The Golden State Warriors have the chance to be avaricious going into Game 2. The Dubs, who stole a victory in a 95-85 slugfest away from home against the Houston Rockets, are hoping to extend their 1-0 advantage. Head coach Steve Kerr is aware that, despite the victory, the Warriors’ performance was far from flawless, particularly offensively.
Kerr discussed winning the less well-known stat categories going into Game 2 on 95.7 The Game.
“We can’t turn [the ball] over. That’s the biggest thing for me. If we turn it over, their athletes will get free for easy baskets and we can’t afford that. We’ve got to be able to contain them and take away the easy stuff, ” Kerr said. “Fouls and turnovers, those are the things that will hurt us. And obviously, the offensive boards, they are going to get plenty of those. It’s all part of the package, so we just have to check as many boxes as possible.”
Those numbers will be crucial for the remainder of the series, not just Game 2. On the offensive boards, the Rockets outscored the Dubs 22–6 for 22 second-chance points. It will be intriguing to watch how Kerr and company counter Ime Udoka’s Steven Adams-Alperen Sengün lineup after Houston pulled even after falling behind by 23 points thanks to offensive rebounds. Kerr was questioned about the Rockets’ possible changes during the same interview.
“I don’t expect massive changes from Ime [Udoka], they know who they are,” Kerr stated. “We know they’re going to be physical, they’re going to defend, and they’re going to rebound. I don’t think too much will change from that philosophy.”
Regarding the other areas Kerr discussed, Game 1 didn’t have many turnovers. In Game 1, the Warriors committed 14 turnovers compared to Houston’s 17, which was the same as their regular-season average. However, the Warriors let up 23 points off of turnovers and rank 10th out of the 16 playoff teams in terms of turnovers per game. In a game where the Rockets only scored 85 points, that amounts to 55 points from offensive rebounds and turnovers, which is extremely significant.
Houston won the foul battle 18–15, which allowed the Rockets to try six more free throws. Houston was 13-for-20 from the lane, so the Warriors avoided a bullet in this area. The Kerr-era Warriors have consistently struggled in the foul battle category. They have a better chance, though, with Jimmy Butler, who is adept at foul play. In Game 2, Butler will have more opportunity to demonstrate his ability to lead a team into the bonus on his own.
It ultimately boils down to persuading the Rockets to adopt the Warriors’ style of play. Kerr was determined to improve the team’s offensive play.
“There were some obvious things that we have to improve upon, particularly our offensive execution. You feel good about the win, but you prepare for the force that’s coming,” Kerr said. “We want to run, we’re not trying to keep the game under 100 [points].”
