Chris Paul and James Harden ?No Way? Could Have Defeated Warriors, as Per Former Rockets Teammate

The Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets met in an exhilarating match?of the Western Conference playoffs, leaving basketball fans on the edge of their seats. The stakes were extremely high, with the winner securing a coveted position in the NBA Finals. When the dust settled, the Warriors were triumphant, advancing to the championship series for the fourth time in a row.

However, on the Point Forward podcast, a former Rockets player reminisced about the game and spoke about it from a player’s perspective.

Former Rockets player talks about the Western Conference playoffs

On the Point Forward podcast former Rockets player PJ Tucker appeared as the guest. They asked him “Y’all were right there. I feel like there was Chris Paul, Pheonix he had a chance, Houston he had a couple of chances. Do you think it could’ve been worked out at Houston?” To which Tucker said, “I, to this day like there is no way we are winning that. They won the league that year, there is no way like there is no way you don’t do everything you can to bring every single person back to that situation. There’s no way.”

The Rockets headed into this important game with great expectations, but they fell down by a total of 15 points in the first half. The Warriors had a poor start in the first quarter, but the Rockets were unable to build on their lead. The third quarter would prove to be a watershed moment of epic proportions. As Houston’s shooting became ice cold, the Rockets missed all 14 three-point tries in that quarter, setting an NBA playoff record.

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The third quarter was the most magical for the Warriors. Stephen Curry, widely regarded as one of the best shooters in NBA history, guided Golden State to a 33-point quarter. Curry scored 14 of those 33 points, all while the Rockets battled to find their range. Curry’s performance was nothing short of spectacular, demonstrating the tenacity and talent that ultimately made him an iconic figure in the basketball world.

What did the Warriors do differently?

The Golden State Warriors, with their assortment of tactics, demonstrated their capability to come back when it meant the most. They won the chance to meet LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals with their fourth straight Western Conference finals triumph. Despite James Harden’s 32-point performance, the Rockets’ ambition of returning to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1995 remained distant. The unavailability of Chris Paul, who suffered from a hamstring ailment, failed to help their cause. The Rockets experienced a second-half breakdown, duplicating their performance in Game 6, as the Warriors outscored them 122-63 in the remaining two games.

As confetti poured down on the Warriors’ joyous celebration, it was evident that the Warriors’ path to the NBA Finals wasn’t without difficulties. “All those hurdles and obstacles, we got over them, so it’s an unbelievable feeling, man,” Curry said. Indeed, the path to greatness comes with hardship, and the Warriors demonstrated once again that they had the fortitude to overcome it.

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