NBA Playoffs
Western Conference - Finals
Tip-off: Thursday, 9:05 p.m. ET
Line: Golden State -10.5, Total: 220.0

The Rockets look to even up the series when they face the Warriors in Golden State for Game 2 on Thursday.

Game 1 between these two teams was extremely exciting and the Warriors ended up coming out on top with a 110-106 victory as 10.5-point home favorites. Golden State has now won all five of its meetings with Houston SU, but the Rockets did cover against the Warriors for the first time this season with their four-point loss on Tuesday. The Rockets outrebounded the Warriors 60-53 in the game, but they did turn the ball over 15 times compared to the 12 that the Warriors committed. Houston must limit its turnovers because Golden State’s offense is far too explosive to be giving them extra possessions. The Warriors have won four straight games at home against the Rockets and have covered in three of those games. Three of the past four games played between these teams at Oracle Arena have gone Under the total. The Rockets are 29-12 ATS after allowing 100 points or more in three straight games over the past two seasons. The Warriors, however, are 16-7 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points this season. C Dwight Howard (Knee) is questionable for the Rockets, who are already without SG K.J. McDaniels (Elbow), PF Donatas Motiejunas (Back) and PG Patrick Beverley (Wrist). PF Marresse Speights (Calf) is the only rotation player who is likely to be out for the Warriors.

The Rockets played very well in Game 1, but they were unable to close out the Warriors and will need to make less mistakes in Game 2. C Dwight Howard (16.4 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 2.4 BPG in playoffs) is questionable for this game after hurting his knee in Game 1. He has been a dominant presence on the defensive end throughout these playoffs and the Rockets would really miss him if he is unable to play. SG James Harden (26.8 PPG, 8.1 APG, 5.3 RPG, 1.5 SPG in playoffs) has been unbelievable for Houston lately, averaging 29.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 8.5 APG and 3.5 SPG over the past two contests. He was getting wherever he wanted in Game 1 and will need to take this game over if Howard is out. The Rockets desperately need him to put up heroic numbers on Thursday in order to take control of this series. SF Trevor Ariza (13.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.7 SPG in playoffs) has also played very well for Houston recently and is averaging 21.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 2.0 SPG over the past two games. He has been lights-out from behind the arc as well, shooting 54% from the outside over the past five contests. He’ll need to continue to play solid defense and hit open jumpers when his teammates find him spotting up.

The Warriors had some moments where they looked out of sync in Game 1, but ultimately PG Stephen Curry (28.7 PPG, 6.6 APG, 5.2 RPG, 1.8 SPG) was not going to let the game slip away from his team. Curry was 13-for-22 from the field and 6-for-11 from the outside, finishing the game with 34 points, six boards, five assists and two steals in 39 minutes of action. He is 14-for-24 from the outside over his past two games and the Rockets have nobody on the roster that can really keep him in line. He’ll need to continue to be aggressive as a scorer moving forward. SG Klay Thompson (20.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.9 APG) struggled in Game 1, going just 6-for-18 from the field and 1-for-7 from the outside. He’ll need to start hitting some shots in this series or the Warriors could end up struggling offensively. He also needs to play better defensively on James Harden on Thursday. PF Draymond Green (13.7 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 5.4 APG, 2.1 SPG in playoffs) had 13 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and two steals in Game 1. He should be able to dominate on the glass if Dwight Howard doesn’t play in this one. He’ll also need to start knocking down some outside shots, as he is 1-for-13 over the past three games from behind the arc. Him and Klay Thompson can’t afford to be shooting this poorly.