It was all Golden State on Saturday afternoon as the Warriors began their title defense with a – blowout win against the Houston Rockets in Game 1. Stephen Curry finished with a game-high 24 points (all in the first half) and 7 rebounds.
The tone was set by the Warriors 6-0 lead to start the game, with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green each hitting three-pointers in the first three and a half minutes. Things got chippy between Curry and Pat Beverley early on and double technicals were given out.
The Warriors then got out to a 20-6 lead with 4:02 left in the first quarter. They won the opening period 33-15. Stephen Curry outscored the entire Rockets team in that first quarter with 16 points along with 6 rebounds.
Golden State’s lead increased to 24 before the end of the first half and they held a 60-33 advantage at halftime. It was the fewest points the Warriors have given up all season. James Harden only had four points in the first half on 2-for-9 shooting, including four turnovers and four fouls. The Warriors were +18 from three in the first half.
Curry left for the locker room just before the halftime break after tweaking his right ankle and then again in the third quarter. He only played three minutes in the second half, but the Warriors wouldn’t need him as they got 40 points off the bench. The Rockets did cut the Warriors lead to 16 with 3:38 left in the third quarter and even won that period 27-22, but the deficit was ultimately too substantial to make up.
James Harden finished with a team-high 17 points for the Rockets. Harden had zero free throw attempts, the first time he didn’t shoot any free throws in a playoff game since the 2012 Finals between the Thunder and Heat. Dwight Howard had 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Game 2 of Warriors-Rockets is on Monday at 10:30 PM EST on TNT.
