The Houston Rockets find themselves one game away from elimination after a heart-stopper 109-106 loss to the Golden State Warriors. This loss in Game 4 moves their postseason aspirations into dire straits. With this loss, the Rockets trail the series 3-1, facing a critical Game 5 at the Toyota Center in Houston on Wednesday. Offense isn’t even the biggest issue. The Rockets have a huge problem with seizing the critical moments in games. This has impacted their effectiveness in clutch time all series long.
The Rockets faltered late in that last game, being outscored 12-8 in the final minutes by the Warriors. This has been the story for much of the series, as Golden State has outscored Houston 22-10 in clutch time. The Warriors have been incredibly effective, sporting a deadly 6-0 assist to turnover ratio in these pivotal final stretches.
Costly mistakes had hurt the Rockets in Game 4. In the process, they even hit as many free throws as three-pointers, a fact that would turn out to be highly impactful. On the other hand, Golden State took advantage of theirs, hitting 20 of 22 free throws.
Houston’s head coach, Ime Udoka, emphasized the need for consistency and discipline as they look to bounce back in their next outing. He spoke about keeping your cool when you go up against a team like Golden State.
“Consistency wins in this series, and we’ve talked about that from Day 1. We have to be more consistent across the board,” – Ime Udoka
Alperen Sengun reiterated Udoka’s point, saying discipline is key when the pressure of playoff basketball is on. The Rockets must not allow their opponents to get into their heads if they hope to turn the series around.
“We have to be disciplined, don’t let them get in our minds,” – Alperen Sengun
The game featured a minor skirmish when Dillon Brooks body-checked Stephen Curry, demonstrating the heightened tension between the two teams. The series now returns to Houston for a pivotal Game 5. The Rockets know they’ve now squandered two opportunities to steal games they were fortunate to be in position to win.
For the Rockets to be successful, they must rebound and efficiently repeat their game plan without giving in to panic mode. They need to win Game 5 to stay alive in the series and their finals hopes. A victory will provide them the opportunity to reclaim the momentum.
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