Houston (US), .- The two-time NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors, returned to beat the Houston Rockets and have a 2-0 lead in the elimination of semifinals of the Western Conference that they dispute to the best of seven, whereas the Bucks of Milwaukee managed to tie to 1-1 the one that they carry out against the Celtics in the one of the East.
The forward Kevin Durant with 29 points, five rebounds and four assists, returned to lead the balanced attack and winner of the Warriors that were imposed by 115-109 to the Houston Rockets in the second game of the tie.
Durant topped the list of five Warriors starters who had double-digit numbers, including guard Klay Thompson, who hit 21 with three 3-pointers and played his best singles game so far in the finals.
Warriors star forward broke a streak of five consecutive playoff games in which he scored at least 30 points, but with 201, he became the fourth player in NBA history to score 200 or more points in that period of time. as they had done previously, Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson and LeBron James.
The base Stephen Curry, who had problems with a blow that suffered in the middle finger of the left hand in the first quarter, in the end also achieved 20 points and distributed five assists as third highest scorer of the Warriors, defending the title of two-time champions of league.
The guard Andre Iguodala, who left the start in place of the Australian power forward Andrew Bogut, returned to be the winning factor of the Warriors to get 16 points, five rebounds and four assists.
While power forward Draymond Green confirmed that he is in his best full-player version and demonstrated it with a double-double of 15 points, 12 rebounds – seven defensive -, he handed out seven assists and recovered two balls.
“It was a very difficult game again, the Rockets fought until the end and were involved in the fight to get the victory,” said Steve Kerr, the Warriors coach at the conclusion of the game played at Oracle Arena in Oakland. “Now when we travel to Houston the story will be very different, but we have achieved the goal of maintaining the field advantage.”
The guard James Harden, who was hit in both eyes by Green, in the end also was the leader encestador of the Rockets when contributing 29 points, including three triples of seven attempts, captured seven bounces and distributed four attendances.
The third game of the series will be played next Saturday at the Toyota Center in Houston.
Greek power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo regained his status as leader and with a double-double of 29 points, 10 rebounds and four assists led the balanced attack and winner of the Bucks that were imposed by 123-102 to the Celtics in the second game of the semifinals of the Eastern Conference.
The victory allowed the Bucks to tie 1-1 to the series that play the best of seven and moving to Boston, where on Friday the third game will be played and the fourth is scheduled for Sunday, both will have as stage the TD Garden .
Antetokoumpo, who had not been a winning factor in the first game that the Bucks lost by 90-112 this time if he claimed his best individual and team game that made the difference from the second quarter after having lost the first with partial of 25- 30
The highest candidate for MVP in the league, he forgot the poor performance he had in the first game and this time imposed his physical power with penetrations to kill and force the staff that allowed him to score 13 of 18 free shots.
Along with Antetokounmpo, forward Khris Middleton also stood out with 28 points and seven rebounds as the second highest scorer after scoring 7 of 10 shot attempts, which was the weapon with the Bucks broke the Celtics defensive scheme from the second quarter.
The base Eric Bledsoe, who had not excelled in the first game, if he did in the second as the third highest scorer to provide 21 points, after scoring 7 of 12 field goals, including 3 of 5 triples, and 4-4 from the line of personnel.
While Cuban American center forward Broo Lopez and reserve baseman George Hill scored 10 points each to complete the list of the six Bucks players who had double-digit numbers.
The Spanish Montenegrin power forward Nikola Mirotic, who started from the start, did a great team effort and was at the gates of a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.
Power forward Marcus Morris with 17 points finished as the Celtics’ top scorer, who had just three players with double-digit numbers.
Among them the guard Jaylen Brown, who scored 16 points, although he missed the two shots of triples I try.
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Among them the guard Jaylen Brown, who scored 16 points, although he missed the two shots of triples I try.
While the center pivot Al Horford, who started brilliant the first quarter, from the second and could not contain Antetokounmpo, and finished the game with 15 points in the 29 minutes he played.
Horford scored 6 of 10 field goals, including 3 of 5 triples, in addition to capturing eight rebounds – all defensive -, distributed five assists, but did not have his best control of the ball to lose five times and commit a personal foul.
The big disappointment of the Celtics was the star base Kyrie Irving, who did not score a basket until the second quarter after failing the first six field goals he made.
Irving, who had been the great leader in the first game, this time was left with just nine points when he missed 14 of the 18 field goals he did, including 4 of 5 3-pointers.
(EFE)
