The Warriors Knocked Off The Rockets In Game 6 To Make Their Fifth Straight Conference Finals

No one was going to shed a tear for Golden State just because they were without Kevin Durant on Friday night, who’s out indefinitely with a strained calf muscle. It was a development that immediately changed the complexion of Golden State’s series against the Rockets, though, not to mention the playoff as a whole.

The odds out of Vegas instantly shifted in the Rockets’ favor, but just as at the end of Game 5, the Rockets were unable to capitalize on Durant’s absence as the Warriors gutted out a 118-113 win in Game 6 to earn their fifth straight trip to the Western Conference Finals.

The Splash Brothers combined to scored 60 points on the night, despite a dreadful first half from Steph Curry, who went scoreless in the first 24 but came alive in the second half to finish with 33 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

It was Klay Thompson who kept his team afloat in the opening half as he made five of his seven three-pointers before halftime.

With the season, and his legacy, on the line, Chris Paul responded to the call, doing a little bit of everything as he put up 27 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists, but it ultimately wasn’t enough as the Rockets weren’t able to overcome their arch-nemeses in Golden State and went home early for the second year in a row.

James Harden likewise put up big numbers — 35 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists — but had six turnovers on the night as he and the Rockets had no answer for a Warriors team that came into their building and outplayed them in the critical moments of the final period.

Houston now faces an uncertain future, as a team that was specifically constructed to topple the Warriors has now failed to do so in consecutive seasons, this time around despite an injury to Golden State’s best player. The Warriors now await the winner of the Nuggets-Blazers series, which will be decided in Game 7 on Sunday in Denver.