An hour and a half before Game 6 between the Warriors and the Rockets, Ime Udoka calmly explained the message he had shared to his players since the start of the series and which he repeated before this capital match.
“Our way of playing has worked all season, this is not the time to reinvent anything,” he insisted. “There will be ups and downs, but we must also be as regular as possible. We were able to do a big video session after the game 4 to show players what we have to correct and since we are much better. »»
The Rockets have based their success on the fifth best defense of the League this season and a rebound domination to create easy baskets rather than having to attack on half field. Last night, they imposed their identity on the Warriors in a much wider victory than the score suggests.
The Rockets caused 17 lost balloons that they converted into 22 points. And they took 11 offensive rebounds which gave them 19 points. Their defense of an imposing zone, with Steven Adams in his heart, made the attack on Golden State hesitant.
Rigor and simplicity
During their three defeats, the Rockets had lacked rigor at key moments that had allowed the Warriors to take the ascendant. In particular during Game 3 and 4 at the Chase Center, they were in front of the score before losing control of the match. The adage wants that in playoffs all the possessions are capital. Rockets have made it the painful learning.
“Being rigorous, make the right decision on each action, playing simple is the theme of the playoffs for us. And for that, we must be very mentally, “ shared Udoka before the match. “During the last match here, we collected a 13-2 to start the match, and an 18-1 to start the third quarter. We know that it is a team that feeds on lost bullets, fast shots to run, put big shots to make runs. We must be very mentally to avoid these weak times. »»
With the exception of an 11-0 from Stephen Curry who brought the Warriors on the end of the second quarter, the Rockets left very little chance for the Warriors to return. Golden State returned to -2 several times but they were never able to go ahead. Each time, Fred Van Vleet marked an important 3-point where Steven Adams and Alperen Sangun went to seek offensive rebounds to stop the assaults of the Warriors.
Not only did the Rockets recovered most of the trained bullets, but they also made the Warriors pay on these actions. “They had to score 20 points on this kind of action,” Pestes Draymond Green after the meeting. “To beat this team, you must multiply the efforts, in the last two games, we have not done so. »»
-Wear the estocade
So far the Warriors had won all the tight matches in this series. During Game 1, when Houston returned to -2 with three minutes to play, Golden State responded with a 7-0 to seek the victory. During Game 3, the Warriors finished the game on a 17-7. And during Game 4, the Warriors had capitalized on the many Houston errors to finish on a 12-5.
“In this kind of match, you must know how to take the first blow, especially outside where you have to strike first. In this room, we were reactive. Tonight we have to be proactive. warned Udoka.
In a third high-level quarter, the Warriors managed to scratch their delay to return to -2 before the last quarter. This time, the Rockets did not miss the final stretch. They started this last period on a 20-5, hitting the first as asked for their coach.
The first action in the last quarter is symbolic of this Game 6. The veterans of Golden State completely forgot Fred Van Vleet, then at 4/5 to 3-point, offering him a 3+1 which killed the momentum that the Warriors had created at the end of the third quarter. It was the first blow carried by Houston. They chained by limiting Golden State without the slightest basket for almost seven minutes to put them ko
Another novelty: a game 7
The atmosphere of state in good fixes in the Houston locker room after the meeting. There was something in the air, a feeling of invincibility, the proof that what they have been rabling in the media for a week were not just words. In this Game 6, we saw the rockets grow up before our eyes and deliver a full match, back to the wall outside.
During the night from Sunday to Monday, they will be back on their parquet floor for the first game 7 of most young players in their rotation. Will they be able to tame the singular pressure of this moment?
“You always dream of this type of moment, these are the best moments,” Décrivait un fred from Vleet Serein. “I am lucky to have played in many important games to stay calm and know how to be ready for this kind of tomorrow. Since I got here, I saw my teammates grow up, learn and answer all challenges. They will be ready for this game 7. “
Interview in San Francisco.
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