NBA WEST FINALS: CURRY EXPLODES IN GAME 3; WARRIORS GROUND ROCKETS WITH 41 POINTS VICTORY, 126-85
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 21 May 2018
OAKLAND, CA ? Two-time MVP Stephen Curry found his touch and exploded with 35 points in 34 minutes of play that helped ground the Rockets 126-85 to take a 2-1 lead in their best of seven Western Conference Finals series here Sunday night (Monday morning in Manila).
Kevin Durant contributed 25 points, Klay Thompson 13 points while Draymond Green and Andre Igoudala added 10 points each for a well-rounded offensive play by the Hampton Five.
James Harden had 20 points for the losing Rockets while Chris Paul and Clink Capela added 10 points each.
Houston drew first blood when Clint Capela scored the games first four points hushing the Roaracle Arena's sea of yellow crowd until Draymond Green scored on two free throws off a Capela foul to break ice for the Warriors. The scores stayed close in the first quarter until the Warriors got separation with a 9-0 run to end the quarter to lead by 9 points, 31-22 from a 22-22 deadlock, a lead that they never relinquished the rest of the way.
The second quarter saw the Warriors maintain their lead and added another two points to close the half leading by 11, 54-43.
Top photo: The Warriors unfold their Strength in Numbers banner in the third quarter of their blowout win over the Rockets Sunday evening (Monday morning in Manila) at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA.
Game action during the Warriors-Rockets Game 3 of their Western Conference Finals at the Oracle Arena Sunday.
In the 3rd quarter, the Warriors vaunted run was in full force. A 10-0 punch by Curry, who never got his game going in Game 1 and 2, and Durant at the start of the third quarter increased the lead of the warriors to 64-53 before Rockets coach D'Antoni called a timeout at 10:08. A flurry of 3-pointers by Stephen Curry at the 5-minute mark of the quarter sent the Oracle crowd into a frenzy that saw the Warriors lead to its biggest at 28, 84-56. Chris Paul hit a 3-pointer that started a Rockets rally trimming down the Warriors lead to 21, 88-67 at the end of the 3rd quarter.
There was no letdown for the Warriors in the fourth quarter as their defense held the Rockets the rest of the way while Curry stayed hot to increase the Golden State lead to 107-78 before Houston coach Mike DeAntoni pulled out his starters at 5:12 mark as a sign of surrender.
The Warriors bench increased the lead to 41 at garbage time, exacting revenge to their 22-point loss in the second game.
The fourth game will be in the Oracle Arena on Tuesday, May 22 staring at 6 p.m.
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