Warriors vs Rockets G7 Preview: The Houston Youth Army is more optimistic about advancing Dream Chaser must be tough

At 8:30 a.m. Beijing time on May 5, the Rockets played against the Warriors at home, starting the tie-breaker, which was also the last game of the first round of this year's playoffs. In the previous six meetings, the two teams drew 3-3, and now, a game is a matter of life and death, and the team that wins the tie-break will advance to the Western Conference semifinals, and the next opponent is the Timberwolves. ESPN is more optimistic about the Rockets winning at home.

At the beginning of this series, the Rockets did not perform well at some key points, and a big reason was their overall lack of playoff experience. However, as the series progressed, the Rockets gradually adapted to the pace of the game. In Game 5, they picked up a big win at home that turned the tide of the series and the game was brought back to the Bay Area. However, in Game 6, it was the Warriors, not the Rockets, who collapsed in the final stages, which also showed how far the Rockets have come in a short period of time.

In the G6 game, the Rockets finally won 115-107 to tie the overall score at 3-3. The Rockets led 86-84 heading into the fourth quarter, and with 4:40 left in the game, they extended their lead to 17 points, proving that they were no longer nervous.

"Obviously, everybody was nervous in Game 1," said Rockets guard VanVleet, who scored 29 points in Game 6 and also contributed eight rebounds and eight assists. 'It was the same for the third game, which was the first time we played away from home. Once we got over the initial nervousness, we were able to play like we had all season. We've been one of the teams that have been performing well all year, as long as we can execute the tactics and play our style of play at a high enough level. ”

Before the series began, the talk was about the Warriors' sheer superiority in terms of experience, with Curry and Green being key figures in the four-time championship. However, when the Rockets took the lead in Game 5, the Warriors did not respond effectively.

In Game 6, the Warriors missed 13 consecutive shots in the fourth quarter and could only watch the Rockets pull away. Their frustration is palpable, which is surprising given their illustrious playoff history.

Now, the Warriors face the challenge of playing a tiebreaker on the road, and they need to bounce back from their back-to-back losses and rediscover their positive form.

"It's not a problem to stay together," Warriors head coach Kerr said, "and this team has been united and has been through all kinds of situations. There is no doubt that the frustration of the G6 defeat has been generated. I can tell it in the body language of the players. We can't do that, we can't afford this emotion in the tiebreaker. ”

"We've got to stay close together throughout," Cole continued, "and like I said, I'm optimistic about our chances." Over the years, I have witnessed the strength of this team. I'm sure we've had a lot of tiebreakers and a lot of success. ”

At first glance, the Warriors seem to have the upper hand in the tie-break, with Curry and Green each having five tie-breaks, and Butler also playing four. VanVleet, Adams and Dillon bring playoff toughness to the Rockets, but the rest of the Rockets' core players will experience a tiebreaker for the first time. On the emotional side, the Rockets face a huge challenge.

In the Rockets' upside, though, their defensive prowess is always on the line, regardless of how the game goes or worse.

"Defense is key, and in this series, we've seen a lot of defensive awareness and physicality," Rockets head coach Udoka said, "and overall, our young players haven't been affected too much. They just keep focusing on the game. And we have very good veterans who can keep the young players calm from time to time. ”

Instead of shying away from the intense physical confrontation, the Rockets embraced it and put the Warriors on the back foot. The Warriors have one more chance to prove that experience is crucial in the game.

"We have to be tough and execute the game plan," Dream said, "everyone will be excited, and the atmosphere will be lively and noisy." But when the game starts, it's just basketball. You have to execute your game plan and stay the course. ”

List of injuries and illnesses

Warriors: All players are available

Rockets: Landale, Tate are out

ESPN Predicted Win Rate:Warriors 45.7%, Rockets 54.3%