The Rockets end their 4 game losing streak and the Warriors extended their losing streak to 4. There's a lot to be frustrated about on this day after a frustrating 111-101 loss. But Ekpe Udoh reminds us that there is a lot to be thankful for, having Jeremy Lin around, and more notably, "just..being alive"
This clip can be found via Golden State of Mind where IQofWarrior has an abundance of links, which we should all be THANKFUL for! Thank you IQofaWarrior!
Some of the post-game quotes that IQofaWarrior compiled via Warriors.com, however, show some somberness in their reflection of what happened. A loss like that to a slumping team can do that to you as does consistently inconsistent play. Here's what Stephen Curry had to say which seemed to sum up the free-throw disparity:
"We definitely couldn't get momentum on our side. Houston had the crowd and we weren't able to execute and they kept control of the game. I thought we were pretty aggressive by driving to the basket but they seemed to play smarter defensively. We were attacking the basket but not able to finish."
One of the biggest differences between the Warriors and the Rockets when driving into the lane was the fact that the Warriors could not hit anything from deep, which meant that Rockets defense sagged in the paint and also stacked the paint. From the last few games, it is pretty obvious that teams know Monta Ellis and Curry both like to drive and finish. But when outside shooters aren't making shots, the Rockets just sat waiting to draw charges.
The Rockets on the other hand, got hot early from the perimeter, and opened up the offense a whole lot more, which easily disrupted the Warriors defense. Warriors flying at shooters, turned into dribble penetration for the Rockets and easy dishes to open teammates. Countless times as a Rockets player came flying down the paint because of excellent ball rotation exposing the middle, a Warriors player would try to slide in for a charge at the last minute instead drawing a blocking foul. I mean, how many times did a Rocket blow by a Warriors player off the dribble since the Warriors tried to play close on hot shooters?