NBA playoffs on May 10: Warriors win Game 6, eliminate Rockets again

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The Golden State Warriors claimed their spot in the Western Conference Finals after eliminating the Houston Rockets 118-113 at the Toyota Center on Friday. Without Kevin Durant and on the road, the defending champions still did it.

Both the Rockets and their fans like to encourage themselves by repeating that famous saying of champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich: "Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion." This time, the Warriors are the champion team.

Warriors vs. Rockets: Don't forget, Stephen Curry is a two-time MVP

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors in the game they win against the Houston Rockets 118-113 at the Toyota Center, May 10, 2019. /VCG Photo

When you thought things couldn't get worse for Golden State, think again. Both Stephen Curry and Draymond Green had two fouls in the first quarter; Curry scored zero points in the first half and earned his third foul in the second quarter; James Harden earned seven free throws in Q1; even Chris Paul seemed to find the best version of himself and was both scoring and orchestrating.

However, the Warriors managed to stand up to all of it. Coach Steve Kerr put Andre Bogut in the starting lineup and gave him in total 11 minutes on the court to fill the paint and make Clint Capela uncomfortable. He entrusted Kevon Looney with 20 minutes and Looney returned 14 points, five rebounds and competed for offensive rebounds. Shawn Livingston, Jordan Bell, Quinn Cook and Jonas Jerebko together played 50 minutes in which they contributed 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Everyone contributed, just like members of a champion team.

Draymond Green #23, Andre Iguodala #9 and Klay Thompson #11 of the Warriors in the game against the Rockets, May 10, 2019. /VCG Photo

Then there were Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson. Draymond Green never slowed down switching to defend every player on the Rockets. Iguodala played like the 2015 Finals MVP he was by dropping 17 points, five three-pointers and five steals. Nonetheless, Thompson was the biggest reason that the Warriors could stay in touch in the first half. With his shooting and moving without the ball, Thompson scored 21 points and made five 3-pointers in the first half before he sank the game-ending 3-ball in the last 40 seconds.

Thanks to the efforts of everybody above, Golden State finished the first half 57-57 against the Rockets. However, that did not seem good enough, especially when Chris Paul and James Harden were whetting their swords with 19 and 11 points respectively.

Stephen Curry of the Warriors in the game against the Rockets, May 10, 2019. /VCG Photo

Someone had to stand out and he did, his name is Stephen Curry. The first two quarters were like replay of nightmares for Curry: he had to return to the bench early because of foul trouble; he got zero points and even missed two layups; but he pulled himself together in the second half, starting with 10 points in Q3.

Then there was the magical Q4 in which Curry buried three 3-pointers, three floaters and eight free throws to get 23 of Golden State's 36 points this quarter. Curry was carrying the team on his shoulder, like he did between 2014 and 2016 as the league's best player.

James Harden #13 and Chris Paul #3 of the Rockets in the game against the Warriors, May 10, 2019. /VCG Photo

While the winning side were celebrating and enjoying their win, the losing party received nothing but humiliation and it only made things worse because they were playing at home. It's true that Harden had 35 points and Paul got 27, but shoe numbers mean nothing if they do not get the win.

Did the Rockets do their best? It's hard to say. Harden scored 35 points but he also committed six turnovers. Paul played his best game of the series but the previous five ones were a total disappointment. Eric Gordon lost his magic in both shooting and penetrating to get only nine points. Capela though had a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, he was never able to punish the Warriors from the inside. Perhaps P.J. Tucker is the only one who had nothing to regret, but as a role player, he couldn't change the game by himself.

Mike D'Antoni, head coach of the Rockets answers questions at the post-game press conference, May 10, 2019. /VCG Photo

Houston's bench squad together only got 17 points. By contrast, Golden State received 33 points from their bench players. Coach Mike D'Antoni was to be blamed too for at least two decisions he had made: why did he keep Gerald Green, who's only a defensive liability and shot poorly, on the court in the fourth quarter? Why did he allow Capela on the court instead of sending five shooters in when the game was on the line?

The Rockets lost more than a series on Friday because this may be the best chance for Harden to make the NBA Finals in his career. Paul's maximum contract already came into effect this season, bringing him 35.6 million U.S. dollars, the highest on the team. Nonetheless, that number will continue to grow in the next three years until it reaches 44.2 million in 2022 and don't forget, each dollar of it is guaranteed money.

Chris Paul (L), James Harden (C) and Clint Capela (R) of the Rockets in the game and their salaries will occupy over 90 percent of the team's cap space in the future three years. /VCG Photo

Meanwhile, Harden's super maximum contract will come into effect next season, starting from 37.8 million U.S. dollars before reaching 43.8 million in 2022. Moreover, let's not forget that Capela's salary will also grow year by year from 14.8 million to 17.1 million.

This means that in the future three years, the salaries of Paul, Harden and Capela will occupy some 90 percent space of Houston's cap space, leaving the team almost no room to improve their franchise. Furthermore, Paul is already 34 years old and has shown signs of aging, meaning that he will only continue to get worse, making it even more difficult to get rid of his contract. When all of these contracts come due, Harden will be 33 years old, not the best age to start over.