Andrew Bogut was there for the Golden State Warriors’ ongoing dynasty from the very beginning. His effectiveness as a screener, passer, and lob finisher was integral to the offensive system Steve Kerr implemented during the coach’s first year on the job, and his rim-protection and keen understanding of help defense made him one of the Warriors’ most valuable defenders even after the team began more fully embracing its small-ball ethos. But Bogut left Golden State after the 2016 season, clearing the way for his former team to sign Kevin Durant, a move that many still believe robbed the league of anything close to competitive balance. Don’t tell that to Bogut, though. After the Warriors beat the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on Friday night without Durant, sending James Harden and company home for the fourth consecutive season, the veteran big man called his team’s victory “the best” he’s had with Golden State. “This is the best win I’ve been a part of as a Golden State Warrior,” Bogut said, per The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss. “Obviously, we won a championship, but as far as a one-game win, this one was from start to finish amazing, especially after the emotional low of losing Kevin for God knows how long. And to come in here, in a hostile environment, with a team that’s spoken about building their roster to beat us for the past couple years, it was amazing. It was just so hard.” Bogut, who started Game 6 but was only on the floor for a brief stint to open each half, was signed by the Warriors in early March after spending the majority of this season playing in his native Australia. He started at center for Golden State from 2012-13 to 2015-16, helping the Warriors to a championship in 2015 before suffering an injury that kept him out of Game 7 of the 2016 Finals. Needless to say, Bogut knows a thing or two about Golden State’s dynasty. A second-round win may not seem like much on the surface, but considering the circumstances, indeed ranks as one of the most impressive victories of the Kerr era.<doc-sep>Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta didn't mince words after watching his team fail to hold down their home floor Friday in a Game 6 loss to the Golden State Warriors that bounced them from the postseason. "They came to our home court and they kicked our ass and that's just the way it is. They outscored us by 10 points in the fourth quarter. They won. They're the champions, and we lost," Fertitta said, according to Fox 26 Houston's Marc Berman. "Hell yes it's more painful," he said when asked if the loss hurt more because it happened at Toyota Center. "This was not fun. I guarantee you James (Harden) and Chris (Paul) and our team is very upset right now. They kicked our ass on our homecourt. They beat us by 10 points in the fourth quarter. It's unacceptable. We just have to be better. I know that we're going to rise to the occasion and our time is going to come." Kevin Durant wasn't in uniform for the two-time reigning champion Warriors due to a strained right calf he suffered in Game 5. DeMarcus Cousins was still sidelined with a torn left quad, and two-time Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry didn't register a point in the first half before lighting up Houston over the final two quarters for 33 points. Despite the demoralizing loss, Fertitta insisted that we haven't seen the last of Harden and the Rockets in the championship picture. "James is 30 years old. Michael (Jordan) didn't win his first championship until 30. Hakeem (Olajuwon) didn't win his first championship until 30," he added. "I can promise you we're going to win some championships with James Harden. We're not going to sit here, we will go to battle every year, we're going to have a strong offseason, and we're going to do whatever we can do to be a better team. We're not going to sit on our hands, we can promise you that." For clarification, Jordan was actually 28 when he won his first NBA title with the Chicago Bulls in 1991. However, he was 35 when he secured his sixth Larry O'Brien in 1998, so Fertitta's point about Harden having plenty of time to win championships still stands.<doc-sep>Written off for dead after losing Kevin Durant to a strained calf, the Golden State Warriors went into Toyota Center on Friday and eliminated the Houston Rockets from the playoffs with a 118-113 Game 6 victory. The reigning two-time NBA champions were the talk of the Twittersphere following their massive win, with a number of current and former players from around the Association chiming in on their performance. LeBron James, who fell to the Warriors as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers in three of the last four years, was among those who showed respect to Golden State shortly after the final buzzer: NEVER underestimate the heart of a Champion‼️‼️ — LeBron James (@KingJames) May 11, 2019 Durant - who will have his calf injury re-evaluated in one week - didn't make the trip to Houston, but the All-Star forward still caught the action back in the Bay Area and celebrated the Warriors' advance to yet another Western Conference final: Y’all better stop disrespecting @StephenCurry30 just because he’s a team first guy and is willing to sacrifice in moments doesn’t mean he’s not still a beast. — DWade (@DwyaneWade) May 11, 2019 Wow..... — Chris Bosh (@chrisbosh) May 11, 2019 Steph Curry is not only one of the greatest shooters we’ve ever seen, he is one of the greatest clutch players the game has ever seen. 33 points in the second half to lead his Warriors over the Houston Rockets...Incredible! — Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 11, 2019 We’ve seen some phenomenal comebacks on Houston’s floor this year with @Beyonce on the court... — Spencer Dinwiddie (@SDinwiddie_25) May 11, 2019 Wow well!!!!! — Bismack Biyombo (@bismackbiyombo) May 11, 2019 Salute to the Warriors! No KD on the Road! Steph scoreless at the half! And they still find a way to win! Heart of a champion! I was wrong! — Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) May 11, 2019 Houston lost this Series in Game 5! — Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) May 11, 2019 I'VE SCREAMED THIS ALL WEEK STEPH IS A MEGASTAR BECAUSE HE'S COMFORTABLE IN HIS OWN SKIN AND WILLING TO DEFER TO KD‼️ DEFERRING DORSNT MEAN YOU DONT HAVE IT IT MEANS YOU PLACE TEAM OVER SELF pic.twitter.com/ny2p3nQPjt — Ryan Hollins (@TheRyanHollins) May 11, 2019 The Warriors have not one but 2 MVP’s in there prime.. When one went down @StephenCurry30 stepped up . #hampton5 is a real problem. Can they be beat?? — Caron Butler (@realtuffjuice) May 11, 2019 I feel bad for James harden. D’antoni doesn’t run anything to get him anything easy. And the new cp3 is hard to watch. — Dahntay (@dahntay1) May 11, 2019<doc-sep>Warriors star Stephen Curry knew there had been plenty of conversations about his lackluster showing in Golden State's second-round series against the Rockets. Heading into a pivotal Game 6 on Friday night without Kevin Durant, the lights were shining even brighter than usual on Curry's No. 30 jersey. Despite shooting only 39.4 percent from the field and 26.3 percent from 3-point range against Houston prior to Game 6, Curry's confidence never wavered. He certainly took his time, but Curry delivered the knockout blow when the Warriors needed their two-time MVP to show up. MORE: Chris Paul kicked Curry off practice court before Game 6 "I've heard a lot of noise this series, for sure," Curry said after the Warriors won in Houston, eliminating the Rockets and advancing to the Western Conference finals. "I'll just leave it at that. Whether it's positive, negative, whatever the case is, I know what I'm capable of. "It's bigger than me, so I just, I don't get caught up in that. I don't need any extra motivation." Curry's line in the box score doesn't jump out with 50-plus points or a triple-double, but his playoff performance against the Rockets was one of the finest of his career. Here are four stats to explain why... Zero Yeah... this didn't start well. Curry was held scoreless in the first half for the first time since 2012, shooting 0-of-5 from the field in just 12 minutes. He got intro foul trouble early, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr had to throw in little-used point guard Quinn Cook, much to Curry's chagrin. Steph speaks on Steve Kerr's decision to take him out of the game after getting two fouls and how Kerr always "keeps it real." #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Av0Ror7LZ1 — NBA TV (@NBATV) May 11, 2019 Give credit to fellow "Splash Brother" Klay Thompson, who kept Golden State alive with 11 points after Curry's third foul and 21 points overall in the first half. That set the stage for Curry to find his form late in the game. 33 What a difference a short trip to the locker room can make. Curry came out blazing in the final two quarters, scoring 33 points in a variety of ways. Game 6 stats First half Second half Points 0 33 Field goals 0-5 9-15 3-point field goals 0-2 4-9 Free throws 0-0 11-11 Curry scored more than 50 percent of the Warriors' second-half total (61) and launched nine more shots than any other Golden State player (Andre Iguodala, 3-of-6). 23 The fourth quarter turned into Curry's personal playground with the six-time All-Star dropping 23 points on the Rockets in the final frame. Curry went 6-of-8 from the field, 3-of-5 from the 3-point line and a perfect 8-of-8 at the free-throw line. He accounted for more than 60 percent of the Warriors' points in the period (36) and nearly outscored the Rockets by himself (26). Over the last 20 postseasons, Curry's 23-point fourth quarter is second only to Allen Iverson, who scored 26 points in the fourth back in 2001 against the Bucks. Stephen Curry scored all 33 of his points in the second half, including 23 in the fourth quarter, both playoff career highs. — Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) May 11, 2019 16 This might be the most impressive number from Curry's big night. Over the course of the final five minutes of Game 6, Curry scored 16 points — and so did the Rockets as a team. Final five minutes Curry Rockets Points 16 16 Field goals 3-4 6-13 3-point field goals 2-3 4-8 Free throws 8-8 0-0 Any noise left? Any chatter about Curry not coming through in the clutch? Didn't think so.<doc-sep>
Stephen Curry (33 points in the second half) and Klay Thompson (27 points) set the tone for the Warriors as they earned a hard-fought road win to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the fifth-straight year. For the second consecutive season and the fourth time in five years, the Golden State Warriors have eliminated the Houston Rockets from the NBA Playoffs. Thanks to the shooting of Klay Thompson (7-13 3FG) and a big second half from Stephen Curry (33 points), the Warriors earned a five-point Game 6 win to advance to the Western Conference Finals for a fifth consecutive year. Golden State now awaits the winner of Game 7 between the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers Here are some takeaways from the Warriors' series-clinching win. Curry heats up in the clutch Steph Curry stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park in Game 5 when Kevin Durant went down. Many expected him to continue and carry that form over into Game 6 in Houston, but the two-time MVP came out of the gate cold. Foul trouble in the first half along with tough Houston defence saw Curry enter the main break with zero points to his name. But it was a tale of two halves as Curry came out scorching in the second half, mainly in the fourth quarter when the game was up for grabs. Curry got his game going with a few layups and floaters and then proceeded to hit dagger after dagger, dropping 23 points in the quarter. Curry ended the game with 33 points on 9-for-20 shooting, going 4-for-11 from three and knocking down a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line. With all of his points coming in the second half, he set a new postseason career-high point for points in the second half. With a banged-up left hand, Curry showed he can light up in the blink of an eye and steal a key win even when he's had an incredibly rough start. Game 6 Klay In Game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference Finals, Klay Thompson sank an NBA-record 11 3-pointers. In Game 6 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals, Klay Thompson sank nine 3-pointers. In Game 6 of this year's Western Conference Semis, Thompson sank seven of his 13 3-point attempts - including a late-game dagger - to finish with 27 points. big time bucket 💦 pic.twitter.com/yaWkGiw2RL - Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 11, 2019 Thompson set the tone early on, scoring 21 points in the first half after shooting 5-for-9 from beyond the arc. His first-half performance was especially important considering Stephen Curry was held scoreless and the rest of the team shot 2-for-9 from beyond the arc With Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins sidelined and Curry having an uncharacteristically poor night, Thompson did exactly what was needed to keep Golden State in the game as it entered the half knotted up at 57. Had it not been for Thompson's first-half exploits, the Warriors deficit might have been far too large to overcome. Often the forgotten one, it's moments like these where we're reminded just how good - and valuable - Thompson is to this team. It just so happens to occur in Game 6s. Fouls, fouls, fouls Everything was on the line in a gruelling Game 6 battle and both teams threw everything they had at one another. The hot action, however, was met with plenty of whistles with big names players on both sides finding themselves in foul trouble. Steph Curry picked up an early two fouls in the opening quarter and found his way to the bench while Draymond Green picked up his fourth midway through the third. For the Rockets it was big man Clint Capela who struggled with foul trouble as he picked up his fourth in the third. A total of 30 fouls were called throughout the contest as the two teams continued to trade barbs. As the Warriors enter the Western Conference Finals with the injured Kevin Durant's status remaining uncertain, this team must look to limit its fouling because the rotation has become limited.