PREVIEW: 2015 Western Conference Finals, Game 3: Golden State Warriors (2-0) At Houston Rockets (0-2) – Locking In On The Road

Houston Rockets (0-0) at Golden State Warriors (0-0)

Tip-off: Saturday, May 23rd, 2015 – 6:00PM PDT

Location: Toyota Center, Houston, TX

TV: ESPN | Radio: KTCT 1050 AM

Livetweet: @LetsGoWarriors #LetsGoWarriorsLive

Projected Starting Lineups:

Rockets

Career Playoff Averages

PG: Jason Terry (15.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 3.3 APG)

SG: James Harden (18.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.6 APG)

SF: Trevor Ariza (10.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.0 APG)

PF: Josh Smith (15.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.9 APG)

C: Dwight Howard (19.6 PPG, 14.1 RPG, 1.4 APG)

Head Coach: Kevin McHale (12-14, .462)

Warriors

Career Playoff Averages

PG: Stephen Curry (25.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 7.6 APG)

SG: Klay Thompson (17.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.6 APG)

SF: Harrison Barnes (12.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.5 APG)

PF: Draymond Green (10.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.4 APG)

C: Andrew Bogut (6.8 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.2 APG)

Head Coach: Steve Kerr (10-2, .833)

Series Game Recaps/Schedule

GAME ONE: The Warriors overcame a 16-point deficit in the first half and a 28-9-11 explosion by Harden, as Curry led the way with 34 points.

GAME TWO: Harden didn’t get a shot off trailing by 1 at the buzzer as Curry and Thompson converged on a broken play, the Warriors winning 99-98 in dramatic fashion. The bench unit was tremendous and Andre Iguodala had a spectacular dunk as Golden State built its early lead.

GAME FOUR: is scheduled for Monday, 5/25/2015, in Houston, TX.

GAME FIVE: if necessary, is scheduled for Wednesday, 5/27/2015, in Oakland, CA.

GAME SIX, if necessary, is scheduled for Monday, 5/29/2015, in Houston, TX.

GAME SEVEN, if necessary, is scheduled for Wednesday, 5/31/2015, in Oakland, CA.

Game Notes

RT @Rusty_SFChron: Houston Rockets playoff shirts create the candy cane effect. pic.twitter.com/ysIPUDm5NJ

— LetsGoWarriors (@LetsGoWarriors) May 23, 2015

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• “This is a must-win game for us,” he said. “Must-win time. You have to love it. It’s the Western Conference finals. What better place to be? Going home and the sense of urgency is going to be there from the tip.'” — Kristie Rieken, AP/STATS

• “Talked to Marreese Speights (strained R calf), who says he’s better but is considering additional therapies to speed healing.” — Monte Poole, CSN Bay Area

• “Dwight Howard said he feels better today in regards to his knee.” — Jenny Dial Creech, Houston Chronicle

• DubNation Digest: The “Chess” Of Klay vs Harden – “Stick With It” Or “Something Up The Sleeve”?, by LetsGoWarriors

• “When I look at someone guarding another player, I look at their footwork, intensity of their shot challenge…”–Warriors assistant coach Ron Adams“

• Ron Adams: “(Harden) was a precocious guy, and we connected. I’m a left-hander. He’s a left-hander.”

• Harden on him and Klay: “We’ve known each other a long time and last summer we hung out a lot” — Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle

• “It’s just us. You kind of have to come together & that’s going to be the plan for Gs 3&4” — Andre

• “The good thing is: We weren’t sitting on the runway for four hours” — #Warriors coach Steve Kerr

• 2-0 teams usually lose G3 (110-151 all-time) but…(0-2 usually) too much for the 0-team to overcome

• “In the playoffs momentum can change in one game. But if you go up 3-0 you’re in great shape” — Curry

• “Kerr: ‘Our guys really enjoy playing on the road. They enjoy the challenge.'” — Adam Lauridsen, San Jose Mercury News

• “Like the Warriors, the Rockets have not lost 3 in a row this season.” — Ann Killion, Bay Area News Group

• “Bogut had 5 blk in Game 2 and has now 25 blk, most by a Warrior player in a postseason since Manute Bol 29 blocks in 1989” — Tim Roye, Warriors radio broadcaster

• “Warriors have held their opponent under 100 points in their last 4 road games this postseason, opps avg just 94.0 ppg” — Roye

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(Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account via NBAE/Getty)