The Houston Rockets are in a precarious situation as they are down 0-2 in their Western Conference semifinals series against the Golden State Warriors.
With Game 3 set to be played in Houston Saturday night, Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni told Jonathan Feigen of Houston Chronicle that they will need to be more aggressive on both ends of the floor if they want to win.
“Who imposes their will? Champions come from your heart and your head and your willpower. It doesn’t come from ‘I play prettier than you do,'” D'Antoni said. “You’ve got to get down in the mud. You’ve got to slug it out. That’s where you make champions. Champion is a personality thing. We’ve got to impose our will.”
The Rockets have been able to give the Warriors a hard time during the first two games, but they haven't been able to close things out in the crucial moments of both contests. Despite the impressive performance of reigning MVP James Harden, Houston doesn't seem to scare the Dubs anymore.
With Kevin Durant playing at a level above anyone else and with Draymond Green starting to regain his All-Star form, the rest of the Rockets' players will need to step up to match the Warriors' intensity. Chris Paul, PJ Tucker and Eric Gordon will need to be more productive in order to give Houston a fighting chance in this series.
A loss in Game 3 would push Mike D'Antoni and Co. on the brink of elimination, and if that happens, it's hard to imagine them winning four of the next five games.
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