HOUSTON (AP) — Nailantad ang katauhan ng Rockets matapos mabitiwan ang home-court advantage sa Western Conference finals. Sa kabiguang natamo sa Game 1, maraming butas ang kailangang sulsihan ng Houston Rockets para makasabay sa Golden State Warriors.
Pangunahing alalahanin na kailangang maresolba ng Rockets ang tatlong aspeto: bawasan ang turnover, malimitahan ang three-pointer at gawing mahirap sa Warriors ang opensa, particular kay Kevin Durant.
“Kevin Durant and [Stephen] Curry, they’re good. So they’re going to make shots,” pahayag ni Houston coach Mike D’Antoni.
“Our head can’t explode that they go one-on-one and make shots ... you have to be able to absorb some of their greatness; at the same time, don’t make the mental errors that we did. That would accumulate for 15, 20 points, and that’s the difference in the game,” aniya.
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Para magapi ang Warriors, kailangang maging perpekto ang lahat sa Rockets. At hindi lamang ang opensa ni James Harden – kumana ng 41 puntos sa Game 1 – ang kailangang sandigan ng Houston.
“It’s the [conference] finals,” ayon kay Harden. “There’s four teams here for a reason. Obviously these four teams have done great things all year. You can’t make the same mental mistakes like you’re in a regular season.”
Tunay na nagkalat ang Rockets sa Game 1.
Nagtamo ng Rockets ng 13 turnover sa Game 1 nitong Lunes (Martes sa Manila) at ibinaon sila ng Warriors sa 18-3 run sa fast break tungo sa 119-106 kabiguan.
Kumubra si Klay Thompson ng 28 puntos, tampok ang 6-of-15 sa three-point, na inamin ni Harden na hindi nadepensahan ng Rockets, habang nagsiesta si Durant sa mismatch tungo sa 37 puntos.
Inamin ng Rockets na hindi sila makakabawi kung hindi magkakaroon ng pagbabago sa plano sa pagsibat ng Game 2 ngayong Miyerkules (Huwebes sa Manila).
“We are who we are, and we’re pretty good at it,” sambit ni D’Antoni.
“We can’t get off who we are. Embrace it. Just be a better [version] of who we are and don’t worry if somebody else solves the puzzle a different way ... we’ve got to play at our strengths.”
Para sa defending champion Warriors, tila naka-programa na sa kanila na maging matatag para harapin ang anumang hamon ng mga karibal sa playoff, higit sa road game na nadomina nila mula noong 2014.
“I think the game really came down to staying solid and allowing our talent to shine through,” sambit ni coach Steve Kerr. “We have so many gifted players, that as long as we’re solid with the ball, we don’t make mistakes, defend with intensity, then our talent’s going to take over.”
