The Houston Rockets gutted out a crucial 126-121 overtime victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 3.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged that the Rockets “played like a team down 2-0” and their competitive fire gave them the edge in Saturday's all-important win.
Steve Kerr on Rockets competitiveness being at a higher level than #Warriors tonight. pic.twitter.com/Kz6Nl7H89V
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) May 5, 2019
Game 3 was a must-win for the Rockets. A loss could have buried them under the ground with a 3-0 deficit heading into Game 4.
However, the Rockets did not let up and staved off a massive rally from Golden State in the second half. The Warriors actually started off the game strong, racing out to a 20-11 lead midway through the first quarter. However, the Rockets punched back at the end of the first quarter and went on a flurry in the second.
James Harden, who finished with 41 points and five 3-pointers, came up huge for the Rockets down the stretch in overtime. The reigning MVP drained a massive 3-pointer to put Houston up six with 49 seconds left in OT. He then sealed the deal with a floater with 26 ticks remaining to give the Rockets a five-point lead.
The Rockets also got major contributions from Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker. Gordon scored 30 points and splashed in seven massive 3-pointers throughout the contest.
Tucker, the heart and soul of Houston, provided them with much-needed energy and hustle. The undersized forward finished with seven points and hauled in 12 huge boards, five on the offensive glass (four of which came in the fourth quarter and overtime).
Kevin Durant led the Warriors with a 46-point effort. However, his partner-in-crime, Stephen Curry had an abysmal showing in Game 3 and finished with just 17 points on 7-of-23 shooting capped off by an embarrassing blown wide-open dunk attempt in the closing seconds of overtime.
These two heavyweights go at it again on Monday night for Game 4 in Houston.
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