Houston Rockets: Mike D’Antoni says all the pressure is on the Warriors

According to Mike D’Antoni, all of the pressure in Game 4 is on the Golden State Warriors, not on the Houston Rockets.

The Houston Rockets find themselves in a difficult situation. They’re down 2-1 against the Golden State Warriors, a team that has three consecutive Finals appearances.

On top of that, the next game will be played in Oracle Arena, where the Warriors have won a record 16 consecutive playoff games. The Rockets are down, but they certainly aren’t out.

A win in Game 4 would shift the momentum back in Houston’s favor. Not only would Houston prove they can win in Golden State, but they would also regain home court advantage. If the series came down to a Game 7, that showdown would take place in Toyota Center.

The Rockets still feel good about their chances going forward. In fact, Mike D’Antoni told the Washington Post’s Tim Bontemps that Golden State has all of the pressure in Game 4.

“To me, Golden State has all the pressure. They have to come in here and win tomorrow night.”

The Warriors have not lost two games in a series since they acquired Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016. To be honest, none of Golden State’s opponents up until this series have had much of a chance at beating them.

Houston made a lot of good adjustments heading into Game 2 after their Game 1 loss. They played much tighter defense. They started each possession earlier in the shot clock, which allowed for the ball to swing until they found the open man. Furthermore, Houston showed a lot of fight and they simply played harder than their opponents from start to finish.

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It will take another herculean effort to overthrow the Warriors on their own land in Game 4. But if there’s only one team that is up for the challenge, it’s the Houston Rockets.