Game One of the conference semifinals-round series between the Warriors and the Rockets looked to be the most anticipated contest so far through the 2019 National Basketball Association Playoffs, and not simply because of their shared history. This time last year, their best-of-seven battle for the right to represent the West in the Finals went the distance, and not a few quarters figured the rematch would be just as hotly contested. Even the protagonists themselves viewed the affair as inevitably protracted, hence their desire to hit the ground running and come up with the first strike.
No doubt, the perceived closeness of the series enjoined Splash Brothers Steph Curry and Klay Thompson to suit up despite nursing right ankle sprains that would have otherwise sidelined them. They know that nothing less than a complete roster would enable the Warriors to take the measure of the Rockets, and vice versa. For proof, they need only recall Games Six and Seven of the 2018 West Finals, which netted them wins in the absence of All-Star adversary Chris Paul. Were they to stay away, the drop-off in talent level would have been so vast as to clearly tilt the balance in the opposition’s favor.
As things turned out, the set-to did stay close until the very end. The way there wasn’t quite what all and sundry had in mind, though. Notwithstanding the involvement of marquee names known for putting points on the board, it became a showcase for defense — and, most tellingly, of uglyball that featured a whopping 56 free throws off 45 foul calls on aggregate. In the aftermath, talk was mostly on how much the referees erred to the detriment of both sides. With reason, Kevin Durant’s personal-record fifth straight 30-point game was a poor second choice as a topic for discussion.
Make no mistake. How the series evolves from here on will depend on whether the men in gray have set a tone with their Game One whistles. Apart from the usual ticky-tack and phantom citations, the ones most dissected post-mortem involved the Warriors’ constant flirtation with rules on respect for three-point shooters’ landing spaces. Reigning Most Valuable Player James Harden expressed frustration with the apparent change in the application of regulations, which allowed him to draw fouls on 95 of his attempts from beyond the arc in the regular season, and which he continued to take advantage of versus the Jazz in the first round.
Based on skills sets, the Warriors should emerge triumphant when the battlesmoke clears. That said, the Rockets have guile, craftiness, resolve, and unshakable self-confidence that rely on arbiters calling contests in a manner that suits their collective sense of purpose. Needless to say, no one wants a given game to be decided by whistles. Considering the turn of events, however, the series figures to turn precisely on whistles, whether blown or not.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
