Rockets at Warriors
The Golden State Warriors struck first in the Western Conference semifinals against Houston, but the Rockets came away feeling like they didn't get a fair chance. The Rockets will try to take the game out of the hands of the referees and even the series at one win apiece when they visit the Warriors for Game 2 on Tuesday.
Houston was particularly upset about a series of no-calls against the Warriors when they were contesting 3-point attempts by Rockets superstar James Harden and appeared to encroach on his landing space. "I'm going to try to be a nice guy because I really don't want to give the charity to them; I'd rather have my charity have the money," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters while trying to avoid a fine for criticizing the refs. "So, I mean the response was they came in halftime and said they missed them. That's what they told me. They missed four of them. That's 12 foul shots. So be it. They're trying to do the best they can do." Golden State, which escaped Houston in seven games in the Western Conference finals last season, leaned on forward Kevin Durant, who scored 35 points and made several key baskets down the stretch to help hold off the Rockets. "He has been amazing," Warriors All-Star guard Stephen Curry told reporters of Durant. "He's been so aggressive on the offense end. Found his matchups, taking his shots. Defensively he's been present, he just understands kind of what we need when we need it. And he's been playing with the ultimate confidence, I know he always have confidence, but it seems like it's been amped up in these last five games."
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE ROCKETS: Harden ended up 13-of-14 from the free-throw lineup and scored 35 points but was 9-of-28 from the floor and 4-of-16 from beyond the arc with several of those misses coming before or after contact with a defender. "I mean, I just want a fair chance, man," Harden told reporters. "Call the game how it's supposed to be called and that's it. And I'll live with the results." Harden wasn't the only Rockets players to have a problem with the referees as point guard Chris Paul was ejected in the final seconds after drawing his second technical foul, and he missed Durant on a defensive assignment down the stretch while turning to complain to the officials about a no-call.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Curry battled foul trouble in the second half and joined fellow All-Star guard Klay Thompson with an ankle injury that left both questionable before the game, but Durant was ready to pick up the slack. Durant scored over 30 points for the fifth straight game in the postseason and logged 43 minutes on Sunday. "There's this guy named Michael something," Golden State coach Steve Kerr joked with reporters regarding Michael Jordan. "Can't remember his last name. No, but Kevin's run this past week has just been off the charts. I've said it a few times this week: He's the most skilled basketball player on Earth. He's one of the most skilled basketball players to ever play the game. There's never been anybody like him. Six-[foot]-11, handles the ball, shoots 3s, passes, defends. He's just an unbelievable talent. And I think after we lost Game 2 to the Clippers, I think he just felt like he had to turn it up and lift us up another level. That's exactly what he's done."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Warriors committed 20 turnovers in Game 1, leading to 20 points.
2. Golden State PF Draymond Green recorded a triple-double in the clinching game of the first round and nearly pulled off the feat again on Sunday, finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
3. Houston's starting frontcourt of PF P.J. Tucker and C Clint Capela combined for four points on 1-of-6 shooting in Game 1.