The Houston Rockets took a chance in the summer of 2017 — they shipped off a host of young assets for an aging point guard, Chris Paul, who had a history of butting heads with teammates. General Manager Daryl Morey made the move because he believed the Rockets were only one star from a championship caliber roster.
For most of this season, that belief looked wise. The Rockets secured the best record in the NBA, cruised to the Western Conference Finals, and built a 3-2 lead on the defending champs — the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State, however, went all Golden State in the third quarter of Game 7. The Warriors clawed from behind to claim a 101-92 win and advance to face the Cleveland Cavaliers. It will be the fourth straight Finals matchup between the two squads.
After Game 7, Morey was speechless. He didn’t really know what to say — except that he still thinks his team was superior to Golden State.
Rockets general manager Daryl Morey: "We should have won tonight. I don't have much else to say."
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 29, 2018
Golden State got a monster third quarter from Stephen Curry, with his backcourt mate, Klay Thompson, on the bench with foul trouble. Curry finished with 27 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds.
Whenever Houston threatened, Curry or Kevin Durant had an answer. K.D. was on fire. He totaled 34 points, five assists, and five rebounds.
Houston Goes Cold
In the second half, the Rockets missed 27 consecutive three-point attempts. Their “bombs away, only threes or layups” strategy backfired when it mattered most.
James Harden, the MVP favorite, struggled mightily in the second half. He finished with 32 points, six assists, and six rebounds.
The Rockets played Games 6 and 7 without Paul, who dealt with a hamstring injury. Eric Gordon started in his stead. Gordon played well, racking up 23 points and six assists.
Still, Morey and company were left wanting more. They still dream of eclipsing the Warriors. We’ll see if Morey makes any drastic moves before next season.
