Steve Kerr’s Golden State Warriors held on for a 95-85 Game 1 first-round NBA playoffs road victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday. Afterward, the veteran coach likened Houston’s physicality to the league’s 1990s era, when the franchise was spearheaded by legendary center Hakeem Olajuwon.
Steve Kerr Lauds Rockets for Tough, Physical Playstyle
Golden State, led by superstar point guard Stephen Curry’s game-high 31 points and five 3-pointers on 12-for-19 shooting (63.2%), started strong. After taking a 47-34 halftime lead, the veteran-laden squad amassed a 23-point advantage midway through the third quarter.
However, Houston battled back, cutting its deficit to as low as three points with 6:49 remaining despite its shooting struggles. The upstart second-seeded Western Conference team (52-30) finished just 34-for-87 (39.1%), including 6-for-29 from 3-point range (20.7%).
The Rockets attempted to make up for their shooting woes on defense and on the glass, securing a 22-6 offensive rebounding edge. Nevertheless, they couldn’t match the Warriors’ late-game shot-making, causing the contest to slip out of reach.
During his postgame interview, Kerr attributed Houston’s tenacity to its coach, Ime Udoka, noting that the young squad has adopted his gritty mindset.
“They’re not a typical, modern NBA team, in terms of spreading you out, playing fast, shooting a million 3s. They’re kind of old school,” Kerr said. “In many ways, they’re an image of their coach. Ime was a grinder as a player. He was tough and physical, and that’s what Houston is.”
Back In The 1990s
The four-time NBA championship-winning coach added that the Rockets’ size advantage made him feel like he was facing the 1997 Olajuwon-led iteration of the organization.
“In this series, you can see they know where their advantage lies,” Kerr said. “They’re playing [Steven] Adams a lot, and sometimes playing him with [Alperen] Şengün, having everybody crash, so it felt like 1997 out there. A completely different NBA game than what we’re used to.”
Şengün recorded a team-high 26 points, nine rebounds and three steals, shooting 11-for-18 (61.1%). Meanwhile, Adams chipped in six points and 12 rebounds, shooting 3-for-4 (75.0%) off the bench, giving Houston an imposing frontline duo.
Even so, the Rockets will likely need significantly better offensive production from their starting backcourt to avoid getting upset by the seventh-seeded Warriors (48-34). Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green combined for only 17 points, shooting just 7-for-34 (20.6%), including 2-for-17 from deep (11.8%).
Houston will look to bounce back and even up the series 1-1 on its home court on Wednesday.
