The Houston Rockets put up a heck of a fight in Games 1 & 2 of the Western Conference Finals, taking the Golden State Warriors to the limit before bowing out in close losses.
That fight was noticeably absent in Game 3, as Stephen Curry torched the Rockets for 40 points in a statement 115-80 Game 3 victory. Golden State now leads the series 3-0, with a closeout game coming on Monday.
The Warriors blitzed the Rockets early on, racing out to a 30-18 lead after one and silencing a normally raucous crowd with a beautiful passing display. It just got worse for the Rockets from there.
James Harden couldn't hit a shot to save his life in any of the game's four quarters, hitting on just 3 of his 16 shots from the field. While he did work at the free throw line, his ice-cold shooting night was just the tip of the iceberg for a listless Rockets team that seemed to expect to be beaten.
Key Number: 33.7%
The Houston Rockets were an offensive machine for most of the 2014-15 regular season. That was far from the case on Saturday, with the Rockets hitting just 28 of 83 (33.7%) and 5 of 25 from downtown (20.0%)
Golden State MVP:
Have yourself another night, Stephen Curry. Not only did Curry set a new record for most threes made in a single postseason (64 to Reggie Miller's 58), his 40-point, 7-assist, 5-rebound night puts him in some majorly historic company. Only Curry, LeBron James and Tim Duncan have posted three-straight 30 pts/5 asts games to start a Conference Finals in the past 30 years.
Houston MVP:
Are you kidding? Give it to the few fans who stuck around till the end to watch the butt-kicking to its conclusion. The Rockets lose three games in a row for the first time all season.
What's Next?
Houston faces elimination in Game 4 at home on Monday night. Tipoff is slated for just after 8:00pm local time.
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