User:Averyw3/sandbox

NBA 2018 Western Conference Championship

Overview:

The 2018 Western Conference Finals, between the 1-seed Houston Rockets and 2-seed Golden State Warriors, took place over the span of May 14th to May 28th, 2018. The Golden State Warriors won the series 4 games to 3. With the Warriors victory, they advanced to their 4th straight finals, where they’d play the Cleveland Cavaliers for a 4th straight year. While it may not have seemed so at first, this series ended up shaping the entirety of the NBA for many players and teams

Golden State reached the Western Conference Finals after defeating the San Antonio Spurs 4 games to 1, then defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 4 games to 1. Houston reached, winning against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz, both 4 games to 1.

The Houston Rockets had home-court advantage after achieving a better record during the season. The series was played in a 2-2-1-1-1 format, meaning that games 1 and 2 were played at the Toyota Center in Houston, along with games 5 and 7. Games 2, 3 and 6 were played at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

Background:

Houston, coached by Mike D’antoni, boasted the best record in the NBA during the 2017-2018 season. They were also the home of NBA MVP James Harden. The Rockets were looking to reach their first NBA Finals Series since 1995. In addition to Harden, the rest of the Rockets starting players included P.J. Tuckers, Trevor Ariza, Clint Capela and Chris Paul.

Golden State, coached by Steve Kerr, held the 2-seed in the 2017-2018 season, although they were heavily favored to win the finals, having +120 odds, the best of any team in the playoffs. They were the home of 2-time MVP Stephen Curry and MVP Kevin Durant. In addition to those 2, the remaining starting roles were filled by Draymond Green, Kevin Looney and all-star Klay Thompson. The Warriors were looking to reach their 4th Finals series in a row, in the hopes to win their 3rd Championship in 4 years.

Summary:

Golden State won the series 4-3

Game Summaries:

Game 1:

The game started with a Houston run, as they jumped out to a 12-4 lead. Golden State would close the lead, and the first quarter ended with a 30-29 score in favor of Houston. The second quarter was a back and forth affair, with both teams exchanging many leads. The 2nd quarter ended, and the score was tied at 56. In the 3rd quarter, the Warriors built up a strong lead that they would never relinquish. Golden State went on a 12-2 run, and took as big as a 13 point lead during the corner. At the end of the game, the Warriors had come out on top, 119-106.

The Warriors were led by Kevin Durant, who scored 37 points. Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry added on, scoring 28 and 18 respectively. Draymond Green led the Warriors in both rebounds and assists, having 9 a piece. Despite the loss, James Harden scored 41, while also gaining 7 assists, which led the Rockets.

Game 2:

The game started with a back and forth, both teams exchanging leads in a low scoring affair for the two high-scoring juggernauts. The first quarter ended with Houston leading 26-21. Houston then continued to build upon their lead in the second quarter. Houston led 64-50 at halftime, and the Houston Rockets were granted a 92.9 percent chance to win according to ESPN Analytics. Houston maintained their lead in the 2nd half, and at one point, they had a lead as large as 28. By the end of the game, Houston had cruised to a comfortable victory of 127-105, evening the series at one game a piece.

The Rockets were led by James Harden, who scored an inefficient 27 points and 10 rebounds. Some other strong contributors included Trevor Ariza and P.J. Tucker, who shot 89 percent and 78 percent from the field, which greatly helped the Rockets build their lead during the second half. For the Warriors, Kevin Durant played well, scoring 38 points on 13-22 shooting. However, Durant received little help throughout the game, as no other starting player shot above 50 percent from the field.

Game 3:

The game started out with a back and forth, both teams exchanging buckets. At the 3:31 minute mark in the first quarter, the score was tied at 22. After this point, the game was blown out of proportion. Golden State would outscore Houston 104-63 for the remainder of the game. Golden State created their massive lead due to their elite defense. Houston ended the game shooting under 40 percent from the field, with each Rocket player having offensive struggles. Particularly, when shooting Guard Eric Gordon was on the court, the Rockets were outscored by 33.

Leading the Warriors in game 4 was Stephen Curry, who led all scorers with 35 points. Behind him was Kevin Durant with 25 points. Draymond Green led all players with 17 rebounds, which assisted the win and contributed to the 49 rebounds the Warriors obtained. Despite the loss, James Harden scored 20 points on 7/16 shooting, while also outsourcing 9 assists. With the win, Golden State took a 2-1 lead in the series.

Game 4:

Game 4 was an excellent display of defense on both sides of the ball. Golden State came out firing on all cylinders, achieving a 12-0 lead over the Rockets to open the game. Golden State built multiple large leads over the course of the game. First, their 12 points lead to open, and later in the game, they would lead 82-70 in the fourth quarter. The Rockets continued to fight back throughout the game. Even though the Rockets were down, it was excellent play by Chris Paul that got them back into the game. Paul scored 13 second half points, and Houston was able to crawl back from a double-digit deficit to take an 87-86 lead with 5 minutes remaining. After that, the Rockets never trailed, and they maintained a small lead until the buzzer sounded.

James Harden led all scorers with 30 points, albeit he had a very quiet second half to the game. Chris Paul ended with 27, but had a much more efficient game. Another big help in the Rockets victory was P.J Tucker, who brought down 16 rebounds, 4 offensive. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant scored 28 and 27, but on subpar efficiency from the field. With this win, Houston tied up the series at 2 a piece, and the next game would be hosted by the Rockets.

Game 5:

Game 5 was the pivotal game in the series, and it also served as a massive outlier. The Rockets and Warriors had been characterized as the two best teams in the NBA during the 2017-2018 season, but that was not shown during game 5. The Rockets led for the entire first half, but the Warriors were able to whittle down the lead, and they ended up tying it at halftime. In the second half, both teams traded leads, and it came down to the 4th quarter. Both Stephen Curry and Chris Paul played excellent fourth quarters, while stars James Harden and Kevin Durant were mostly absent. This was by far the most sloppy game of the series. The Warriors turned the ball over 16 times, while the Rockets shot an astonishing 37 percent from the field. At the end of the game, the Rockets left victorious, but felt like losers. With under a minute left, Chris Paul pulled his hamstring, an injury that would leave him unable to play for the remainder of the series. Despite losing Paul, the Rockets still had a 3-2 series lead.

The stars of the series played very poorly. James Harden shot 5-21, Chris Paul shot 6-19 and Kevin Durant shot 8-22. Stephen Curry shot 2-8 from three, and Draymond Green led all players with 6 turnovers. It was apparent after this game that both teams would have to regroup, as the two offensive juggernauts both felt as if they could’ve played better. In addition, with Chris Paul out, the Rockets were going to have to look for offensive help in different places.

Game 6:

The Rockets certainly felt the effect of not having Chris Paul on the court. However, it didn’t initially look that way. The Rockets jumped out to a large lead of 39-25 to start the second quarter. However, it was the play of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson that played Golden State back into the game. By the midway point of the 3rd quarter. Golden State had closed the gap on the Rockets, and ended up leading by 7 going into the 4th. The 4th quarter of game 6 ended up being one of the most shocking moments of the 2018 playoffs. The Golden State Warriors would annihilate the Rockets, outscoring them 31-9 in the 4th. It was a competitive game for the entirety of the game, but the 4th quarter got away from the Rockets, allowing Golden State to end with a near 30 point victory. With the victory, the game was headed to Toyota Center for a winner takes all game 7.

Klay Thompson was the catalyst for the Warriors in game 6. He scored his playoff high with 35 points on 13-23 shooting, including 9-14 from 3-point range. In addition to the play of Thompson, Curry scored 29 and dished out 6 assists. Despite the loss, James Harden scored 32, while bringing in 7 rebounds and giving out 9 assists. With Chris Paul out, the Rockets turned towards sharp-shooter Eric Gordon for offensive assistance. Gordon shot well, 7-12. In the 4th quarter, the Rockets shot a shocking 21 percent from the field.

Game 7:

The exciting Western Conference Finals would come to a historic end in more ways than one. The Warriors would advance to play the Cavaliers in the finals for the 4th straight year, an impressive feat that had never happened before and hasn’t happened since. The Rockets also achieved an unprecedented feat, however much less impressive. Like game 6, the Rockets gained a great lead at the start of the game. They led by as much as 15, and the score was 54-43 at halftime in favor of the Rockets. The Rockets seemed to be in control, however a meltdown was coming for the team. With around 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, the Warriors had made up ground and taken a lead over the Rockets. Their lead would never be relinquished. The Rockets, a team oriented around shooting 3-pointers, missed 27 consecutive three pointers spanning into the 4th quarter. This historic failure to score opened the window for the Warriors to build a lead that the Rockets couldn’t make up. As the final buzzer sounded, the Warriors would be headed back to Oracle Arena to host the NBA Finals, while the Rockets would remain at home, ready to adjust for next season.

Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, 2 MVPs, played like it in game 7. Durant scored 34 points on 11-21 shooting, while adding in 5 rebounds and assists to his statline. Curry finished one rebound shy of a triple double. He scored 27, with 10 assists and 9 rebounds. Despite a historically awful shooting streak, James Harden played an efficient 4th quarter, shooting 5-7 from the field. He ended with 32 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. The Rockets ended the game shooting 16 percent from the 3-point line, by far their lowest of the playoffs. The Warriors would go on to sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA finals, winning their 3rd final of the last 4 years. The Rockets blew back-to-back double-digit leads to fall just short of a finals appearance, leaving many fans disappointed.

Ratings:

Aftermath:

What makes the 2018 NBA Western Conference Finals so important is the lasting effects of this series. For the Golden State Warriors, they would go on to win their 3rd Championship in 4 years. This cemented the team as one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history. Stephen Curry is regarded as one of the greatest players and point guards to ever step foot on a basketball court. Kevin Durant, albeit a very controversial player, is regarded as one of the best of his generation. Where the lasting effects come from is the Houston Rockets.

A year after this heartbreaking loss to the Warriors, the Rockets let go of Chris Paul. They traded him and two first round picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Russell Westbrook. Oklahoma City then traded Chris Paul to the Phoenix Suns for 4 first round picks, subsequently creating a bright future for the team that is paying off today. Oklahoma City was the first overall seed of the 2023-2024 NBA season. The Phoenix Suns gained Chris Paul and immediately got better. They made it to the NBA finals for the first time in almost 30 years in Paul’s first season. Although it ended in a loss, the Suns have reached a level of relevancy that had been lacking in previous years. James Harden played a year with Russell Westbrook, and decided that it wasn’t worth it for him to play for Houston anymore. The Houston Rockets traded away James Harden for 3 first round picks and 4 first round pick swaps. Westbrook was also traded for John Wall and a first round pick. The Houston Rockets have used these picks to build up a team with a seemingly bright future. Led by young stars Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green and Amen Thompson, the Rockets achieved their first winning in the 2023-2024 season since 2020. The Rockets also used a Brooklyn Nets pick to select sharpshooter Reed Sheppard 3rd overall. The Nets experiment with James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant fell short. Injuries and other factors led to a lack of playoff success for the Nets, as they have now traded away all their assets, and seem to be entering a rebuild starting in the 2024-2025 season.

As of now, Stephen Curry continues to play for the Golden State Warriors. James Harden resides on the Los Angeles Clippers. Kevin Durant plays for the Phoenix Suns. Chris Paul plays for the San Antonio Spurs. Klay Thompson plays for the Dallas Mavericks. Eric Gordon is in Pennsylvania to play with the Philadelphia 76ers. There is not one member of the 2017-2018 Houston Rockets roster that currently plays for Houston.

In conclusion, the matchup between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets in the 2018 Western Conference Finals paved the way for many teams. Oklahoma City and Phoenix are on the brink of success, Houston is now on the rise, Brooklyn seems to be stuck in the mud, and Golden State finally seems to be slowing down.

Citations: --

“2018 NBA Western Conference Finals Warriors vs. Rockets”. Basketball-Reference. https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2018-nba-western-conference-finals-warriors-vs-rockets.html

“2021 World Series”. Wikipedia. https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2018-nba-western-conference-finals-warriors-vs-rockets.html

“Golden State Warriors Playoff History”. Basketball Real GM. https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Golden-State-Warriors/9/Playoff-History

“2018 NBA All-Star Game”. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_NBA_All-Star_Game

Kay, Alex. April 14, 2018. “NBA Playoffs 2018 Odds: Schedule, Start Times, TV, Live Stream, Predictions For First-Round Series”. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkay/2018/04/14/nba-playoffs-2018-odds-schedule-start-times-tv-live-stream-predictions-for-first-round-series/

“Houston Rockets Schedule 2017-2018: Postseason”. ESPN https://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/hou/season/2018

“NBA Conference Finals Ratings History (2000-Present)”. Sports Media Watch. https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/nba-conference-finals-ratings-eastern-western/#:~:text=In%202018%2C%20the%20Warriors%2DRockets,Celtics%20(6.3M)%20series.

D’Andrea, Christian. May 28, 2018. “Chris Paul will miss Game 7 vs. Warriors due to hamstring strain”. SBNation. https://www.sbnation.com/2018/5/25/17393688/2018-nba-playoffs-chris-paul-injury-rockets-warriors

The Athletic Staff. November 16, 2020. “Thunder trade Chris Paul to Suns”. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4230927/2020/11/16/thunder-trade-chris-paul-to-suns/#

January 14, 2021. “Nets acquire James Harden in blockbuster trade”. NBA.com. https://www.nba.com/news/reports-nets-acquire-james-harden-trade

Rieken, Kristie. December 2, 2020. “Russell Westbrook traded for John Wall”. https://www.nba.com/news/reports-russell-westbrook-traded-for-john-wall#