OAKLAND, Calif. — When the Golden State Warriors eliminated the Houston Rockets in last year's Western Conference Finals, there was every reason to be optimistic about the future of James Harden and his team.
Houston had nearly reached the NBA Finals, falling to the eventual champs, after getting only a half-season from Dwight Howard and suffering other significant injuries up and down the roster. Harden had just finished second in the MVP voting, and Ty Lawson would come aboard for next to nothing during the offseason, further bolstering the roster and another step forward.
The Rockets' future was rosy.
After a 114-81 thrashing at the hands of the Warriors on Wednesday, it's safe to say there's no such positive sentiment after this year's elimination.
The Warriors' best player wore a suit on the sidelines, and the Rockets looked less like a team hoping to capitalize and more like one ready to go home.
Houston let Klay Thompson loose early and often, couldn't slow down Shaun Livingston, turned the ball over ...
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Article written by Grant Hughes