Warriors Look To Advance In Game 5 Against Rockets
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- There's been the unexpected, like Golden State's Stephen Curry going down with a knee injury. Then came a double whammy for the Clippers, with Chris Paul out with a broken hand and Blake Griffin's season ending because of a nagging leg injury.
Then there's been the expected, like Charlotte and Miami giving each other problems in a series that's been wildly back and forth.
So what awaits in a trio of Game 5's on Wednesday night — when Charlotte goes to Miami, Portland visits the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston treks to Golden State — is anyone's guess. The Hornets-Heat and Blazers-Clippers series are tied at two games apiece, while the Warriors enter with a 3-1 series lead over the Rockets and will try for the clincher.
"To a man, you have to be able to dig down deep and rise to the occasion," Rockets coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "And there's no bigger occasion, no bigger opportunity, than this one."
If there's any sense that the Rockets have a better chance now that Curry is out, take note of this score: 65-38.
That was the Warriors' advantage over Houston in the second half Sunday, all without the league's MVP, on the road no less. And now they go home, with a chance to be off until at least Sunday if they finish Houston off in Game 5.
"It's a win-or-go-home situation," Houston's Michael Beasley said. "It's definitely critical. We don't want to start the game off slow, don't want to dig ourselves a hole early. We're going to come out and give it all we've got."
Being without Curry — who only played the equivalent of about three quarters in the series anyway — has forced Golden State to become very balanced. Klay Thompson is averaging 22.5 points in the series, and four other Warriors are averaging between 12 and 13 points per game apiece.
And the Warriors may get a boost going into this one, with coach Steve Kerr being announced Tuesday as the league's coach of the year for 2015-16.
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