The Golden State Warriors got a frightening glimpse into how fragile championship hopes can be when they saw their leader, Steph Curry, splayed on the floor after a nasty fall over the Houston Rockets' Trevor Ariza in Monday's Game 4 loss.
However, Curry's locked in and ready to go (despite a head contusion), and the Warriors will look to capitalize on their good luck with a Western Conference Finals closeout win in Game 5. Here's our 3 Things To Watch In Rockets vs. Warriors Game 5.
1. Has Klay Thompson Snapped Out Of His Shooting Funk?
The less-publicized member of the Splash Brothers was out of sync in Games 1 through 3, going just 18 for 49 from the field (36.7%) and a Siberian cold 4 of 22 from three (18.2%). Thompson returned closer to form in Game 4, however, stepping up in the Steph Curry chaos with 6 threes on 13 attempts and a 42.9% shooting percentage overall. The Warriors are near unstoppable went both Curry and Thompson are cooking. Can Thompson keep the momentum going with a career-defining Game 5?
2. Can The Warriors Contain James Harden?
Golden State did a fantastic job bottling up the 2014-15 NBA MVP runner-up in Game 3, forcing Harden into contested jumpers from the mid-range on out to the perimeter. That wasn't the case in Game 4. Harden found his sweet spot time and time again, draining step-backs and blowing by Warriors containment with his not-so-graceful, bowling ball-like efficiency. It may not be pretty, but the Warriors are going to have to figure out to stop Harden's next-level game if they hope to finish this series off on Wednesday.
3. How Is Steph Curry Really Doing?
Steph Curry’s return to Game 4 was big for the Warriors’ psyche, if not for the team’s production on the court. Curry missed 7 of his 11 shots after his prolonged absence, only truly hitting his stride again when the game was well in the Rockets' hands. Word out of Oakland is that it's all systems go for the NBA MVP. However, we won't know just how ready Curry is to put such a scare behind him until Game 5 gets under way.
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