HOUSTON — In riding 65 wins to the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed, the Rockets came to master the art of hunting mismatches along the three-point arc. In Game 1 of the conference finals Monday night, James Harden and Chris Paul stuck to the game plan, repeatedly attacking Warriors reserve center Kevon Looney on an island.
In playing 25 minutes in Golden State’s 119-106 win at Toyota Center, Looney contested 19 shots. No one else contested more than 10. Harden and Paul combined for 64 points, but Warriors head coach Steve Kerr sees no need to draw anything up for Game 2 Wednesday that would make it more difficult for Houston to isolate Looney on pick-and-rolls.