This series had to be Stephen Curry vs. James Harden. Forget everything else -- basketball is about superstars and they two of the biggest. The Warriors have a 2-0 lead in this series because they have a better team and that's important, but we've talked about Golden State's regular season success and 67 wins repeatedly. Just like we've discussed our confusion with the Rockets' refusal to die, despite looking like they should be six feet below the ground by now. Let all that step aside for now. This series is a battle between the MVP and the runner-up.
NBA playoffs scores 2015: Stephen Curry, James Harden show mortality in final moments of Game 2
Even the top two MVP candidates can’t always be perfect and that’s okay.
Through two games, it has basically been just that. There is a level these two competitors that has risen above all the other players in this series. Curry scored 34 and 33 points in consecutive games with 11 total three-pointers, while Harden came an assist short of a triple-double twice. Not to mention his own back-to-back scoring games of 28 and 38 points. So many expectations were heaped on these two preparing for this series, which usually foreshadows disappointment. Not so, here.
But, that’s why the final possessions for each team felt like betrayal. In the final six minutes of the fourth quarter, it had been all about the two superstars. Curry worked inside a couple of times and swished a couple jumpers that barely even touched the net. Harden went back to his basics and drew fouls, keeping his team in the game at the line and with a huge hammer dunk, too. It was all set up for a finish that suddenly turned disappointing.
On the Warriors' final possession. Curry calmly dribbled the clock down and managed to switch Dwight Howard onto him off a pick and roll. Anticipation swelled. What filthy move was he going to burn the slow-footed Howard with? Instead, Curry attacked middle and Harden swung over as a double, forcing the ball out of Curry's hands.
The ball ended up with Harrison Barnes, who missed a layup and set up Harden's shot to win the game. It was almost incomprehensible when he didn't pull it up, didn't find some sort of way to send the ball towards the rim and instead turned it over to end the game. It was Curry's help defense that arrived to pinch him between two defenders, forcing the fumble. If basketball were scripted, Harden's magnificent game would have led to an even greater shot to close Game 2. But it isn't and it didn't.
Those plays are nothing to hold against Curry or Harden. In fact, they both were the help defenders on the respective plays, assisting their teams in ways we don’t typically associate with them. For our own sake, it’s a shame we didn’t get a falling, fading game-winner from one of the two, but to complain about what did transpire is pure greed. Don’t let one small letdown to close the game mar what either player did for the rest of it.
3 other things we learned
Let’s talk about the last play. Harden messed up, there’s no denying that. With the clock ticking under 10 seconds and the Rockets down one, he dribbled down, looked for a shot, passed to Howard, got the ball back and turned it over as the buzzer expired. On the second catch, there wasn’t much he could do, but he had two options on the first play.
As you can see, the correct option was to hit Terrence Jones crashing down the lane. He was open, and while Green may have caught up to foul, Jones was sure to at least get free throws. A second option was to pull up for the shot, since Curry and Klay Thompson were both on their heels. With the way Harden was going, that would have been a good decision, too. Unfortunately, he exchanged the ball with Howard in hopes of getting a better look that wouldn't come.
Should Houston have called a timeout? I say no. Harden had the pull-up jumper or the cutting Jones and just failed to execute. A timeout would give the NBA's best defense a chance to collect itself and prepare for whatever Houston was going to throw at it. The results from Harden are usually better in a fast break situation like that, something Rockets coach Kevin McHale agreed with after the game.
“I’ll take our best player coming downhill in a broken court, any day of the week to win the game,” he said. “That’s where James (Harden) feasts, that’s where he’s at his best.”
Just because it didn’t work on Thursday doesn’t mean it was the incorrect call.
The Rockets are wearing themselves out. During the last break of the game, Harden sat down on the bench and looked completely, utterly exhausted. After all, he played 41 minutes, took care of nearly all the ball handling duties, made an impact on the glass with 10 rebounds and scored 38 points -- of course he was.
On the other side of the floor, the most minutes played came from Draymond Green at 39 while Stephen Curry played 37. Getting 37 minutes from Andre Iguodala off the bench and a combined 39 from Leandro Barbosa, Festus Ezeli and Shaun Livingston is a lifesaver for the Warriors, who are certainly playing their starters heavier minutes than usual, but not working them quite like the injury-depleted Rockets. It'll be interesting to see if Houston does look a step slower at any point of Game 3.
Play of the Night
Australian hoopin’.
4 fun things
Stephen Curry has started his own religion, it seems.
Steph. Pre-game. Trick shots. Video.
Final scores
Warriors 99, Rockets 98 (Golden State of Mind recap | The Dream Shake recap | SB Nation recap)
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