Golden State Warriors fall to Houston Rockets in Game 2, how will they bounce back?
Nobody said it would be easy for the Warriors. They made the playoffs via a play-in victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Now they stand face-to-face with the second-place Western Conference finishers, the Houston Rockets, in a year for the franchise reminiscent of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls‘ “Last Dance” 27 years prior.
On Wednesday, the Warriors were unable to come up with a Game 2 victory as the Rockets evened the series at one. Golden State had trouble getting their offense going, as nobody scored more than 12 points other than Stephen Curry, who put up 20. Jalen Green dominated from the Houston end, making eight three-pointers and scoring 38 points in the Rockets’ 109-94 victory over Golden State.
The game was mainly highlighted by the physicality shown on both sides. The teams showed aggression reminiscent of the NBA of the 80s and 90s, and the hurt was felt by some more than others. Jimmy Butler left the first game due to injury after being undercut by Houston’s Amen Thompson.
With the success the Warriors have had over the past 10 years, Golden State has seen several deep playoff runs, including four championships, but they acknowledge that it won’t be easy to repeat that success, especially when faced with a first-round opponent as difficult as the Rockets.
With Jimmy Butler injured, it’s obvious the Warriors can’t continue to rely on their aging veterans to win them games. Curry will always be there to helm the ship, but ultimately, everyone must contribute, including young players in need of playoff experience. Butler’s injury gives the young Brazilian Gui Santos a chance to prove his worth in the playoffs.
Renato de Alexandrino for 365Scores Brazil recently interviewed with Santos. In the interview, the NBA’s sole Brazilian player showed respect for his opponent: “We can’t forget that Houston had the second-best campaign in the West, a very strong conference, and this already shows the quality and power of the Rockets.”
Santos has played a total of 18 minutes in this series against Houston, netting a total of eight points across the two games. At the age of just 22, Santos is a young player with plenty of room to grow and succeed in the coming years, but even he understands the difficulty of a playoff matchup. “The playoffs are a different championship, but the desire to win is the same as always,” he said.
Jimmy Butler is just day-to-day, but even when he returns from his injury, it’ll still be important for Santos to get playoff experience and be utilized among his young peers, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski, in the starting lineup. Veteran presence is important, but to match up against young and hungry teams like the Rockets, the Warriors need to play their young guys as much as possible without limiting established stars like Curry and Draymond Green from doing their thing.
