SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Warriors have two main tasks before they play the Rockets in a decisive Game 7 on Sunday at the Toyota Center: make more perimeter shots to crack Houston’s zone defense and find a way to slow down guard Fred VanVleet.
The Warriors were poor in both areas in Game 6 on Friday. They made just 15-of-49 3-point attempts and saw VanVleet torch them for 29 points in a 115-107 loss to the Rockets in what might have been the final game of the season at Chase Center.
VanVleet had nine points in a dominant fourth quarter, giving Houston a chance to close out the series on its own floor and advance to the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“He’s been a champion. Been there, done that,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said of VanVleet, who led the Toronto Raptors past the Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals. “So I wouldn’t expect anything less than that from him.”
Since going 6-for-29 on 3-point attempts in the first three games of the series, VanVleet has come alive, going 18-of-27 from beyond the arc.
Part of VanVleet’s success is taking advantage of the Warriors’ strategy of concentrating more on slowing down Jalen Green. While Golden State has all but erased Green since Game 2, when he had 38 points, VanVleet, alongside Alperen Sengun, has picked up the slack, presenting all kinds of issues for the Warriors.
“We like (VanVleet and Green) on the court together for that reason,” Udoka said. “They put one of the better defenders there. Guys are really setting screens, and our pace has been better. So, we’re getting a lot more freedom. Wearing them down a little bit.
“(The Warriors) do what they do. They have switched lineups quite a bit so far. At times, it feels like they are going for defensive lineups and then offensive, and you can only have a little bit of both. Fred’s been aggressive picking on that, and if they do adjust with Jalen, he’ll have some freedom, as well.”
Still, it’s not just VanVleet. While the Warriors had trouble finding a consistent third scorer Friday behind Steph Curry (29 points) and Jimmy Butler (27 points), the Rockets had four players with at least 14 points. Green had 12 points on 3-of-11 shooting,
“One thing about this team is we pride ourselves on our balance, having different guys that can attack depending on how the defense reads us,” said VanVleet, who played his 58th career postseason game on Friday. “So I’ve just been trying to take advantage of the opportunities when they come my way and step up and make shots when it’s in rhythm.
“Obviously, we know who we’re playing, but at the end of the day, you’ve just got to read the game the way that they’re guarding and take what the defense gives.”
The Warriors’ frustration with the Rockets’ zone defense was never clearer than during the fourth quarter, when Golden State was an abysmal 1-for-12 on 3-point attempts.
Udoka said communication has been key for the Rockets to take away time and space from the Warriors on any open shot attempts. VanVleet said not everything always goes as planned.
“Just attention to detail, trying to find the shooters,” he said. “We’ve been experimenting with some things in the zone, and having a big on the back line, and then just morphing and flying around.
“Half the time, we don’t even know what the hell we’re doing out there. So, I’m sure it’s hard to game plan against. But just flying around, having effort, being physical. We know the guys that we want to limit their touches and their shots, make it tough on them, come up with a rebound.”
Related Articles
Warriors on verge of epic collapse after Game 6 loss to Rockets
Warriors’ Kerr offers touching words on Popovich’s impact on NBA, his life
Gregg Popovich, the NBA’s all-time wins leader, retires after 29 seasons as San Antonio Spurs coach
How to watch Warriors-Rockets Game 6
Four keys for the Warriors to win Game 6 and eliminate the Rockets
When some teams try to use a zone defense against the Warriors, it’s usually a box-and-one set-up. The Rockets have found something they like with the 2-3 zone, and along with VanVleet responding at the other end of the court, they have turned the series around and pushed the Warriors to the brink.
“The thing with the zone is that there are windows to attack, weak spots, obviously,” Rockets forward Steven Adams said. “We just managed to scramble and get to those spots and rotate pretty well, so the window for shots, we keep it very tight.
“On top of that, we do a good job rebounding and keeping them to one shot. That’s a key weakness with the zone. Because usually you’re out of place to rebound. It’s a weird zone. It’s just like a bizarre one, but it works.”
