Jaw-dropping statistic should have Rockets scrambling for quick fix

The Houston Rockets have a clear game plan. They try to execute it on a nightly basis.

Opponents will likely shoot a higher percentage from three-point range. That's fine. The Rockets win by playing physical defense, limiting their own turnovers, and dominating the glass. By controlling the possession game, they typically generate enough extra shots to compensate for any efficiency difference.

Oh, how the tables turned on Wednesday.

The entire formula was reversed. The Rockets had a better night from three-point land than the Warriors. Houston shot 43.3% on 30 attempts, while the Warriors connected on 34.1% of their 44 attempts. The Warriors again far surpassed them in volume, but they only made 15 threes to Houston's 13. With the Warriors spending so many possessions on missed threes, the Rockets will live with two extra makes.

They can't live with getting dominated on the glass again.

Warriors give Rockets a taste of their own medicine

The Warriors corralled 49 rebounds to the Rockets' 39. That's a meaningful advantage. Much of the difference came on the offensive glass.

Golden State grabbed a remarkable 25 offensive rebounds. Houston had 8. Up was down, down was up, and the Rockets got beat at their own game.

Luckily, they beat the Warriors at their own game as well. They shouldn't count on doing that again. Trying to outshoot the Golden State Warriors has been a fool's errand for a decade.

How can the Rockets stop this from happening again?

Rockets need to contain the Warriors' press

This was a stressful game for Rockets fans.

At one point, they had a 29-point lead. This one was in the books. The Warriors pulled their starters and cleared the bench. The Rockets followed suit shortly after. It was time to move on to Game 6:

Until it wasn't.

The Warriors' reserves started to make a comeback. They cut the lead to 13. Once they smelled blood, they started to hunt. The Warriors deployed a full-court press, and it nearly got them back in the game.

That accounts for much of their offensive rebounding brilliance. The Warriors had bodies back in the halfcourt at all times. They were aggressive in pursuing the pumpkin, and it worked.

It's not likely to be a viable strategy for an entire 48 minutes. The Warriors are old. This is a labor-intensive brand of basketball that the younger, more athletic Rockets should exploit if the Warriors lean into it.

That said, Golden State could press more in Game 6 than they did in Game 5. They can use this plan in bursts. The Rockets need to figure out how they'll counter the full-court press ahead of Game 6. They cannot let the Warriors dominate the offensive glass again:

That's how they're supposed to win, not lose.