The set-up: The Rockets won the West by seven games over the second-place Warriors and took two of three regular-season meetings while averaging 117.3 PPG. Both Houston and Golden State reached the Western Conference Finals with 4-1 wins in the first two rounds of teh playoffs, setting up this "clash of titans." Game 1 was played Monday in Houston and while the Rockets led early by nine points, the game was tied at the half. However, in a span of about 2 1/2 minutes in the third quarter, the Warriors ripped off a 12-2 run. Then, a 13-4 spurt in the early 4th, led to a 119-106 Golden State win. In a flash, all Houston's hard work in i unrelenting charge to the best record in the Western Conference was torn asunder and rendered moot, as the home-court advantage that accompanied what the team had accomplished in the regular season was by the handiwork of Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Steph Curry and Draymond Green.The Golden Warriors outscored the Rockets by 13 points in teh second half and flashed supreme form in the opener and now look to take a 2-0 lead when on Wednesday. The Warriors outscored the Rockets by 13 points in the second half while recording a 119-106 win in Game 1. Meanwhile, the Rockets, who had labored hard down the stretch of the regular season to bypass the Warriors in the standings and guarantee that this anticipated series would open in Houston, must now win Game 2 or face what would likely be an insurmountable 'hill to climb!"

Golden State: Kevin Durant scored 37 points and shooting guard Klay Thompson added 28, as second-seeded Golden State was in top form while outclassing James Harden and the top-seeded Rockets. in Game 1. Curry had a modest 18 points (but eight assists and six rebounds) plus Green scored just five points. However, Green added nine rebounds, nine assist, two blocks and two steals, while posting a plus-minus rating of plus-19, the best of any Warrior! Durant was 14-of-27 shooting in Game 1, as Golden State repeatedly isolated him to take advantage of mismatches with Houston defenders. Golden State shot 51.2% as a team, recording a 60.6 effective field-goal percentage in the series opener. That was par for the course even against the Rockets' exceptional defense, as Golden State produced a 61.8 effective field-goal percentage during the team's three regular-season meetings, the highest such mark against Houston by any opponent. However, it wasn't that the Warriors shot efficiently but rather the number of wide-open looks they generated by ball movement.

Houston: Harden scored 41 points (has now reached 40 points three times this postseason) and added seven assists in the opener but didn't receive enough help from the supporting cast. "We're all in this together," Harden told reporters. "It doesn't matter who has a bad game or who is missing shots. ... Keep shooting your shot and being aggressive. We got this far doing that and having that mindset, so we're just going to continue it." Harden and coach Mike D'Antoni joked after Game 1 that he might need to ask Harden to score 55 in Game 2. He broke out of a three-point shooting funk by making 5-of-9 attempts after being just 6-of-32 over the final four contests of the second-round series against the Utah Jazz. Point guard Chris Paul had 23 points and 11 rebounds in the opener but only had three assists, as the Rockets were unable to crisply moving the ball in the half-court offense.
The pick: Obviously, the Rockets are in a "must-win" situation but one has to ask, are the Warriors just too good? I'll stick with the analysis I had in Game 1 (lost my "under call" by a half-point). NBA fans have anticipated this spectacle of the rim runs, fast breaks, a hail of three-pointers and sublime passing for months. However, for all their otherworldly talent, the Rockets and Warriors have no secrets. Even with Houston's James Harden and Chris Paul plus Golden State's magnificent scoring trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant, the series will be dictated by defensive might. Both teams closed the season ranked in the top-10 in defensive efficiency and each have ratcheted up their efforts in the playoffs. Golden State is first in defensive rating (99.3), the Rockets second (102.1). Make the Under a 10* play.