CLICK HERE if you are having a problem viewing the photos on a mobile device OAKLAND — Kevon Looney certainly didn’t have the best game of his career, but Looney thought he turned in his most important performance in his four seasons as a Warrior on Wednesday night. Looney’s five points, nine rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block hardly compose a stat line that will catch your eye, but watch when some of those contributions happened, and you’ll see they’re just what the Warriors needed in their 104-99 Game 5 win over the Rockets that gave them a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference Semifinals. Looney, who tied his playoff high with 22 minutes played in Game 5, won’t compensate for the loss of Kevin Durant to a right calf strain, however long the Warriors’ best player is sidelined after he limped off late in the third quarter. Nor is Looney expected to. But going forward, starting with Friday night’s Game 6 in Houston, Looney can do his part, and then some, in keeping the Warriors three-peat hopes alive even with Durant sidelined if he plays like he did Wednesday night. “Kevon was the unsung hero tonight,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He was tremendous out there, made some huge plays for us.” Start at the front of Looney’s stat line, specifically his fourth and fifth points of the night. With 4:27 remaining in the game and the Warriors clinging to an 89-88 lead, Austin Rivers committed a shooting foul on Looney. A 61.9-percent foul shooter in 80 regular season games and 78.6-percent foul shooter in 10 playoff games, Looney calmly stepped to the line and sunk both foul shots to stretch the Warriors’ cushion to three points. Looney’s loudest contributions Wednesday night were his nine rebounds, five of which came of the offensive variety. The Rockets out-rebounded the Warriors by 20 in Game 3 and seven in Game 4, both Houston wins, but Looney’s two consecutive offensive rebounds late in the first quarter, the second of which led to a Durant driving slam, set the tone on the glass. Fast forward three quarters and Looney’s final rebound, an offensive board off a Stephen Curry missed 3-pointer, was the most important rebound of the game. Looney corralled Curry’s miss, and four seconds later Klay Thompson drained a 3-pointer to cap a 6-0 run and put the Warriors up eight with 2:34 left in the game. Thompson marched to the sideline, flexing and hollering and high-fiving a random fan, while Looney subtly jogged off having made the game-changing play possible. “In my young career, I’ve played in a lot of meaningful games up to this point so far playing for the Warriors,” Looney said. “This is a big game for me and I just wanted to make the plays with KD going down, even with Draymond fouling out. I just wanted to do what I’m supposed to do and try to help my team win.” Looney’s block was the Warriors’ only on the night, but yet again it came at a crucial junction. With the Warriors leading, 99-93, and 1:19 left in the fourth quarter, Chris Paul attacked Looney, who stuffed Paul’s layup attempt with his left hand. Looney, in a rare display of emotion, clapped his hands emphatically three times. 💪 K E V O N 💪 pic.twitter.com/PJgRizPDlN — Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 9, 2019 Now let’s move to Looney’s mere two assists, specifically his second, arguably the most important pass of the game. With 10 seconds remaining in the game and the Warriors leading by three, James Harden and Paul double-teamed Thompson on the sideline. Thompson threw the ball into the paint to a cutting Shaun Livingston, but Eric Gordon shielded Livingston, who fell over Gordon while a loose ball trickled to the corner. Looney, to no surprise in the perfect place at the perfect time, scooped the ball up and dumped it over a P.J. Tucker-Paul double team to a streaking Thompson, who finished a reverse layup to seal the game. “What Kevon did for us in the minutes down the stretch in the fourth quarter were huge,” Curry said. Even with Durant out, Looney’s minutes won’t increase drastically. He won’t score like Durant, nor will he sniff impacting a game as Durant does. But a timely pass, block, rebound or free throw, especially in a series in which no game has been decided by more than six points, could be the difference between the premature death of a dynasty and keeping the hopes of a three-peat alive. “He’s a really really smart basketball player. He understands the game innately. He’s in the right place at the right time,” Kerr said of Looney. “Took two shots all night, but had a huge impact on the game. Loon is not a 35-38 minute guy. Don’t expect that with Kevin out, but he’s going to play a big role.”<doc-sep>Watch Kevon Looney make five big fourth-quarter plays in Warriors' win originally appeared on nbcsportsbayarea.com Programming note: Watch the pregame edition of Warriors Outsiders on Friday afternoon at 4:30, streaming live on the MyTeams app. If you only looked at the box score of the Warriors' Game 5 win over the Rockets in their second-round NBA playoff series, you wouldn't necessarily say to yourself: "Oh wow, Kevon Looney had a huge game." But if you watched the game, you probably yelled: "Looney was unbelievable and there's no way the Warriors would have won without him." In 22 minutes and 22 seconds of action, the 23-year old registered five points, nine rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. "Kevon was the unsung hero tonight," Golden State head coach Steve Kerr told reporters after the game. "He was tremendous out there. He made some huge plays for us." Yes he did. And we need to highlight them, specifically five from the fourth quarter. First, he saved the Warriors two points: "Kevon Looney huge play in the 4th quarter No. 1" = he blows up a lob to Capela, forces the tie-up and then wins the jump ball pic.twitter.com/9rF0tA6Uuu — Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) May 9, 2019 Second, he prevented James Harden from getting an offensive rebound: "Kevon Looney made a huge play in the 4th quarter No. 2" = after he makes two clutch free throws, he forces Harden to pass to Capela and then comes away with the big rebound (DeMarcus Cousins was PUMPED) pic.twitter.com/xfjW6wr5jG — Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) May 9, 2019 Third, he outworked Harden, which led to the biggest shot of the game: Story continues "Kevon Looney made a huge play in the 4th quarter No. 3" = he gets the biggest offensive rebound of the game, leading to Klay Thompson's 3-pointer to give the Warriors an 8-point lead pic.twitter.com/FqTLaF7Z5H — Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) May 9, 2019 Fourth, he saved the Warriors two points again: "Kevon Looney made a huge play in the 4th quarter No. 4" = he helps from the weakside and saves two points by blocking Chris Paul's layup pic.twitter.com/8LSqnFwogb — Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) May 9, 2019 And fifth, he saved the day: "Kevon Looney made a huge play in the 4th quarter No. 5" = he helps the Warriors avoid disaster by securing the loose ball before it went out of bounds and gets the assist on Klay's game-sealing layup pic.twitter.com/n8zmBjtMXj — Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) May 9, 2019 [RELATED: How injured Cousins helped Dubs beat Rockets without Durant] "He's a really, really smart basketball player," Kerr added. "He just understands the game innately ... he's in the right place at the right time." Follow @DrewShiller on Twitter and Instagram<doc-sep>Klay Thompson subscribes. You can too for just 11 cents a day for 11 months + receive a free Warriors Championship book. Sign me up! OAKLAND – The Warriors mostly center on Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Igudoala. Therefore, the Warriors only expect Kevon Looney to check off specific needs. Play with energy. Grab rebounds. Convert on putbacks. Set good screens. All of the little plays that make a big difference. Looney has fulfilled that job description for most of the past two seasons. Though Looney described his post-season play against the Houston Rockets as “solid,” he admitted he needs to do more when the Warriors play the Rockets in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday at Oracle Arena. “I can rebound better and get all the 50-50 balls,” Looney said after morning shootaround on Wednesday. “I think I can do a better job of that. Talk more on the weakside. I feel like I have to talk more, let Draymond, KD, Andre and the guys know let them know you have their back.” Granted, the Warriors’ success has rested more on Durant’s productivity and Green’s defense, while their struggles have centered on James Harden’s dominance as well as Curry and Thompson shooting poorly. Yet, Warriors coach Steve Kerr have increasingly relied on Curry, Thompson, Durant, Green and Igudoala for reasons beyond their talent and experience. The Warriors have limited bench options. Looney represents one of the few exceptions. Through four games against Houston, though, Looney has struggled to offer the same level of consistency he showed in the regular season and the Warriors’ first-round matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers. Looney has averaged fewer points (4.3) than he did against the Clippers (7.3) and in the regular season (6.3). He has averaged fewer rebounds (2.8) against Houston as he did against the Clippers (4.5) and in the regular season (5.2). Granted, Looney has logged fewer minutes against the Rockets (16.8) than against the Clippers (18) and in the regular season (18.5). Yet, Looney remains aware of the need to become for the bench to become more reliable. That starts with him. “Our job as a bench is to make those plays, all the effort and 50-50 plays,” Looney said. Those 50-50 plays start on the boards. The Warriors outrebounded the Rockets in their wins in Game 1 (38-26, 8-3 offensively) and Game 2 (45-41, 18-10 offensively). Then, the Rockets flipped the outcomes by outrebounding the Warriors both in Game 3 (55-35, 17-7 offensively) and Game 4 (50-43, 13-8). Looney’s presence could help the Warriors change those numbers in Game 3 and Game 4. How he does that, though, involves a different strategy against the Rockets. The reason: Houston averages a league-leading 43.3 3’s during the postseason. By doing that, Houston often features small-ball lineups that maximizes floor spacing and long rebounds. “As a big, it’s tough to get those. Also as a big, you’re switched out onto the guards a little bit more,” Looney said. “We’re in different positions. So some of the long rebounds, I’m used to walking in and going to the ball. It’s something you have to learn. For the guards, they’re underneath the basket dealing with [Clint] Capela or P.J. Tucker, it can be tough sometimes. As a big, we have to come and help them out.” Looney has also helped out with defending Harden, Chris Paul, Austin Rivers and Iman Shumpert with mixed results. Harden’s efficiency has varied in Game 1 (9-of-28), Game 2 (9-of-19), Game 3 (14-of-32) and Game 4 (13-of-29). Same with Paul in Game 1 (5-of-9), Game 2 (6-of-14), Game 3 (4-of-8) and Game 4 (4-of-11). In fairness, the Warriors can’t do much to stop Harden or Paul. What about the Rockets’ reserves, though? After missing Game 1 with a stomach virus and flu, Rivers played productively in Game 2 (14 points), Game 3 (eight) and Game 4 (10). After shooting a combined 1-of-8 in Games 1 and 2, Iman Shumpert had 10 points in Game 3 and five points in Game 4. “It’s our job as bench players to match their intensity for the other team,” Looney said. “The first couple of games, I think we can took them out of the game. I think they got loose the last two games. It’s our job to make it tough on those guys.” Instead of making things tough on the Rockets, the Warriors have struggled with foul trouble. Curry (4.5 fouls), Thompson (3.5) and Durant (3.0) have all heard the whistles frequently. So has Looney, who collected four fouls in Game 2 and Game 3. “We need those guys out on the floor,” Looney said of the Warriors’ scorers. “We can’t really let those guys be fouling like that. It’s my job and the other bench guys to get the fouls.” Perhaps Looney fulfills all of those responsibilities in Game 5. After all, the Warriors became appreciative for Looney doing that for most of the season. WARRIORS HQ PODCAST: Be sure to visit our podcast page at mercurynews.com. You can also get notified of new episodes on iTunes, Google Play Music, Spotify, Stitcher and SoundCloud. * * * Follow Bay Area News Group Warriors beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.<doc-sep>The Golden State Warriors head into Game 5 of their Western Conference Semifinal series against the Houston Rockets having yet to put together a full 48 minutes worthy of their endless potential. Big man Kevon Looney isn’t rattled, despite losing the past two games at the Toyota Center, noting there is another level his team can hit: “The good news is, we haven’t played our best game yet,” said Looney, according to Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle. “We know we can play better, and it’s tied 2-2.” The Warriors have enjoyed great scoring nights from Kevin Durant along with excellent play from Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, but their star backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson has yet to get it clicking. With two beasts of this caliber still dormant, there is reason to believe it won’t be long before they wake up with a big game, which could turn the tide of the series in the Warriors’ favor. Looney, who played a pivotal part in the Warriors’ first-round series against the LA Clippers, has been okay at best, totaling 17 points through four games against the Rockets. Just like they will need collective big nights from Curry and Thompson to top the Rockets, the Warriors could very well use a better effort from Looney, now that the bench has looked depleted in the last two games. The Warriors currently have the home-court advantage, and a Game 5 win would put the Rockets on the brink of elimination.<doc-sep>
Why Kevon Looney believes in Warriors' bench vs. Rockets in Game 5 originally appeared on nbcsportsbayarea.com OAKLAND - Throughout the postseason, the Warriors have had trouble getting production out of their bench. The trend has extended to the Western Conference Semifinals against the Rockets, as the Warriors have remained at the bottom of league standings in bench scoring. As the series shifts to Oakland tied 2-2, Kevon Looney hopes that he and the rest of the bench will give a better showing in Game 5. "As a bench, we have to come in and find the openings," Looney said. "They switch a lot so it takes away our splits. We just have to push the pace and do all the effort plays. I think the first two games we attacked the offensive glass, got a lot of offensive rebounds and made all the extra plays." Over the last two seasons, the Warriors have been among the bottom of the league standings in bench scoring. This season, they averaged just 29.4 points per game, ranking 29th in the league. In the playoffs, Golden State has been worse, getting just 22 points from their bench. "It's our job as bench players to match their intensity for the other team," Looney added. "The first couple of games, I think we took them out of the game. I think they got loose the last two games. It's our job to make it tough on those guys." Last season, Looney, with his ability to guard multiple positions, was a key contributor against the Rockets in the Western Conference Finals, effectively guarding James Harden and Chris Paul. Entering this year's series, a repeat performance was expected. However, it hasn't happened as foul trouble has hindered Looney throughout the series. "I think I've been playing solid," Looney said. "I can be better, I think I can rebound better and get all of those 50/50 balls. I think I can do a better job of that. Talk more on the weak side. I feel like I have to talk more." Story continues [RELATED: Warriors must solve their PJ Tucker problem] Still, Looney believes that he and the rest of the bench's performance will improve heading into Game 5 Wednesday night. "The good news is we haven't played our best game yet," Looney said. "We feel like we can play better and we still are tied 2-2. Both teams defended homecourt and we know what it takes to win the game and the goal is to execute."