Getty Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant and Houston Rockets guard James Harden
The rematch which many NBA fans had hoped to see in the 2019 NBA Playoffs worked out according to plan. Both the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets advanced to the second round, although the latter got it done a bit faster. In turn, this sets up an opportunity for the world to see last year’s Western Conference Finals matchup play out again.
While the Warriors went on to win that series and then proceeded to win the 2018 NBA Championship, how they moved past the Rockets was a major talking point. James Harden and company jumped out to a 3-2 series lead with back-to-back wins in Games 4 and 5, but the final victory came with a cost. Chris Paul suffered a hamstring injury which sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
We know how the story played out from there, as Golden State won two-straight to complete the comeback. Now, the No. 4 seed Rockets will seek a bit of revenge, but it’ll be a tall task against the top-seeded Warriors.
Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets 2019 NBA Playoff Preview
Although the Warriors and Rockets finished three spots apart in the final standings, their records were fairly similar. Golden State wrapped up the year with a 57-25 record while Houston was 53-29 and tied with the Portland Trail Blazers for the No. 3 seed (losing the tiebreaker).
Beyond that, the Rockets had their number during the 2018-19 regular season. These two teams met four times, with Harden and company winning three of four matchups, including two on the road (one in overtime). The one loss for Mike D’Antoni’s team against the Warriors was by two points in mid-March, a game which snapped Houston’s nine-game winning streak.
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The Warriors may have run into issues with the Rockets during the regular season, but they’ll look to right the ship in the postseason. After dropping Game 2 to the Los Angeles Clippers, it appeared they had turned a corner before losing Game 5 and having to close the series out on the road. Kevin Durant has been dominant as of late, specifically from Game 3 on while taking over in multiple instances.
One big topic of conversation will be how the Warriors continue to adjust with DeMarcus Cousins expected to miss the remainder of the playoffs. Cousins, who signed as a free agent this past offseason, suffered a torn quad in Game 2 against the Clippers. In his absence, it’s been Andrew Bogut starting with Kevon Looney seeing additional minutes, but the Warriors opting to play a decent amount of small ball with Andre Iguodala.
Warriors vs. Rockets Second Round NBA Playoff Schedule & Prediction
Tentative times and dates are listed below with all information courtesy of Sports Media Watch. While we know how the TNT and ABC/ESPN coverage looks, the official schedule is slowly coming together.
Below is a look at what all we know thus far, courtesy of Sports Media Group. The series between the Rockets and Warriors begins on Sunday, April 28 in Golden State while round two gets underway with the Philadelphia 76ers vs. Toronto Raptors on Saturday.
We’ll update the schedule below with the full series breakdown and finalized dates once the second round is officially set.
Saturday, April 27
- Philadelphia 76ers vs. Toronto Raptors Time TBD (TNT)
Sunday, April 28
- Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks 1:00 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Monday, April 29
- Philadelphia 76ers vs. Toronto Raptors Time TBD (TNT)
- TBD vs. TBD 10:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Tuesday, April 30
- Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks Time TBD (TNT)
- TBD vs. TBD 10:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Wednesday, May 1
- TBD vs. TBD 8:00 p.m. ET (TNT)
- TBD vs. TBD 10:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Thursday, May 2
- Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers 8:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- TBD vs. TBD 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Friday, May 3
- Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Time TBD (ESPN)
- TBD vs. TBD 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Saturday, May 4
- TBD vs. TBD 5:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- TBD vs. TBD 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Sunday, May 5
- Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
- TBD vs. TBD 8:00 p.m. ET (TNT)
Monday, May 6
- Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Time TBD (TNT)
- TBD vs. TBD 10:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Tuesday, May 7
- *Philadelphia 76ers vs. Toronto Raptors Time TBD (TNT)
- *TBD vs. TBD 10:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Wednesday, May 8
- *Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks Time TBD (TNT)
- *TBD vs. TBD 10:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Thursday, May 9
- *Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers 8:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- *TBD vs. TBD 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Friday, May 10
- *Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Time TBD (ESPN)
- *TBD vs. TBD 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Sunday, May 12
- *Philadelphia 76ers vs. Toronto Raptors Time TBD (TNT)
Monday, May 13
- *Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks Time TBD (TNT)
*If necessary
I think the injury to Cousins could really make an impact on this series, but even beyond that, the Rockets are hungry for revenge and that’s going to be an interesting talking point. Harden is the favorite once again to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award after averaging 36.1 points, 7.5 assists and 6.6 rebounds during the regular season.
As strong as the Warriors are across the board, a motivated Rockets team with last season fresh on their mind is going to be a tough out. I think Golden State’s dominant run in the Western Conference finally comes to a close in round two against the Rockets, but it’ll take seven games to get the job done.
Warriors vs. Rockets series prediction: Rockets in seven games
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