school Warriors to a tee. When the buzzer sounded, both Thompson and Curry had combined for 60 of the Warriors’ 118 points. The peacocking that we expected ensued. Loser: Chris Paul Let it be said that with the series on the line, during a game in which the Rockets didn’t just need to win, but should have won, Chris Paul showed up. He was his pesky self—looking for contact on nearly every play, and creating it when he needed to—and hit fadeaway midrange jumpers like he was back in his prime. Paul scored 27 points, dished six assists, made three 3s, and grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds. (That the Rockets’ starting point guard had such a high rebounding total is an indictment of their center Clint Capela, but it’s at least a moral victory for the 6-foot Paul.) In the third quarter, Paul carved up the narrative around his postseason by forcing his way through the Golden State defense with deceptive dribbling and then, at the last possible moment, flipping two picture-perfect lobs to Capela for dunks. But the basketball gods wouldn’t let Paul have his night. He made three of his five shots in the fourth quarter, and he grabbed more rebounds and looked like he was trying to will the Rockets to victory. But Houston couldn’t get a stop, and Paul couldn’t do anything in the face of the onslaught from Curry. “They just outplayed us,” Paul told reporters postgame. “They played smarter than us and made the big plays, and we didn’t.” It was a succinct and accurate summary of the night, but it doesn’t necessarily describe Paul’s own performance. Either way, yet another chance to finally break into the NBA Finals had escaped him. Paul is 34 years old; we’ll see if this was his last, best chance to finally change the conversation about his playoff career. Loser: James Harden We have to start here: Harden scored 35 points on 25 shots, hit six 3s, grabbed eight rebounds, added five assists, even swiped four steals. It was, by all accounts, a good Harden game. But he also missed five free throws. And the Rockets, you may have noticed, lost by five points. Harden was an 88 percent free throw shooter during the regular season, and in the playoffs, he didn’t have a game in which he missed more than two free throws. Until Game 6. I don’t subscribe to the notion that a moment can be too big for a professional athlete, or believe in a “clutch gene,” but Harden isn’t helping the argument to prove otherwise. With 2:24 left in the game, and with the Rockets having just cut the Warriors’ lead to two points, Harden had the ball and a chance to get the lead back—but he stuck out his right forearm and sent Draymond Green flying. The turnover led to a Curry layup on the ensuing possession. Paul answered with a layup of his own, then Curry hit a 3 that hushed the crowd. Harden responded by doing this: James Harden had one of the worst inbound passes ever considering the moment. pic.twitter.com/qUvxUHnEFB — Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) May 11, 2019 Indefensible doesn’t begin to describe it. Harden has carried the Rockets this season; with Houston performing more like a lottery team early in the season, Harden did everything to will them back into contention, most notably scoring at least 30 points 32 times in row. But that he effectively threw this game away drips with irony. Fair or not, yet another playoff flameout will open up the reigning MVP, and perhaps the Rockets’ entire offensive system, to a heavy dose of second-guessing. Winner: Andre Iguodala and the Warriors Bench The Rockets’ game plan was supposed to get easier with Durant out. The talent imbalance had evened out, and they could send more defenders at Curry and Thompson and force role players like Iguodala to beat them. The 34-year-old was given enough space and time to bake a cake before pulling up for 3. But Iguodala hit one 3 in the first quarter. He hit another in the second. Two in the third. And a crucial one in the fourth. By the end, he had made five triples in eight attempts. The last time he’d had at least that many in a game was 2013, his first season with the Warriors. Iguodala’s most important task on the floor has always been defense, especially so in this series, as he has been matched up with Harden most of the time. But he’s more than held his own on offense in the playoffs—11.8 points per game, six more than in the regular season. And yet Iguodala wasn’t the Warriors’ most unlikely source of offense.<doc-sep>HOUSTON — The Rockets had taken a seven-point lead against the Golden State Warriors early in the fourth quarter, their largest lead in Game 6 of the West semifinals on Friday night. The Rockets seemed on the verge of busting this one wide open. Momentum was one-sided, the visiting team was without its best player and all the fans gathered inside the Toyota Center were eagerly awaiting a couple more triumphant stops and baskets before erupting into pandemonium. Rockets point guard Chris Paul (27 points, 11 boards, six assists) was having his best game of the postseason, serving as a potent one-two offensive punch in the backcourt with James Harden (35 points, eight boards, five assists). Stephen Curry was all business in the second half against the Rockets in Game 6 on Friday night. (Getty Images) It seemed like a Game 7 at Oracle Arena was inevitable on Sunday. Kevin Durant, who was watching the game at his San Francisco home with his business manager, Rich Kleiman, and close friend Randy Williams, received a text at the very moment in which the Rockets were seizing control. The message pertained to the preparation for Game 7 and what it would entail, and without hesitation, Durant promptly responded: “We’re winning this game!” About 25 minutes later, an amped up and elated DeMarcus Cousins walked to the locker room and shouted, “I know this sh-- hurts [the Rockets]!” In what will be viewed as perhaps one of the biggest chokes in NBA playoff history, the Rockets were eliminated in six games, 118-113, failing at home to extend the series against a Warriors team without Durant (calf injury) and Cousins (quad injury), and with Stephen Curry totaling zero first-half points for the first time in his playoff career only to explode for 33 in the final two quarters. “That was the best 18 minutes of my career,” Curry told Yahoo Sports. For the fifth consecutive season, the Warriors advanced to the Western Conference finals, and now they await the Denver Nuggets or the Portland Trail Blazers, who face off on Sunday. Story continues “That was a fun game,” Klay Thompson told Yahoo Sports. “That sh-- was hard.” Houston, for the last four seasons, has been fixated on trying to prevent the Warriors from representing the West in the NBA Finals, which made the victory all that much sweeter for the Warriors. “I think we’re happier we beat Houston than the times we beat Cleveland,” one Warriors staffer told Yahoo Sports. Through multiple trades and free-agent acquisitions, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey pursued versatile defenders in order to switch everything on defense, and utilized Mike D’Antoni’s offensive system of hoisting 3-pointers and converting layups and dunks to combat a Warriors core roster that was largely assembled via the draft. From the GM to the players, the Rockets openly confessed to desperately wanting this matchup, and at times, claimed to be the better team. While celebrating with his teammates in the locker room, Warriors star Draymond Green sounded off. “It can’t be bought,” Green said of the Rockets’ team-building methods. With Curry saddled with three fouls in the first half, it was Thompson who carried the team offensively. He poured in 21 of his 27 points before the half, which ended 57-57. “Klay kept us afloat in the first half with the way he played with his 21 and just hitting some big shots to kill their momentum,” Curry said. “I was in foul trouble, obviously, and couldn’t really get a feel or become assertive. Just worrying about that and at halftime we’re tied, and I had zero points. You’ve got to like that situation.” There are no more excuses left for the Rockets. They had two golden opportunities to accomplish their goal after Durant suffered his right calf strain in the fourth quarter of Game 5, which the Warriors went on to win. The crowd was stunned on Friday, when the Rockets faltered once again. Players exited the court with bewildered expressions. These are the type of losses that are permanently glued to the legacies of superstars. The way in which Houston made an uproar of how officiating cost them a trip to the Finals last season only magnifies this debacle. “We let a lot of opportunities slip away,” Harden said. “Opportunities in the last game, opportunities in Game 1 and 2. If you don’t take advantage of the opportunities, you end up on the losing side. ” Warriors coach Steve Kerr elected to go with the starting lineup of the 2015 championship team: Curry, Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Green and Andrew Bogut. Green said there wasn’t enough time in between games for the Rockets to prepare for an altered lineup. “This is not what they schemed for all these years,” he told Yahoo Sports. The Warriors and Rockets were the bottom two teams in bench scoring during the regular season. For Golden State, lack of depth, wear and tear, and age have been noted as reasons for a possible postseason failure. But in Game 6, reserves Kevon Looney (14 points, five rebounds) and Shaun Livingston (11 points) stepped up on the road to help outscore the Rockets’ bench, 36-17. “[I’m] shocked,” Rockets reserve Gerald Green said. “I don’t think anybody in this locker room thought today was going to be our last game this season. So, [I’m] just a little bit disappointed.” Iguodala scored 17 points and knocked down five massive 3-pointers. With Durant sidelined, the Rockets chose to double Curry on the pick-and-roll, and Green served as a release valve, with Iguodala finding himself open. Being surrounded by All-Stars, Iguodala can be passive at times, but these were shots he said he had to shoot. “First off, we’re a better team with KD. When we have our full roster, I don’t need to shoot as much,” Iguodala told Yahoo Sports. “When we got three motherf---ers who can go off for 40 or 50 at any time, I’m not going to be taking shots away from them. If I’m open, we can probably get a better shot if I swing it. But when KD’s not with us, I have to take those shots because they’re doubling Steph, and I have to try to make the defense pay. That’s just being smart. I’m not going to take shots away from those motherf---ers. I know what I can do out there. I still have confidence in my abilities.” In the closing minutes of the game, members of the Warriors’ training staff and video coordinators were inside the locker room. Outside the locker-room door all you could heard was deafening cheering and individuals banging objects with each Warriors basket. But when the final buzzer sounded, Nick Kerr — the assistant video coordinator and son of Steve Kerr — screamed: “We’re F---ing Giants!” “I’m not going to sit here and sugarcoat it like, ‘Oh no, you’re use to this,’” Green said. “Like yeah, we’re used to winning, but this one felt amazing.” More from Yahoo Sports:<doc-sep>LeBron James may have lost three times to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, but he doesn't hold any grudges. After the Warriors pulled off a shocking 118-113 upset over the Houston Rockets in Game 6 -- eliminating the Rockets from the playoffs in the process -- James made sure to compliment and congratulate the defending NBA champions in a tweet immediately after their victory. The Warriors were able to eliminate the Rockets for the second straight year from the postseason -- and fourth time in the past five seasons -- despite the absence of Kevin Durant, who continues to be sidelined due to a right calf strain injury. Making matters even more impressive, other than the fact that they eliminated the Rockets for the second straight postseason at Toyota Center, is that Stephen Curry didn't even score any points in the first half. He went 0-for-5 from the field and 0-of-2 from 3-point range before erupting for 33 points in the second half on 9-of-15 from the field and 4-of-9 from 3-point range. James knows what it's like to face the Warriors -- and be repeatedly eliminated by them -- in the postseason. While James was victorious in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he also lost to the Warriors in 2015, 2017 and 2018 before finally bolting the Cavaliers for the Los Angeles Lakers last summer. Considering Durant may be out for a prolonged period of time -- he could be out until Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals -- it was an absolutely positive sign to see the bench contribute in a major way and pick up the slack for the Warriors in Durant's absence. In an absolute throwback to the pre-Durant era, Shaun Livingston scored 11 points off the bench while Andre Iguodala contributed 17 points in a starting role. With the Warriors potentially facing either the Denver Nuggets or the Portland Trail Blazers without Durant for the first several games, they'll absolutely need contributions from their role players in order to defend their title. As LeBron says -- don't underestimate the heart of a champion.<doc-sep>
The Golden State Warriors beat the Houston Rockets in Game 6 on Friday to advance in the playoffs. Stephen Curry was the hero, as he scored 33 points in the second half, including some clutch shots, after going scoreless in the first half. The NBA world was stunned by Curry's explosion, as he came through in a huge moment for the short-handed Warriors. Visit Business Insider's home page for more stories. Stephen Curry pulled off one of the greatest fears of his career on Friday, scoring 33 points in the second half of Game 6 to help the Golden State Warriors eliminate the Houston Rockets. Curry was held scoreless in the first half, continuing what had been a nightmare series for him in which he struggled through cold shooting and foul troubles. But in a tight second half, Curry came through when his team needed him the most. With Kevin Durant sidelined with a calf injury for at least the next week, Curry and the Warriors reverted back to their 2014-2016 style of basketball to overcome the Rockets. The Warriors went small, moved the ball, found the open man, then hounded the Rockets on defense, holding them to just seven points from the six-minute mark in the fourth quarter until there were 30 seconds remaining (the Rockets scored some late baskets with the game out of hand). Curry helped deliver several big shots during that time frame. Despite an aching left hand, he managed to drive left to the hoop and score on a crafty finish. Moments later, he hit a vintage Curry step-back with P.J. Tucker draped all over him. Then, Klay Thompson hit the dagger three-pointer off a textbook ball movement from the Warriors when the Rockets trapped their pick-and-roll. There was no shortage of praise for Curry and the Warriors after the game. ESPN's Tim Legler said he was "speechless" watching Curry score 33 points in the second half. ESPN's Jeff Van Gundy said he was "astounded" that the Warriors pulled off the win, on the road, without Durant. Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni, while saying the loss would take a long time to get over, said he expected Curry to score some points in the second half, but "I didn't expect 33," he said. The rest of the NBA world sang Curry and the Warriors' praises, too. There was even a "Game of Thrones" crossover: The Athletic's Tim Kawakami ranked the win as the second-best of the Warriors' championship era. In what might have been the worst playoff series of Curry's career, he still ended up the hero. The Warriors will play the winner of the Denver Nuggets-Portland Trail Blazers series in the Western Conference Finals.