Warriors shake off sluggish start, beat Rockets to advance to fourth straight NBA Finals

Jordan Greer

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Warriors shake off sluggish start, beat Rockets to advance to fourth straight NBA Finals image

Despite the Warriors starting Game 7 with, as Steve Kerr called it, "one of the worst quarters of basketball we've ever played," Golden State got back to business in the second half and took down the Rockets with a 101-92 win on Monday night.

Kevin Durant scored a game-high 34 points on 11-of-21 shooting, but it was Stephen Curry leading the way in a huge third quarter that flipped the momentum of the game. The two-time MVP scored 14 points in that frame alone, finishing with 27 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.

James Harden (32 points, six assists, four steals) and Eric Gordon (23 points, six assists) got off to a fast start, but the backcourt duo seemed to hit a wall down the stretch. They certainly weren't alone — the Rockets shot 7-of-44 from 3-point range as a team, missing a playoff record 27 straight attempts from beyond the arc during a brutal cold spell in the second half.

The Warriors advance to play the Cavs for the fourth consecutive season in the NBA Finals. Another title would solidify Golden State as a legitimate dynasty, but LeBron James might have something to say about that.

Check out the best highlights from Game 7 of the Western Conference finals...

Game 7 box score

Final: Warriors 101, Rockets 92

11:26 p.m. ET — And that's it. The Warriors are heading to the NBA Finals for the fourth consecutive season. It's Cavs vs. Warriors again.

11:15 p.m. ET — Another midrange jumper for Kevin Durant. He is feeling it with nine of Golden State's last 14 points. The Warriors are also going with the Hack-A-Capela strategy late to prevent the Rockets from making a comeback. 

Warriors 97, Rockets 85 with 3:15 on the clock. But this one feels like it's pretty much done.

11:05 p.m. ET — This is just unfair. Good luck trying to guard Kevin Durant.

Warriors 89, Rockets 79 with 6:07 left.

10:57 p.m. ET — The Rockets have no missed 25 — yes, 25 — 3-pointers in a row. The Warriors are ahead by 10 points with a little over eight minutes on the clock. Houston won't win this game if they can't make a couple outside shots. Just not gonna happen.

End of third quarter: Warriors 76, Rockets 69

10:47 p.m. ET — And there's the turn. The Warriors are just unstoppable in the third. Golden State wins the quarter with a 33-15 surge. Stephen Curry nearly outscored the Rockets by himself with 14 points in that stretch. Houston has just gone cold at the worst possible time.

10:37 p.m. ET — The Rockets have scored only seven points through the first seven minutes of the second half. Part of it is ugly offense, but the Warriors actually are competing on defense now.

10:30 p.m. ET — And here come the Warriors. The Rockets' lead is down to five points after a couple of 3-pointers from Kevin Durant and Nick Young. It hasn't been pretty, but Golden State is right there.

10:24 p.m. ET — Death, taxes and James Harden going left for the finish.

Halftime: Rockets 54, Warriors 43

10:07 p.m. ET — What a half from Houston. Eric Gordon's (14 points) coast-to-coast finish at the buzzer gives the Rockets an 11-point lead. James Harden has 16 points and four assists, but he did slow down in the second quarter. He can't afford to settle for deep shots if the driving lanes are open. The Warriors... man. They shot poorly and didn't show a ton of effort defensively. That's simply unacceptable for regular season game, let alone a contest with a trip to the Finals on the line. Let's see if Golden State wakes up in the third.

10:02 p.m. ET — James Harden finds Clint Capela again with a filthy behind-the-back dime.

9:50 p.m. ET — That Harden-to-Capela lob... so pretty.

9:43 p.m. ET — Eric Gordon is attacking the rim at every opportunity. The Rockets look like they really want this, and the Warriors just aren't matching that level of intensity right now.

End of first quarter: Rockets 24, Warriors 19

9:34 p.m. ET — The Rockets brought more energy in the opening period, but it's still a tight one after the first 12 minutes. James Harden already has 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting. The big story for the Warriors is Klay Thompson's foul trouble. When will Steve Kerr insert the sharpshooter back into the game?

9:24 p.m. ET — Kevin Durant, the ultimate luxury.

9:13 p.m. ET — Wow. Klay Thompson picks up his third foul contesting a James Harden 3-pointer, and Harden makes it anyway. Thompson must walk over to the bench. It's understandable that he was still on the floor, but that's the risk.

9:07 p.m. ET — James Harden and Eric Gordon each draw fouls on Klay Thompson in the opening minute of the game, but Thompson will stay on the floor with two. Steve Kerr isn't messing around with the season on the line.

9:00 p.m. ET — Here we go. Your starting lineups for Game 7...

Warriors: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney

Rockets: James Harden, Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza, PJ Tucker, Clint Capela

8:45 p.m. ET — Game 7 could come down to how much James Harden has left in the tank. He must play like an MVP if the Rockets want to take down this Warriors team.

8:30 p.m. ET — Stephen Curry is coming off a 29-point effort in Game 6. How will he handle yet another elimination game?

Jordan Greer

Jordan Greer Photo

Jordan Greer has been with The Sporting News since 2015. He previously worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is a graduate of Westminster College and Syracuse University.